that bull among men,
smilingly addressed him of Dasarha's race in soft words, and said, "Our
steeds are afflicted with arrows and tired. The ruler of the Sindhus is
still at a distance. What do you think to be the best that should be done
now? Tell me, O Krishna, truly. Thou art always the wisest of persons.
The Pandavas having thee for their eyes, will vanquish their foes in
battle. That which seems to me should be done next, truly shall I say
unto thee. Unyoking the steeds to their case, pluck off their arrows, O
Madhava!" Thus addressed by Partha, Kesava replied unto him, "I am, also
O Partha, of the opinion which thou hast expressed."

"'Arjuna then said, "I will hold in check the whole army, O Kesava! Do
thou properly perform that which should be done next."'

"Sanjaya continued, 'Alighting then from the terrace of his car,
Dhananjaya, taking up his bow, Gandiva, fearlessly stood there like an
immovable hill. Beholding Dhananjaya standing on the ground, and
regarding it a good opportunity, the Kshatriyas, desirous of victory and
uttering loud shouts, rushed towards him. Him standing alone, they
surrounded with a large throng of cars, all stretching their bows and
showering their shafts on him. Filled with wrath, they displayed diverse
kinds of weapons and entirely shrouded Partha with their shafts like the
clouds shrouding the sun. And the great Kshatriya warriors impetuously
rushed against that bull among Kshatriyas, that lion among men, like
infuriated elephants rushing towards a lion. The might then that we
beheld, of Partha's arms was exceedingly great, since, filled with rage,
alone, he succeeded in resisting those countless warriors. The puissant
Partha, baffling with his own weapons those of the foes, quickly covered
all of them with countless shafts. In that part of the welkin, O monarch,
in consequence of the clash of those dense showers of shafts, a fire was
generated emitting incessant sparks. There, in consequence of hostile
heroes, countless in number, all filled with wrath, and all great bowmen
united together for a common purpose, seeking victory in battle, aided by
steeds, covered with blood and breathing hard, and by infuriated and
foe-grinding elephants, uttering loud shrieks, the atmosphere became
exceedingly hot. That uncrossable, wide, and limitless ocean of cars,
incapable of being agitated, had arrows for its current, standards for
its eddies, elephants for its crocodiles, foot-soldiers for