he field. So deep was that rain of blood that the
wheels of cars sank to their naves. Thousands of infuriated elephants
endued with great speed, O king, of thy army, their riders slain and
limbs mangled, fled away, uttering cries of pain and crushing friendly
ranks with their tread. Steeds destitute of riders and foot-soldiers
also, O king, fled away, O monarch, from fear, struck with the shafts of
Dhananjaya. Indeed, thy soldiers, with dishevelled hair and deprived of
their coats of mail, with blood streaming out of their wounds, fled away
in terror, leaving the field of battle. And some, deprived of the power
of motion as if their lower limbs had been seized by alligators, remained
on the field. And others concealed themselves behind and under the bodies
of slain elephants. Routing thy host thus, O king, Dhananjaya began to
strike with terrible shafts the protectors of the ruler of the Sindhus
with his arrowy showers, Karna and Drona's son and Kripa and Salya and
Vrishasena and Duryodhana. So quick was he in the use of weapons that no
one could mark when Arjuna took out his arrows, when he fixed them on the
bowstring, when he stretched the bow and let them off. Indeed, while
striking the foe, his bow was seen incessantly drawn to a circle. His
arrows also were seen incessantly issuing out of his bow and scattered in
all directions. Then cutting off Karna's bow as also of Vrishasena's,
Arjuna felled Salya's driver from his niche in the car, with a
broad-headed arrow. With many arrows that foremost of victors, viz.,
Dhananjaya, then deeply pierced in that battle Kripa and Aswatthaman,
related as uncle and nephew to each other. Sorely afflicting those mighty
car-warriors of thy army thus, the son of Pandu took up a terrible arrow
of fiery splendour. Looking like the thunderbolt of Indra, and inspired
with divine mantras, that formidable arrow was capable of bearing any
strain. And it had been always worshipped with incense and garlands of
flowers. Duly inspiring it (by mantras) with the force of the
thunderbolt, that descendant, of Kuru, viz., the mighty-armed Arjuna,
fixed it on Gandiva. When that arrow of fiery effulgence was fixed on the
bowstring, loud shouts, O king, were heard in the welkin. Then Janardana,
once more addressing Arjuna, quickly said, "O Dhananjaya, quickly cut off
the head of the wicked-souled ruler of the Sindhus! The sun is about to
get at the mountain of Asta. Listen, however, to the words I say abo