such speed that they seemed ready to devour the very Earth.  The field, O monarch, indented with the hoofs of those steeds, looked beautiful like a beautiful woman bearing the marks of (her lover’s) nails on her person.  With the noise made by the tread of heroes, the wheels of cars, the shouts of foot-soldiers, the grunts of elephants, the peal of drums and other musical instruments, and the blare of conchs, the Earth began to resound as if with deafening peals of thunder.  In consequence of twanging bows and flashing sabres and the glaring armour of the combatants, all became so confused there, that nothing could be distinctly marked.  Invulnerable arms, lopped off from human bodies, and looking like the tusks of elephants, jumped up and writhed and moved furiously about.  The sound made, O monarch, by heads falling on the field of battle, resembled that made by the falling fruits of palmyra trees.  Strewn with those fallen heads that were crimson with blood, the Earth looked resplendent as if adorned with gold-coloured lotuses in their season.  Indeed, with those lifeless heads with upturned eyes, that were exceedingly mangled (with shafts and other weapons), the field of battle, O king, looked resplendent as if strewn with full blown lotuses.  With the fallen arms of the combatants, smeared with sandal and adorned with costly Keyuras, the earth looked bright as if strewn with the gorgeous poles set up in Indra’s honour.  The field of battle became covered with the thighs of kings, cut off in that battle and looking like the tapering trunks of elephants.  Teeming with hundreds of headless trunk and strewn with umbrellas and yak-tails, that vast army looked beautiful like a flowering forest.  Then, on the field of battle, O monarch, warriors careered fearlessly, their limbs bathed in blood and therefore looking like flowering Kinsukas.  Elephants also, afflicted with arrows and lances, fell down here and there like broken clouds dropped from the skies.  Elephant divisions, O monarch, slaughtered by high-souled warriors, dispersed in all directions like wind-tossed clouds.  Those elephants, looking like clouds, fell down on the Earth, like mountains riven with thunder, O lord, on the occasion of the dissolution of the world at the end of the Yuga.  Heaps upon heaps, looking like mountains, were seen, lying on the ground, of fallen steeds with their riders.  A river appeared on the field of battle, flowing towards the other world.  Blood formed its waters and cars its eddies.  Standards formed its trees, and bones its pebbles.  The arms (of combatants) were its alligators, bows its current, elephants its large rocks, and steeds its smaller ones.  Fat and marrow formed its mire, umbrellas its swans, and maces its rafts.  Abounding with armour and head-gears, banners constituted its beautiful trees.  Teeming with wheels that formed its swarms of Chakravakas, it was covered with Trivenus and Dandas.  Inspiring the brave with delight and enhancing the fears of