the timid, that fierce river set in, whose shores abounded with Kurus and Srinjayas.  Those brave warriors, with arms resembling spiked bludgeons, by the aid of their vehicles and animals serving the purposes of rafts and boats, crossed that awful river which ran towards the region of the dead.  During the progress of that battle, O monarch, in which no consideration was shown by anybody for anyone, and which, fraught with awful destruction of the four kinds of forces, therefore, resembled the battle between the gods and the Asuras in days of old, some among the combatants, O scorcher of foes, loudly called upon their kinsmen and friends.  Some, called upon by crying kinsmen, returned, afflicted with fear.  During the progress of that fierce and awful battle, Arjuna and Bhimasena stupefied their foes.  That vast host of thine, O ruler of men, thus slaughtered, swooned away on the field, like a woman under the influence of liquor.  Having stupefied that army, Bhimasena and Dhananjaya blew their conchs and uttered leonine roars.  As soon as they heard that loud peal, Dhrishtadyumna and Shikhandi, placing king Yudhishthira at their head, rushed against the ruler of the Madras.  Exceedingly wonderful and terrible, O monarch, was the manner in which those heroes, unitedly and as separate bodies, then fought with Shalya.  The two sons of Madri, endued with great activity, accomplished in weapons, and invincible in battle, proceeded with great speed against thy host, inspired with desire of victory.  Then thy army, O bull of Bharata’s race, mangled in diverse ways with shafts by the Pandavas eager for victory, began to fly away from the field.  That host, thus struck and broken by firm bowmen, O monarch, fled away on all sides in the very sight of thy sons.  Loud cries of “Oh!” and “Alas!” O Bharata, arose from among thy warriors, while some illustrious Kshatriyas among the routed combatants, desirous of victory, cried out saying, “Stop, stop!” For all that, those troops of thine, broken by the Pandavas, fled away, deserting on the field their dear sons and brothers and maternal, uncles and sister’s sons and relatives by marriage and other kinsmen.  Urging their steeds and elephants to greater speed, thousands of warriors fled away, O bull of Bharata’s race, bent only upon their own safety.’”

10

“Sanjaya said, ’Beholding the army broken, the valiant king of the Madras, addressed his driver, saying, “Quickly urge these steeds endued with the fleetness of thought.  Yonder stays king Yudhishthira, the son of Pandu, looking resplendent with the umbrella held over his head.  Take me thither with speed, O driver, and witness my might.  The Parthas are unable to stand before me in battle.”  Thus addressed, the driver of the Madra king proceeded to that spot where stood king Yudhishthira the just of true aim.  Shalya fell suddenly upon the mighty host of the Pandavas.  Alone, he checked it like the continent checking the surging sea.  Indeed, the large force of the Pandavas, coming against Shalya, O sire, stood still in that battle, like the rushing sea upon encountering a mountain.  Beholding the ruler of the Madras standing for battle on the field, the Kauravas returned, making death their goal.  After they had returned, O king, and separately taken up their positions in well-formed array, an awful battle set in, in which blood flowed freely like water.