Jayadratha’s large sword sticking into Abhimanyu’s shield covered with golden plate, broke, as the ruler of the Sindhus attempted to draw it off forcibly.  Seeing his sword broken, Jayadratha hastily retreated six steps and was seen within a twinkle of the eye to be mounted on his own car.  Then Arjuna’s son also, that combat with the sword being over, ascended his own excellent car.  Many kings, then, of the Kuru army, uniting together, surrounded him on all sides.  The mighty son of Arjuna, however, eyeing Jayadratha, whirled his sword and shield, and uttered a loud shout.  Having vanquished the ruler of the Sindhus, Subhadra’s son, that slayer of hostile heroes, then began to scorch that division of the Kaurava army like Sun scorching the world.  Then in that battle Salya hurled at him a fierce dart made wholly of iron, decked with gold, and resembling a blazing flame of fire.  Thereupon, Arjuna’s son, jumping up, caught hold of that dart, like Garuda catching a mighty snake falling from above.  And having seized it thus, Abhimanyu unsheathed his sword.  Witnessing the great activity and might of that warrior of immeasurable energy, all the kings together uttered a leonine shout.  Then that slayer of hostile heroes, viz., the son of Subhadra, hurled with the might of his arms at Salya himself that very dart of great effulgence, decked with stones of lapis lazuli.  Resembling a snake that has recently cast off its slough, that dart, reaching Salya’s car slew the latter’s driver and felled him from his niche of the vehicle.  Then Virata and Drupada, and Dhristaketu, and Yudhishthira, and Satyaki, and Kekaya, and Bhima, and Dhrishtadyumna, and Sikhandin, and the twins (Nakula and Sahadeva), and the five sons of Draupadi, all exclaimed, ’Excellent!  Excellent!’ And diverse kinds of sounds due to the shooting of arrows, and many leonine shouts, arose there, gladdening the unretreating son of Arjuna.  Thy sons, however, could not brook those indications of the victory of their foe.  Then all of them suddenly surrounded Subhadra’s son and covered him, O king, with showers of arrows like the clouds pouring rain on the mountain-breast.  Then that slayer of foes, viz., Artayani (Salya), wishing good of thy sons, and remembering the overthrow of his own driver, rushed in rage against Subhadra’s son.’”

SECTION XV

“Dhritarashtra said, ’Thou hast, O Sanjaya, described to me many excellent single combats.  Hearing about them, I envy those that have eyes.  This battle between the Kurus and the Pandavas, resembling that (of old) between the gods and the Asuras, will be spoken of as exceedingly wonderful by all men.  I am scarcely gratified by listening to thy narrations of this stirring battle.  Tell me, therefore, about this combat between Artayani (Salya) and Subhadra’s son.’