Even as the panicky Pandava army prepared to flee, Krishna stopped them. He told them that no one or no weapon could defeat the Narayanastra. The only way of counteracting it was to lay down one’s arms and surrender. The astra would not kill one who had surrendered.

All the Pandava warriors and soldiers threw down their weapons and gave up the idea of fighting, but Bheema was unshaken. He refused to surrender. The weapon then landed on Bheema’s head. Just as the weapon threatened to burn Bheema, Arjuna used the Varunastra to protect Bheema. Krishna and Arjuna then dragged Bheema to the ground even as he resisted.

Finally listening to Krishna, Bheema surrendered. Since the entire enemy force had surrendered before it, the Narayanastra disappeared. An angry Duryodhana asked Ashwatthama to release the weapon again. He declined, saying that it would kill him if he tried to do so. Ashwatthama then angrily attacked Dhrishtadyumna.

Satyaki came to his commander’s defence and struck Ashwatthama repeatedly with sharp arrows. Laughing loudly, Ashwatthama released a powerful missile that caused Satyaki to swoon and his charioteer took him away from the battlefield. Ashwatthama then killed two princes belonging to the Pandava side and made Bheema flee from the battle.

Arjuna then challenged Ashwatthama who released the Agneya weapon that scorched the battlefield with its flames. Arjuna countered it with the Brahmastra. Unable to counter the Brahmastra, Ashwatthama fled.

He then met Vyasa, who appeared before him and asked the sage why his weapons had become powerless. Vyasa then told them that Krishna and Arjuna were Narayana and Nara and Shiva had blessed Arjuna. Ashwatthama then bowed to Rudra and Krishna and left.

Arjuna bowed to Vyasa and told him that when he was vanquishing the enemy, he saw a mighty being in front of him killing everyone that came in front of him. Arjuna asked Vyasa who the being was, and the sage replied it was none other than the destroyer Rudra himself.

Vyasa then told Arjuna about the greatness of Shiva. He told him the meanings of the names of the Mahadeva. Vyasa told Arjuna that it was Mahadeva who stood in front of his chariot, which was why Arjuna was victorious. He then told Arjuna that no one could defeat him as long as Krishna was with him. With these words, Vyasa left the battlefield.

End of Drona Parva