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of mighty-car-warriors to the abode of Yama.  And long spears constituted the snakes that infested it in profusion.  And the living combatants constituted the fowls sporting on its waters.[25] Torn umbrellas constituted its large swans.  Diadems formed the (smaller) birds that adorned it.  Wheels constituted its turtles, and maces its alligators, and arrows its smaller fish.  And it was the resort of frightful swarms of crows and vultures and jackals.  And that river, O best of kings, bore away in hundreds, to the region of the Pitris, the creatures that were slain by Drona in battle.  Obstructed by hundreds of bodies (floating on it), the hair (of slain warriors and animals) constituted its moss and weeds.  Even such was the river, enhancing the fears of the timid, that Drona caused to flow there.[26]

“And when Drona was thus grinding the hostile army hither and thither, the Pandava warriors headed by Yudhishthira rushed at that mighty car-warrior from all sides.  Then seeing them thus rushing (towards Drona), brave combatants of thy army, possessed of unyielding prowess, rushed from every side.  And the battle that thereupon ensued made the hair stand on end.  Sakuni, full of a hundred kinds of deceit, rushed towards Sahadeva, and pierced the latter’s charioteer, and standard, and car, with many keen-pointed shafts.  Sahadeva, however, without being much excited, cutting off Sauvala’s standard and bow and car-driver and car, with sharp arrows, pierced Sauvala himself with sixty shafts.  Thereupon, Suvala’s son, taking up mace, jumped down from his excellent car, and with that mace, O king, he felled Sahadeva’s driver from the latter’s car.  Then these two heroic and mighty warriors, O monarch, both deprived of car, and both armed with mace, sported in battle like two crests of hills.  Drona, having pierced the ruler of the Panchalas with ten shafts, was, in return, pierced by the latter with many shafts.  And the latter was again pierced by Drona with a larger number of shafts.  Bhimasena pierced Vivinsati with sharp arrows.  The latter, however, thus pierced, trembled not, which seemed to be highly wonderful.  Vivinsati then, O monarch, suddenly deprived Bhimasena of his steeds and standard and bow.  And thereupon all the troops worshipped him for that feat.  The heroic Bhimasena, however, brooked not that exhibition of prowess by his enemy in battle.  With his mace, therefore, he slew the well-trained steeds of Vivinsati.  Then the mighty Vivinsati, taking up a shield (and sword) jumped down from that car whose steeds had been slain, and rushed against Bhimasena like an infuriated elephant rushing against an infuriated compeer.  The heroic Salya, laughing the while, pierced, as if in dalliance, his own dear nephew, Nakula. with many shafts for angering him.  The valiant Nakula, however, cutting off his uncle’s steeds and umbrella and standard and charioteer and bow in that battle, blew his conch.  Dhrishtaketu, engaged with Kripa, cut off diverse kinds