ing at moon-rise. Then the
warriors of thy army, throwing away from their hands the blazing lamps
held by them, fought with the Pandavas fearlessly and madly. On that
terrible night when the world was enveloped with gloom and dust, the
combatants fought with one another, guided only by the names they
uttered. The names uttered by the kings contending in battle, were heard,
O monarch, there, like what happens, O king, at a Swayamvara or
self-choice. Suddenly, a silence overspread the field of battle, and
lasted for a moment. Then, again, a loud uproar was heard made by the
angry combatants, victors and vanquished. Thither where blazing lamps
were seen, O bull of Kuru's race, thither rushed those heroes like
insects (towards a blazing fire). And as the Pandavas, O king, and the
Kauravas, contended with each other in battle, the darkness of night
thickened around them.'"

SECTION CLXXIII

"Sanjaya said, 'Then Karna, that slayer of hostile heroes, beholding
Prishata's son in battle, struck him on the chest with ten shafts capable
of penetrating into the very vitals. Dhrishtadyumna quickly pierced Karna
in return in that great battle, with five shafts, and addressing him,
said, "Wait! Wait!" Shrouding each other in that dreadful combat with
showers of arrows, O king, they once more pierced each other with keen
shafts, sped from bows drawn to their fullest stretch. Then Karna, in
that battle, despatched to Yama's abode the driver and the four steeds or
Dhrishtadyumna, that foremost warrior among the Panchalas. He then cut
off his enemy's foremost bow with keen arrows, and felled, with a
broad-headed shaft the latter's driver from his niche in the car. Then
the valiant Dhrishtadyumna, deprived of car, steeds, and driver, quickly
jumped down from his car and took up a mace. Though struck all the while
with straight shafts by Karna, the Panchala prince, approaching Karna,
slew the four steeds of the latter. Turning back with great speed, that
slayer of hosts, viz., the son of Prishata, quickly ascended the car of
Dhananjaya. Mounting upon that car, the mighty car-warrior Dhrishtadyumna
desired to proceed towards Karna. Dharma's son (Yudhishthira), however,
bade him desist. Then Karna endued with great energy, mingling his
leonine shouts with it twanged his bow loudly and blew his conch with
great force. Beholding Prishata's son vanquished in battle, those mighty
car-warriors, viz., the Panchalas and the Somakas, excited wit