y the Suta's son, he then ascended his
brother's car, and burning with grief he continued to sigh like a snake
kept within a jar. Meanwhile Karna, having vanquished Nakula, quickly
proceeded against the Pancalas, riding on that car of his which bore many
gorgeous pennons and whose steeds were as white as the Moon. There, O
monarch, a great uproar arose among the Pandavas when they saw the leader
of the Kaurava army proceeding towards the Pancala car-throngs. The
Suta's son, O monarch, made a great massacre there at that hour when the
Sun had reached the meridian, that puissant warrior careering all the
while with the activity of a wheel. We beheld many Pancala car-warriors
borne away from the battle on their steedless and driverless cars with
broken wheels and broken axles and with standards and pennons also that
were broken and torn, O sire. And many elephants were seen to wander
there in all directions (with limbs scorched by arrows) like individuals
of their species in the wide forest with limbs scorched and burned in a
forest conflagration. Others with their frontal globes split open, or
bathed in blood, or with trunks lopped off, or with their armour cut
down, or their tails lopped off, fell down, struck by the high-souled
Karna, like straggling clouds. Other elephants, frightened by the shafts
and lances of Radha's son proceeded against Radha's son himself like
insects towards a blazing fire. Other huge elephants were seen striking
against one another and shedding blood from various limbs like mountains
with rillets running down their breasts. Steeds of the foremost breed,
divested of breast-plates and their ornaments of silver and brass and
gold, destitute of trappings and bridle-bits and yak-tails and
saddle-cloths, with quivers fallen off from their backs, and with their
heroic riders,--ornaments of battle,--slain, were seen wandering here and
there on the field. Pierced and cut with lances and scimitars and swords,
O Bharata, we beheld many a horseman adorned with armour and head-gear,
slain or in course of being slain or trembling with fear, and deprived, O
Bharata, of diverse limbs. Cars also, decked with gold, and unto which
were yoked steeds of great fleetness, were seen by us dragged with
exceeding speed hither and thither, their riders having been slain. Some
of these had their axles and poles broken, and some, O Bharata, had their
wheels broken; and some were without banners and standards, and some were
d