steeds, white as ivory and fleet as the mind, and having black hair in their tails.  Then, smiling the while, the Suta’s son, that great bowman, with another broadheaded shaft, felled the head-gear of Kunti’s son.  Similarly, the valiant Karna, having slain the steeds of Nakula, cut off the car shafts and bow of that intelligent son of Madri.  Those two steedless and carless sons of Pandu,—­those two brothers,—­thereupon ascended the car of Sahadeva.  Beholding those two brothers made carless, that slayer of hostile heroes, viz., their maternal uncle, the ruler of the Madras, moved by compassion, addressed the son of Radha and said, “Thou art to fight today with Pritha’s son Phalguna.  Why dost thou then, with rage inflamed to such a pitch, battle with Dharma’s royal son?  Thou art suffering thy weapons to be exhausted.  Thy own armour is being weakened.  With thy shafts reduced, and without quivers, with thy driver and steeds fatigued, and thyself mangled by foes with weapons, when thou wilt approach Partha, O son of Radha, thou wilt be an object of derision and mirth.”  Though thus addressed by the ruler of the Madras, Karna still, filled with rage, continued to assail Yudhishthira in battle.  And he continued to pierce the two sons of Madri by Pandu with many keen arrows.  Smiling the while, by means of his shafts he made Yudhishthira turn his face from the battle.  Then Shalya, laughing, once more said unto Karna as the latter, excited with great wrath and resolved upon Yudhishthira’s destruction stood on his car, these words, “Him for whose sake Dhritarashtra’s son always honours thee, slay that Partha, O son of Radha.  What wouldst thou gain by slaying Yudhishthira?  The two Krishnas are blowing their conchs, whose loud blare is being heard.  The twang also of Arjuna’s bow is being heard, like the roar of the clouds in the season of rains.  There, Arjuna, striking down the foremost of our car-warriors with his arrowy down-pours, is devouring all our troops.  Behold him, O Karna, in this battle.  The two that are protecting his rear are Yudhamanyu and Uttamauja.  The brave Satyaki is protecting his left wheel, and Dhrishtadyumna is protecting his right wheel.  There, Bhimasena is fighting with the royal son of Dhritarashtra.  Act in such way, O son of Radha, that Bhima may not be able to slay the king today in the sight of us all,—­that the king may, indeed, escape him.  Behold, Duryodhana is brought under the power of Bhimasena, that ornament of battle.  Approaching if thou canst rescue him, it will, indeed, be a very wonderful feat.  Going thither, rescue the king, for a great peril has overtaken him.  What wilt thou gain by slaying the sons of Madri or king Yudhishthira?” Hearing these words of Shalya, O lord of Earth, and beholding Duryodhana overpowered by Bhima in that dreadful battle, the valiant son of Radha, thus urged by the words of Shalya and exceedingly desirous of rescuing the king, left Ajatasatru and the twin sons of Madri