andard, casting his
eyes on all sides. The other mighty car-warriors of the Bharata army,
still numerous, fled quickly, afflicted with fear, filled with shame, and
almost deprived of their senses. Indeed seeing Karna overthrown, all the
Kauravas fled away quickly, afflicted and anxious with fear, trembling,
and with voices choked with tears. The mighty car-warriors of thy army
fled away in fear, O chief of Kuru's race, some applauding Arjuna, some
applauding Karna. Amongst those thousands of warriors of thy army in that
great battle, there was not a single person who had still any wish for
fight. Upon the fall of Karna, O monarch, the Kauravas became hopeless of
life, kingdom, wives, and wealth. Guiding them with care, O lord, thy
son, filled with grief and sorrow, set his heart upon resting them for
the night. Those great car-warriors also, O monarch, accepting his orders
with bent heads, retired from the field with cheerless hearts and pale
faces.'"

96

"Sanjaya said, 'After Karna had thus been slain and the Kaurava troops
had fled away, he of Dasharha's race, embracing Partha from joy, said
unto him these words: "Vritra was slain by thee. Men will talk (in the
same breath) of the slaughter of Vritra and Karna in awful battle. Vritra
was slain in battle by the deity of great energy with his thunder. Karna
hath been slain by thee with bow and sharp arrows. Go, O son of Kunti,
and represent, O Bharata, unto king Yudhishthira the just, this prowess
of thine that is capable of procuring thee great fame and that hath
become well-known in the world. Having represented unto king Yudhishthira
the just, this slaughter of Karna in battle for compassing which thou
hadst been endeavouring for a long course of years, thou wilt be freed
from the debt thou owest to the king. During the progress of the battle
between thyself and Karna, the son of Dharma once came for beholding the
field. Having, however, been deeply and exceedingly pierced (with
arrows), he could not stay in battle. The king, that bull among men, then
went back to his tent." Partha answered Keshava, that bull of Yadu's
race, saying, "So be it!" The latter then cheerfully caused the car of
that foremost of car-warriors to turn back. Having said these words unto
Arjuna, Krishna addressed the soldiers, saying, "Blessed be ye, stand all
of you carefully, facing the foe!" Unto Dhrishtadyumna and Yudhamanyu and
the twin sons of Madri and Vrikodara and Yuyudhana, Govi