began to protect Satyaki in that battle.  Even thus went on that fierce battle for the destruction of bowmen belonging to thy army and of the enemy’s.  All the combatants fought, reckless of their very lives.  Infantry and cars and steeds and elephants were engaged with cars and infantry.  Car-warriors were engaged with elephants and foot-soldiers and steeds, and cars and foot-soldiers were engaged with cars and elephants.  And steeds were seen engaged with steeds, and elephants with elephants, and foot-soldiers with foot-soldiers.  Even thus did that battle, marked by great confusion, take place, enhancing the delight of cannibals and carnivorous creatures, between those high-souled men facing one another fearlessly.  Indeed, it largely swelled the population of Yama’s kingdom.  Large numbers of elephants and cars and foot-soldiers and steeds were destroyed by men, cars, steeds and elephants.  And elephants were slain by elephants, and car-warriors with weapons upraised by car-warriors, and steeds by steeds, and large bodies of foot-soldiers.  And elephants were slain by cars, and large steeds by large elephants and men by steeds; and steeds by foremost of car-warriors.  With tongues lolling out, and teeth and eyes pressed out of their places, with coats of mail and ornaments crushed into dust, the slaughtered creatures fell down on the field.  Others, again, of terrible mien were struck and thrown down on the earth by others armed with diverse and excellent weapons and sunk into the earth by the tread of steeds and elephants, and tortured and mangled by heavy cars and car wheels.  And during the progress of that fierce carnage so delightful to beasts of prey and carnivorous birds and cannibals, mighty combatants, filled with wrath, and slaughtering one another careered over the field putting forth all their energy.  Then when both the hosts were broken and mangled, the warriors bathed in blood, looked at each other.  Meanwhile, the Sun went to his chambers in the western hills, and both the armies, O Bharata, slowly retired to their respective tents.

SECTION XXXI

(Abhimanyu-badha Parva)

“Sanjaya said, ’Having been first broken by Arjuna of immeasurable prowess, and owing also to the failure of Drona’s vow, in consequence of Yudhishthira having been well-protected, thy warriors were regarded as defeated.  All of them with coats of mail torn and covered with dust, cast anxious glances around.  Retiring from the field with Drona’s consent, after having been vanquished by their enemies of sure aim and humiliated by them in battle, they heard, as they proceeded, the countless merits of Phalguni praised by all creatures, and the friendship of Kesava for Arjuna spoken of by all.  They passed the night like men under a curse, reflecting upon the course of events and observing perfect silence.