SECTION LXII

Dhritarashtra said,—­“I regard destiny to be superior to exertion, O Sanjaya, inasmuch as the army of my son is continually slaughtered by the army of the Pandavas.  Thou always speakest, O suta, of my troops as being slaughtered, and thou always speakest of the Pandavas as both unslain and cheerful.  Indeed, O Sanjaya, thou speakest of mine as deprived of manliness, felled and falling, and slaughtered, although they are battling to the best of their powers and striving hard for victory.  Thou always speakest to me of the Pandavas as obtaining victory and mine as becoming weaker and weaker.  O child, I am incessantly hearing of countless cause of unbearable and poignant grief on account of Duryodhana’s doing.  I do not see, O Sanjaya, the means by which the Pandavas, may be weakened and sons of mine may obtain the victory in battle.

Sanjaya said, “This mighty evil hath proceeded from thee, O king.  Listen now with patience to the great slaughter of men, elephants, steeds and car-warriors.  Dhrishtadyumna, afflicted by Salya with nine shafts, afflicted in return the ruler of Madras with many shafts made of steel.  And then we beheld the prowess of Prishata’s son to be highly wonderful inasmuch as he speedily checked Salya that ornament of assemblies.  The battle between them lasted for only a short space of time.  While angrily engaged in combat, none beheld even a moment’s rest taken by any of them.  Then, O king, Salya in that battle cut off Dhrishtadyumna’s bow with a broad-headed shaft of sharp edge and excellent temper.  And he also covered him, O Bharata, with a shower of arrows like rain charged clouds pouring their drops on the mountain breast during the season of rains.  And while Dhrishtadyumna was being thus afflicted, Abhimanyu, excited with wrath, rushed impetuously towards the car of the ruler of the Madras.  Then the wrathful son of Krishna, of immeasurable soul, obtaining the car of the ruler of the Madras (within shooting distance), pierced Artayani with three sharp shafts.[379] Then the warriors of thy army, O king, desirous of opposing the son of Arjuna in battle, speedily surrounded the car of the ruler of Madras.  And Duryodhana, and Vikarna, and Dussasana, and Vivinsati and Durmarshana, and Dussala, and Chitrasena, and Durmukha, and Satyabrata, blessed be thou, and Purumitra, O Bharata,—­these, protecting the car of the ruler of the Madras, stationed themselves there.  Then Bhimasena, excited with wrath, and Dhrishtadyumna. of Prishata’s race, and the five sons of Draupadi, and Abhimanyu, and the twin sons of Madri and Pandu,—­these ten opposed those ten warriors of the Dhritarashtra army shooting, O king, diverse kinds of weapons.  And they approached and encountered one another in battle desirous of slaying one another, in consequence, O king, of thy wicked policy.  And when those ten car-warriors, excited with wrath, engaged with the ten others in that awful battle, the other car-warriors