“Dhritarashtra said, ’Tell me, O Sanjaya, how the battle took place between the heroic Karna and Satyaki of the Vrishni race, after the fall of Bhurisravas and of the ruler of the Sindhus.  Satyaki had been carless, upon what car then was he mounted?  And how also did the two protectors of the wheels (of Arjuna’s car), viz., the two Panchala princes, fight?’

“Sanjaya said, ’I will describe to thee all that happened in that dreadful battle.  Listen patiently to (the consequences of) thy own evil conduct.  Before even the encounter, Krishna knew it in his heart that the heroic Satyaki would be vanquished by the stake-bannered (Bhurisravas).  Janardana, O king, knoweth both the past and the future.  For this, summoning his charioteer, Daruka, he had commanded him, saying, ’Let my car be kept equipped tomorrow.’  Even this had been the command of that mighty one.  Neither the gods, nor the Gandharvas, nor the Yakshas, nor the Uragas, nor the Rakshasas, nor human beings, are capable of conquering the two Krishnas.  The gods with the Grandsire at their head, as also the Siddhas, know the incomparable prowess of those two.  Listen, however, now to the battle as it happened.  Beholding Satyaki carless and Karna ready for battle Madhava blew his conch of loud blare in the Rishabha note.[176] Daruka, hearing the blare of (Kesava’s) conch, understood the meaning, and soon took that car, equipped with a lofty standard of gold, to where Kesava was.  With Kesava’s permission, upon that car guided by Daruka, and which resembled the blazing fire or the sun in effulgence, ascended the grandson of Sini.  Ascending upon the car which resembled a celestial vehicle and unto which were yoked those foremost of steeds, capable of going everywhere at will, viz., Saivya and Sugriva and Meghapushya and Valahaka, and which were adorned with trappings of gold, Satyaki rushed against the son of Radha, scattering countless shafts.  The two protectors of (Arjuna’s) car-wheels, viz., Yudhamanyu and Uttamaujas, abandoning Dhananjaya’s car, proceeded against the son of Radha.  Radha’s son also, O king, shooting showers of shafts, angrily rushed, in that battle, against the invincible grandson of Sini.  The battle that took place between them was such that its like had never been heard to have taken place on earth or in heaven between gods, Gandharvas, Asuras, Uragas, or Rakshasas.  The entire host consisting of cars, steeds, men, and elephants, abstained from the fight, Beholding, O monarch, the stunning feats of two warriors.  All became silent spectators of that superhuman battle between those two human heroes, O king, and of the skill of Daruka in guiding the car.  Indeed, beholding the skill of the charioteer Daruka standing on the car, as he guided the vehicle forwards, backwards, sidelong, now wheeling in circles and now stopping outright, all were amazed.  The gods, the Gandharvas, and the Danavas, in the welkin, intently watched that battle between Karna and the