been dimmed therewith, the Earth became shrouded, and the heroic and mighty car-warriors could not be seen.  Anon that disappeared and everything became clear when the Earth, O best of the Bharatas, became drenched with the blood of heroes.  Indeed, that dense and awful cloud of dust was allayed.  Then, O Bharata, I could once more see the diverse single combats that the combatants fought at noon of day, each according to his strength and his rank, all of which were exceedingly fierce.  The blazing splendour of those feats, O monarch, appeared full in view.  Loud became the noise of falling shafts in that battle, resembling that made by a vast forest of bamboo while burning on every side.’”

23

“Sanjaya said, ’During the progress of that terrible and awful battle, the army of thy son was broken by the Pandavas.  Rallying their great car-warriors, however, with vigorous efforts, thy sons continued to fight with the Pandava army.  The (Kuru) warriors, desirous of thy son’s welfare, suddenly returned.  Upon their return, the battle once more became exceedingly fierce between thy warriors and those of the foe, resembling that between the gods and the Asuras in days of old.  Neither amongst the enemies nor amongst thine was there a single combatant that turned away from that battle.  The warriors fought, aided by guess and by the names they uttered.  Great was the destruction that occurred as they thus fought with one another.  Then king Yudhishthira, filled with great wrath and becoming desirous of vanquishing the Dhartarashtras and their king in that battle, pierced the son of Saradwat with three arrows winged with gold and whetted on stone, and next slew with four others the four steeds of Kritavarma.  Then Ashvatthama bore away the celebrated son of Hridika.  Saradwat’s son pierced Yudhishthira in return with eight arrows.  Then king Duryodhana despatched seven hundred cars to the spot where king Yudhishthira was battling.  Those cars ridden by excellent warriors and endued with speed of the wind or thought, rushed in that battle against the car of Kunti’s son.  Encompassing Yudhishthira on every side, they made him invisible with their shafts like clouds hiding the sun from the view.  Then the Pandava heroes headed by Shikhandi, beholding king Yudhishthira the just assailed in that way by the Kauravas, became filled with rage and were unable to put up with it.  Desirous of rescuing Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, they came to that spot upon their cars possessed of great speed and adorned with rows of bells.  Then commenced an awful battle, in which blood flowed as water, between the Pandavas and the Kurus, that increased the population of Yama’s domains.  Slaying those seven hundred hostile car-warriors of the Kuru army, the Pandavas and the Pancalas once more resisted (the whole Kuru army).  There a fierce battle was fought between thy son and the Pandavas.  We had never before seen or heard of its like.  During the progress of that battle in which no consideration