ubhadra's son whose standard bore
the device of the Karnikara flower. Thy sons, accompanied by many kings,
proceeded against Sikhandin and Dhananjaya the son of Pritha, from desire
of slaughtering both of them. When the combatants of both armies rushed
against each other with awful prowess, the earth shook (under their
tread). Beholding Santanu's son in battle, the divisions of thy army and
of the foe, O Bharata, became mingled with one another. Tremendous was
the din, O Bharata, that arose there of those warriors burning with rage
and rushing against each other. And it was heard on all sides, O king.
With the blare of conchs and the leonine shouts of the soldiers, the
uproar became awful. The splendour, equal to that of either the Sun or
the Moon, of bracelets and diadems of all the heroic kings, became
dimmed. And the dust that rose looked like a cloud, the flash of bright
weapons constituting its lightning. And the twang of bows, the whiz of
arrows, the blare of conchs, the loud beat of drums, and the rattle of
cars, of both the armies, constituted the fierce roar of those clouds.
And the welkin, over the field of battle, in consequence of the bearded
darts, the javelins, the swords and showers of arrows of both armies, was
darkened. And car-warriors, and horsemen felled horsemen, in that
dreadful battle. And elephants killed elephants, and foot-soldiers slew
foot-soldiers. And the battle that took place there for Bhishma's sake,
between the Kurus and the Pandavas, O tiger among men, was fierce in the
extreme, like that between two hawks for a piece of flesh. Engaged in
battle, that encounter between those combatants desirous of slaughtering
and vanquishing one another, was extremely dreadful."

SECTION CXVII

Sanjaya said, "Abhimanyu, O king, displaying his prowess for the sake of
Bhishma, fought with thy son who was supported by a large force. Then
Duryodhana, excited with wrath, struck Abhimanyu in the chest with nine
straight arrows, and once more with three. Then in that battle, Arjuna's
son, inflamed with wrath, hurled at Duryodhana's car a terrible dart
resembling the rod of Death himself. Thy son, however, that mighty
car-warrior, O king, with a broad-headed arrow of great sharpness, cut
off in twain that dart of terrible force coursing towards him with great
speed. Beholding that dart of his drop down on the earth, Arjuna's
wrathful son pierced Duryodhana with three shafts in his arms and chest.
And onc