ament, diverse creatures, O
king, in the welkin, said aloud, "Alas, this one lieth on the field,
slain, while fighting singly, by six mighty car-warriors of the
Dhartarashtra army, headed by Drona and Karna. This act hath been, we
hold, an unrighteous one." Upon the slaughter of that hero, the earth
looked exceedingly resplendent like the star-bespangled firmament with
the moon. Indeed, the earth was strewn with shafts equipped with wings of
gold, and covered with waves of blood. And strewn with the beautiful
heads of heroes, decked with ear-rings and variegated turbans of great
value, and banners and yak-tails and beautiful blankets, and begemmed
weapons of great efficacy, and the bright ornaments of cars and steeds,
and men and elephants, and sharp and well-tempered swords, looking like
snakes freed from their sloughs, and bows, and broken shafts, and darts,
and swords, and lances, and Kampanas, and diverse other kinds of weapons,
she assumed a beautiful aspect. And in consequence of the steeds dead or
dying, but all weltering in blood, with their riders (lying about them),
felled by Subhadra's son, the earth in many places became impassable. And
with iron hooks, and elephants--huge as hills--equipped with shields and
weapons and standards, lying about, crushed with shafts, with excellent
cars deprived of steeds and charioteers and car-warriors, lying scattered
on the earth, crushed by elephants and looking like agitated lakes, with
large bodies of foot-soldiers decked with diverse weapons and lying dead
on the ground, the field of battle, wearing a terrible aspect, inspired
all timid hearts with terror.

"'Beholding Abhimanyu, resplendent as the sun or the moon, lying on the
ground, thy troops were in transport of joy, while Pandavas were filled
with grief. When youthful Abhimanyu, yet in his minority, fell, the
Pandava divisions, O king, fled away in the very sight of king
Yudhishthira. Beholding his army breaking upon the fall of Subhadra's
son, Yudhishthira addressed his brave warriors, saying, "The heroic
Abhimanyu, who without retreating from battle hath been slain, hath
certainly ascended to heaven. Stay then, and fear not, for we shall yet
vanquish our foes." Endued with great energy and great splendour, king
Yudhishthira the just, that foremost of warriors, saying such words unto
his soldiers inspired with grief, endeavoured to dispel their stupor. The
king continued, "Having in the first instance, slain in ba