cked merchants on the fathomless ocean without a
raft to save themselves. When their protector was slain by the
diadem-decked Arjuna, they were like persons on the wide sea desirous of
reaching some shore of safety. Indeed, O king, after the slaughter of the
Suta's son, thy troops, struck with panic and mangled with arrows, were
like unprotected men desirous of a protector or like a herd of deer
afflicted by a lion. Vanquished by Savyasaci, they retired in the evening
like bulls with broken horns or snakes shorn of their fangs. Their
foremost of heroes slain, themselves thrown into confusion and mangled
with keen arrows, thy sons, O king, upon the slaughter of the Suta's son,
fled away in fear. Deprived of weapons and coats of mail, all of them
lost their senses and knew not in which direction to fly. Casting their
eyes on all sides in fear, many of them began to slaughter one another.
Many fell down or became pale, thinking, "It is me whom Vibhatsu is
pursuing!" "It is me whom Vrikodara is pursuing!" Some riding on fleet
steeds, some on fleet cars, and some on fleet elephants, many great
car-warriors fled away from fear, abandoning the foot-soldiers. Cars were
broken by elephants, horsemen were crushed by great car-warriors, and
bands of foot-soldiers were smashed and slain by bodies of horses as
these fled away from the field. After the fall of the Suta's son, thy
troops became like stragglers from a caravan in a forest abounding with
robbers and beasts of prey. Some elephants whose riders had been slain,
and others whose trunks had been cut off, afflicted with fear, beheld the
whole world to be full of Partha. Beholding his troops flying away
afflicted with the fear of Bhimasena Duryodhana then, with cries of "Oh!"
and "Alas!" addressed his driver, saying, "If I take up my post at the
rear of the army, armed with my bow, Partha then will never be able to
transgress me. Urge the steeds, therefore, with speed. When I will put
forth my valour in battle, Dhananjaya the son of Kunti will not venture
to transgress me like the ocean never venturing to transgress its
continents. Today, slaying Arjuna with Govinda, and the proud Vrikodara,
and the rest of my foes, I will free myself from the debt I owe to
Karna." Hearing these words of the Kuru king, so becoming a hero and an
honourable man, his driver slowly urged those steeds adorned with
trappings of gold. At that time many brave warriors deprived of elephants
and steeds and