thy son,
accompanied by a large force, proceeded towards Drona's car (for
supporting the latter). Then the Bharata host, slaughtered by the
diadem-decked (Arjuna) and overcome with and afflicted by the darkness,
began to break. Thy son himself, and Drona, both endeavoured to rally
them. Thy troops, however, O king, could not be checked in their flight.
Indeed, that vast host, slaughtered by the shafts of Pandu's son, began
to fly away in all directions in that hour when the world was enveloped
with gloom. Many kings, abandoning the animals and vehicles they rode,
fled away on all sides, O monarch, overwhelmed with fear'."

SECTION CLXI

"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding Somadatta shaking his large bow, Satyaki,
addressing his driver, said, "Bear me towards Somadatta. I tell thee
truely, O Suta, that I shall not return from battle today without having
slain that foe, viz., that worst of the Kurus, the son of Valhika". Thus
addressed, the charioteer then urged to battle those fleet steeds of the
Sindhu breed, white as conch and capable of bearing every weapon. Those
steeds endued with the speed of the wind or the mind, bore Yuyudhana to
battle like the steeds of Indra, O king, bearing the latter in days of
yore when he proceeded to quell the Danavas. Beholding the Satwata hero
thus advancing quickly in battle Somadatta, O king, fearlessly turned
towards him. Scattering showers of shafts like the clouds pouring
torrents of rain, he covered the grandson of Sini like the clouds
covering the sun. Satyaki also, O bull of Bharata's race, in that
encounter fearlessly covered that bull amongst the Kurus with showers of
shafts. Then Somadatta pierced that hero of Madhu's race with sixty
shafts in the chest. Satyaki, in turn, O king, pierced Somadatta with
many whetted arrows. Mangled by each other with each-other's shafts,
those two warriors looked resplendent like a couple of flowering Kinsukas
in the season of spring. Dyed all over with blood, those illustrious
warriors of the Kuru and the Vrishni races looked at each other with
their glances. Riding on their cars that coursed in circles, those
grinders of foes, of terrible countenances, resembled two clouds pouring
torrents of rain. Their bodies mangled and pierced all over with arrows,
they looked, O king, like two porcupines. Pierced with countless shafts,
equipped with wings of gold, the two warriors looked resplendent, O
monarch, like a couple of tall trees covered with fire-