e, fell down, their lances and hooks loosened from their grasp. And
some elephants, struck with long shafts, uttered crane-like cries and ran
in all directions, crushing friends and foes by trampling them to death.
And covered with countless bodies of elephants and steeds and
car-warriors, the earth, O king, became miry with flesh and blood. And
large cars with wheels and many without wheels, crushed by the points of
their tusks, were thrown up by elephants, with the warriors mounted on
them. Cars were seen deprived of warriors. And riderless steeds and
elephants ran in all directions, afflicted with wounds. And there father
slew his son, and son slew his sire, for the battle that took place was
exceedingly fierce and nothing could be distinguished. Men sank
ankle-deep in the gory mire and looked like tall trees whose lower parts
were swallowed up in a blazing forest-conflagration. And robes and coats
of mail and umbrellas and standards having been dyed with blood,
everything seemed to be bloody on the field. Large bodies of slain
steeds, of cars, and of men, were again cut into fragments by the rolling
of car-wheels. And that sea of troops having elephants for its current,
and slain men for its floating moss and weeds, and cars for its fierce
eddies, looked terribly grim. Warriors, having steeds and elephants for
their large vessels, and desirous of victory as their wealth, plunged
into that sea, and instead of sinking in it endeavoured to deprive their
enemies of their senses. When all the warriors, each bearing particular
signs, were covered with arrowy showers, there was none amongst them lost
heart, though all were deprived of their signs. In that fierce and awful
battle, Drona confounding the senses of his foes, (at last) rushed at
Yudhishthira.'"

SECTION XXI

"Sanjaya continued, 'Then Drona, beholding Yudhishthira near him
fearlessly received him with a thick shower of arrows. And there arose a
loud noise among the troops of Yudhishthira's army like what is made by
the elephants belonging to a herd when their leader is attacked by a
mighty lion. Beholding Drona, the brave Satyajit, of prowess incapable of
being baffled, rushed at the Preceptor who was desirous of seizing
Yudhishthira. The Preceptor and the Panchala prince, both endued with
great might, fought with each other, agitating each other's troops, like
Indra and Vali. Then Satyajit, of prowess incapable of being baffled,
invoking a mighty weapon, p