the flight of their troops and accompanied by a large car-force attacked the vast force of Drona.  Vibhatsu attacking the right and Vrikodara the left, they both poured on Bharadwaja’s son two dense showers of arrows.  The mighty car-warriors among the Srinjayas and the Panchalas, with the Matsyas and the Somakas, O king, followed the two brothers thus engaged (in that encounter with Drona).  Similarly, many foremost of car-warriors, skilled in smiting, belonging to thy son, accompanied by a large force, proceeded towards Drona’s car (for supporting the latter).  Then the Bharata host, slaughtered by the diadem-decked (Arjuna) and overcome with and afflicted by the darkness, began to break.  Thy son himself, and Drona, both endevoured to rally them.  Thy troops, however, O king, could not be checked in their flight.  Indeed, that vast host, slaughtered by the shafts of Pandu’s son, began to fly away in all directions in that hour when the world was enveloped with gloom.  Many kings, abandoning the animals and vehicles they rode, fled away on all sides, O monarch, overwhelmed with fear’.”

SECTION CLXI

“Sanjaya said ’Beholding Somadatta shaking his large bow, Satyaki, addressing his driver, said, ’Bear me towards Somadatta.  I tell thee truely, O Suta, that I shall not return from battle today without having slain that foe, viz., that worst of the Kurus, the son of Valhika’.  Thus addressed, the charioteer then urged to battle those fleet steeds of the Sindhu breed, white as conch and capable of bearing every weapon.  Those steeds endued with the speed of the wind or the mind, bore Yuyudhana to battle like the steeds of Indra, O king, bearing the latter in days of yore when he proceeded to quell the Danavas.  Beholding the Satwata hero thus advancing quickly in battle Somadatta, O king, fearlessly turned towards him.  Scattering showers of shafts like the clouds pouring torrents of rain, he covered the grandson of Sini like the clouds covering the sun.  Satyaki also, O bull of Bharata’s race, in that encounter fearlessly covered that bull amongst the Kurus with showers of shafts.  Then Somadatta pierced that hero of Madhu’s race with sixty shafts in the chest.  Satyaki, in turn, O king, pierced Somadatta with many whetted arrows.  Mangled by each other with each-other’s shafts, those two warriors looked resplendent like a couple of flowering Kinsukas in the season of spring.  Dyed all over with blood, those illustrious warriors of the Kuru and the Vrishni races looked at each other with their glances.  Riding on their cars that coursed in circles, those grinders of foes, of terrible countenances, resembled two clouds pouring torrents of rain.  Their bodies mangled and pierced all over with arrows, they looked, O king, like two porcupines.  Pierced with countless shafts, equipped with wings of gold, the two warriors looked resplendent, O monarch, like a couple of tall trees covered with fire-flies.