-warriors among the Dhartarashtras. The ruler of the Sindhus, however,
shall not escape me if once he is seen by me. If Sakra himself, with all
the celestials, become his protector in battle, yet shall we slay him."
Thus did the two Krishnas talk. Even so, O mighty-armed one, did they
converse amongst themselves, while looking after the ruler of the
Sindhus. (Having heard what they said), thy sons set up a loud wail.
Those two chastisers of foes then looked like a couple of thirsty
elephants of great quickness of motion, refreshed by drinking water,
after having passed through a desert. Beyond death and above decrepitude,
they then looked like two merchants that have passed over a mountainous
country abounding with tigers and lions and elephants. Indeed, beholding
them freed (from Drona and Kritavarman), thy warriors regarded the colour
of Partha's and Krishna's face to be dreadful; and thy men then, from all
sides, set up a loud wail. Freed from Drona who resembled a snake of
virulent poison or a blazing fire, as also from the other lords of the
earth, Partha and Krishna looked like two blazing suns. Indeed, those two
chastisers of foes, freed from Drona's division, which resembled the very
ocean, seemed to be filled with joy like persons that have safely crossed
the vasty deep. Freed from those dense showers of weapons, from those
divisions protected by Drona and Hridika's son, Kesava and Arjuna looked
like Indra and Agni, or blazing effulgence. The two Krishnas, pierced
with sharp shafts of Bharadwaja's son, and with bodies dripping with
blood, looked resplendent like two mountains decked with flowering
Karnikaras. Having forded that wide lake, of which Drona constituted the
alligator, darts formed the fierce snakes, shafts, the Makaras, and
Kshatriyas, the deep waters, and having issued out of that cloud,
constituted by Drona's weapons, whose thunders were the twang of bows and
the sound of palms, and whose lightning flashes were constituted by maces
and swords, Partha and Krishna looked like the sun and moon freed from
darkness. Having crossed the region obstructed by the weapons of Drona,
all creatures regarded those mighty and famous bowmen viz., the two
Krishnas, as persons who had forded, with the aid of their arms, the five
rivers, (viz., the Satadru, the Vipasa, the Ravi, the Chandrabhaga, and
the Vitasta) having the ocean for their sixth, when full of water during
the season of rains, and abounding with alligat