whose lofty standard was made
of the trunk of a Kovidara, the Kauravas fled away in great fear. The
twins (Nakula and Sahadeva) of great fame, and Satyaki, having pursued
with great speed the king of the Gandharas who was possessed of
lightness of hands in the use of weapons, re-appeared (amid the Pandava
ranks). Chekitana and Shikhandi and the (five) sons of Draupadi, O sire,
having slaughtered thy vast army, blew their conchs. All those heroes,
although they saw thy troops flying away with faces turned from the
field, still pursued them, like bulls pursuing angry bulls after
vanquishing them. Pandu's son Savyasaci of great might, O king, beholding
a remnant of thy army still standing for battle, became filled with
wrath. Possessed of great energy, Dhananjaya, rushed against that
car-force, drawing his bow Gandiva celebrated over the three worlds.
Suddenly he shrouded them with showers of arrows. The dust that was
raised darkened the scene and nothing could any longer be distinguished.
When the earth was thus shrouded with dust and when darkness covered
everything, thy troops, O king, fled on all sides from fear. When the
Kuru army was thus broken, the Kuru king, O monarch, viz., thy son,
rushed against all his foes advancing against him. Then Duryodhana
challenged all the Pandavas to battle, O chief of Bharata's race, like
the Asura Vali in days of yore challenging the gods. At this, all the
Pandava heroes, uniting together, rushed against the advancing
Duryodhana, shooting and hurling at him diverse weapons and upbraiding
him repeatedly. Duryodhana, however, filled with rage, fearlessly
slaughtered those enemies of his in hundreds and thousands, with keen
shafts. The prowess that we then beheld of thy son was exceedingly
wonderful, for alone and unsupported, he fought with all the Pandavas
united together. Duryodhana then beheld his own troops who, mangled with
arrows, had set their hearts on flight, gone not far from the field.
Rallying them then, O monarch, thy son who was resolved to maintain his
honour, gladdening those warriors of his, said these words unto them: "I
do not see that spot in the earth or on the mountains, whither if ye fly,
the Pandavas will not slay you! What use then in flying away? Small is
the force that the Pandavas now have. The two Krishnas also are
exceedingly mangled. If all of us stay for battle, victory will certainly
be ours. If we fly in disunion, the sinful Pandavas, pursuing us, will