surrounded on all sides by unretreating heroes.  Beholding Duryodhana stationed in the midst of that car-force, Shakuni, gladdening all those car-warriors of thine, O king cheerfully said these words unto Duryodhana.  Indeed, he said the following words in a manner which showed that he regarded all his purposes to have been already achieved.  “Slay, O king, the car-divisions (of the Pandavas)!  All their horses have been vanquished by me!  Yudhishthira is incapable of being conquered in battle unless one is prepared to lay down his life!  When that car-force, protected by the son of Pandu, will have been destroyed, we shall then slay all those elephants and foot-soldiers and others!” Hearing these words of his, thy warriors, inspired with desire of victory, cheerfully rushed towards the Pandava army.  With quivers on their backs and bows in their hands, all of them shook their bows and uttered leonine roars.  Once more, O king, the fierce twang of bows and the slapping of palms and the whiz of arrows shot with force was heard.  Beholding those Kuru combatants approach the Pandava army with uplifted bows, Kunti’s son Dhananjaya said unto the son of Devaki these words, “Urge the steeds fearlessly and penetrate this sea of troops!  With my keen shafts I shall today reach the end of these hostilities!  Today is the eighteenth day, O Janardana, of this great battle that is raging between the two sides!  The army of those high-souled heroes, which was literally numberless, hath been nearly destroyed!  Behold the course of Destiny!  The army of Dhritarashtra’s son, O Madhava, which was vast as the ocean, hath, O Achyuta, become, after encountering ourselves, even like the indent caused by a cow’s hoof!  If peace had been made after Bhishma’s fall, O Madhava, everything would have been well!  The foolish Duryodhana of weak understanding, however, did not make peace!  The words that were uttered by Bhishma, O Madhava, were beneficial and worthy of adoption.  Suyodhana, however, who had lost his understanding, did not act according to them.  After Bhishma had been struck and thrown down on the Earth, I do not know the reason why the battle proceeded!  I regard the Dhartarashtras to be foolish and of weak understanding in every way, since they continued the battle even after the fall of Santanu’s son!  After that when Drona, that foremost of all utterers of Brahma, fell, as also the son of Radha, and Vikarna, the carnage did not still cease!  Alas, when a small remnant only of the (Kaurava) army remained after the fall of that tiger among men, Karna, with his sons, the carnage did not still cease!  After the fall of even the heroic Srutayush, of also Jalasandha of Puru’s race, and of king Srutayudha, the carnage did not still cease!  After the fall of Bhurishrava, of Shalya, O Janardana, and of the Avanti heroes, the carnage did not still cease!  After the fall of Jayadratha, of the Rakshasa Alayudha, of Bahlika, and of Somadatta, the carnage did not still cease!