rushing towards him suddenly with great force and perseverance.  The king Duryodhana, desiring to protect Drona’s life, rushed, filled with wrath, against the Pandavas, with great force and perseverance.  Then commenced the battle between the Kurus and the Pandavas who roared at each other.  The animals of both hosts as also the warriors were all tired.  The great car-warriors also, O king, with eyes closing in sleep and worn out with exertion in battle, knew not what to do.  That night of nine hours, so terrible and awful[242] and so destructive of creatures, appeared to them to be everything.[243] While they were being thus slain and mangled by one another, and while sleep sat heavy on their eyes, it became midnight.  All the Kshatriyas became cheerless.  Thy troops, as also those of the toe, had no more weapons and arrows.  Passing the time thus (most of), the warriors (of both armies) endued with modesty and energy and observant of the duties of their order, din not abandon their divisions.  Others, blind with sleep, abandoning their weapons, laid themselves down.  Some laid themselves down on the backs of elephants, some on cars, and some on horseback, O Bharata!  Blind with sleep, they became perfectly motionless, O king.  Other warriors (that were yet awake) in that battle, despatched these to Yama’s abode.  Others, deprived of their senses, and dreaming in sleep, slew themselves, that is, their own comrades, as also foes.  Indeed, these fought in that dreadful battle, uttering various exclamations.  Many warriors, O monarch, of our army, desirous of continuing the fight with the foe, stood with eyes drowsy with sleep.  Some brave warriors, during that terrible hour of darkness, though blind with sleep, yet gliding along the field, slew one another in that battle.  Many amongst the foe, entirely stupefied by slumber, were slain without their being conscious (of the strokes that launched them into eternity).  Beholding this condition of the soldiers, O bull among men, Vibhatsu in a very loud voice, said these words:  all of you, with your animals, are worn out with exertion and blind with sleep.  Ye warriors, ye are enveloped in darkness and with dust.  Therefore, if ye like, ye may rest.  Indeed, here, on the field of battle close your eyes for a while.  Then when the moon will rise, ye Kurus and Pandavas, ye may again, having slept and taken rest, encounter each other for the sake of heaven.’  Hearing these words of the virtuous Arjuna, the virtuous warriors (of the Kuru army) assented to the suggestion, and addressing one another, loudly said, ’O Karna, O Karna, O king Duryodhana, abstain from the fight.  The Pandava host hath ceased to strike us.’  Then at those words of Phalguna, uttered loudly by him, the Pandava army as also thine, O Bharata, abstained from battle.  Indeed, these noble words of Partha were highly applauded by the gods, the high-souled Rishis, and all the gladdened soldiers.  Applauding those kind words, O Bharata, all the troops, O king,