in at their head. Other
foremost of men and mighty car-warriors among the Pandavas, uniting
together, O bull among men, proceeded against Drona. When those heroic
warriors, O bull among the Bharatas, proceeded to battle, the night
became pitch dark, enhancing the terrors of the timid. And during that
hour of darkness, O king, many were the warriors that laid down their
lives. And that night also proved the death of many elephants and steeds
and foot-soldiers. On that night of pitch darkness, yelling jackals
everywhere inspired great fear with their blazing mouths. Fierce owls,
perching on the standards of Kauravas and hooting therefrom, foreboded
fears. Then, O king, a fierce uproar arose among the troops. Mingling
with the loud beat of drums and cymbals, grunts of elephants, neighings
of steeds, and stampings of horse-hoofs, that uproar spread everywhere.
Then, in that hour of evening, fierce was the battle that took place
between Drona, O king, and all of the Srinjayas. The world having been
enveloped in darkness, nothing could be noticed. The welkin was covered
with the dust raised by the combatants. Blood of man and horse and
elephant mingled together. The earthy dust then disappeared. All of us
became perfectly cheerless. During that night, like the sounds of a
burning forest of bamboos on a mountain, frightful sounds were heard of
clashing weapons. With the sounds of Mridangas and Anakas and Vallakis
and Patahas,[192] with the shouts (of human beings) and the neigh (of
steeds), a dreadful confusion set in everywhere, O lord! When the field
of battle was enveloped in darkness, friends, O king, could not be
distinguished from foes. All were possessed with a madness in that night.
The earthen dust that had arisen, O king, was soon allayed with showers
of blood. Then, in consequence of golden coats of mail and the bright
ornaments of the warriors, that darkness was dispelled. The Bharata host
then, adorned with gems and gold (and abounding with darts and
standards), looked like the firmament in the night, O bull of Bharata's
race, bespangled with stars. The field of battle then resounded with the
yells of jackals and the cawings of crows, with the grunts of elephants,
and the shouts and cries of the warriors. Those sounds, mingling
together, produced a loud uproar, making the hair stand on end. That
uproar filled all the points of the compass like the report of Indra's
thunder. At dead of night, the Bharata host seemed