Vrishni’s race, shot forcibly from their bows, we saw, looked like swiftly coursing insects in the welkin.  Piercing Satyaki with ten arrows and his steeds with three, the son of Hridika cut off his bow with a straight shaft.  Laying aside his best of bows which was thus cut off, that bull of Sini’s race, quickly took up another that was tougher than the first.  Having taken up that foremost of bows, that first of bowmen pierced the son of Hridika with ten arrows in the centre of the chest.  Then cutting off his car and the shaft also of that car with many well-shot arrows, Satyaki quickly slew the steeds of his antagonist as also his two Parshni drivers.  The valiant Kripa then, the son of Saradwat, O lord, beholding Hridika’s son made carless, quickly bore him away, taking him up on his car.  Upon the slaughter of the king of the Madras and upon Kritavarma having been made carless, the entire army of Duryodhana once more turned its face from the battle.  At this time the army was shrouded with a dusty cloud.  We could not see anything.  The greater portion, however, of thy army fell.  They who remained alive had turned away their faces from battle.  Soon it was seen that that cloud of earthy dust which had arisen became allayed, O bull among men, in consequence of the diverse streams of blood that drenched it on every side.  Then Duryodhana, seeing from a near point his army broken, alone resisted all the Parthas advancing furiously.  Beholding the Pandavas on their cars as also Dhrishtadyumna the son of Prishata and the invincible chief of the Anartas (Satyaki), the Kuru king covered all of them with sharp arrows.  The enemy (at that time) approached him not, like mortal creatures fearing to approach the Destroyer standing before them.  Meanwhile the son of Hridika, riding upon another car, advanced to that spot.  The mighty car-warrior Yudhishthira then quickly slew the four steeds of Kritavarma with four shafts, and pierced the son of Gotama with six broad-headed arrows of great force.  Then Ashvatthama, taking up on his car the son of Hridika who had been made steedless and carless by the (Pandava) king, bore him away from Yudhishthira’s presence.  The son of Saradwat pierced Yudhishthira in return with eight arrows and his steeds also with eight keen shafts.  Thus, O monarch, the embers of that battle began to glow here and there, in consequence, O king, of the evil policy of thyself and thy son, O Bharata.  After the slaughter of that foremost of bowmen on the field of battle by that bull of Kuru’s race, the Parthas, beholding Shalya slain, united together, and filled with great joy, blew their conchs.  And all of them applauded Yudhishthira in that battle, even as the celestials in days of yore, had applauded Indra after the slaughter of Vritra.  And they beat and blew diverse kinds of musical instruments, making the Earth resound on every side with that noise.’”

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