was showed by anybody for anybody, and while the warriors of thy army and those of the foe were falling fast, and the combatants were all shouting and blowing their conchs, and the bowmen were roaring and uttering loud noises of diverse kinds, while, indeed, the battle was raging fiercely and the very vitals of the combatants were being struck, and the troops, O sire, desirous of victory, were rushing with speed, while, verily, everything on Earth seemed to be undergoing a woeful destruction, during that time when innumerable ladies of birth and beauty were being made widows, during, indeed, the progress of that fierce engagement in which the warriors behaved without any consideration for friends and foes, awful portents appeared, presaging the destruction of everything.  The Earth, with her mountains and forests, trembled, making a loud noise.  Meteors like blazing brands equipped with handles dropped from the sky, O king, on every side on the Earth as if from the solar disc.  A hurricane arose, blowing on all sides, and bearing away hard pebbles along its lower course.  The elephants shed copious tears and trembled exceedingly.  Disregarding all these fierce and awful portents, the Kshatriyas, taking counsel with one another, cheerfully stood on the field for battle again, on the beautiful and sacred field called after Kuru, desirous of obtaining heaven.  Then Shakuni, the son of the Gandhara king, said, “Fight all of ye in front!  I, however, will slay the Pandavas from behind.”  Then the Madraka warriors, endued with great activity, amongst those on our side that were advancing, became filled with joy and uttered diverse sounds of delight.  Others too did the same.  The invincible Pandavas, however, possessed of sureness of aim, once more coming against us, shook their bows and covered us with showers of arrows.  The forces of the Madrakas then were slain by the foe.  Beholding this, the troops of Duryodhana once more turned away from the battle.  The mighty king of the Gandharvas, however, once more said these words, “Stop, ye sinful ones!  Fight (with the foe)!  What use is there of flight?” At that time, O bull of Bharata’s race, the king of the Gandharas had full 10,000 horse-men capable of fighting with bright lances.  During the progress of that great carnage, Shakuni, aided by that force, put forth his valour and assailed the Pandava army at the rear, slaughtering it with his keen shafts.  The vast force of the Pandus then, O monarch, broke even as a mass of clouds is dispersed on all sides by a mighty wind.  Then Yudhishthira, beholding from a near point his own army routed, coolly urged the mighty Sahadeva, saying, “Yonder the son of Subala, afflicting our rear, stayeth, clad in mail!  He slaughtereth our forces!  Behold that wicked wight, O son of Pandu!  Aided by the son of Draupadi, proceed towards him and slay Shakuni, the son of Subala!  Supported by the Pancalas, O sinless one, I will meanwhile destroy the car force of the enemy!  Let all the