as!" O Bharata, arose from
among thy warriors, while some illustrious Kshatriyas among the routed
combatants, desirous of victory, cried out saying, "Stop, stop!" For all
that, those troops of thine, broken by the Pandavas, fled away, deserting
on the field their dear sons and brothers and maternal, uncles and
sister's sons and relatives by marriage and other kinsmen. Urging their
steeds and elephants to greater speed, thousands of warriors fled away, O
bull of Bharata's race, bent only upon their own safety.'"

10

"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding the army broken, the valiant king of the
Madras, addressed his driver, saying, "Quickly urge these steeds endued
with the fleetness of thought. Yonder stays king Yudhishthira, the son of
Pandu, looking resplendent with the umbrella held over his head. Take me
thither with speed, O driver, and witness my might. The Parthas are
unable to stand before me in battle." Thus addressed, the driver of the
Madra king proceeded to that spot where stood king Yudhishthira the just
of true aim. Shalya fell suddenly upon the mighty host of the Pandavas.
Alone, he checked it like the continent checking the surging sea. Indeed,
the large force of the Pandavas, coming against Shalya, O sire, stood
still in that battle, like the rushing sea upon encountering a mountain.
Beholding the ruler of the Madras standing for battle on the field, the
Kauravas returned, making death their goal. After they had returned, O
king, and separately taken up their positions in well-formed array, an
awful battle set in, in which blood flowed freely like water.

"'The invincible Nakula encountered Chitrasena. These two heroes, both of
whom were excellent bowmen, approaching, drenched each other with showers
of arrows in that battle, like two pouring clouds risen in the welkin on
the south and the north. I could not mark any difference between the son
of Pandu and his antagonist. Both of them were accomplished in weapons,
both endued with might, and both conversant with the practices of
car-warriors. Each bent upon slaying the other, they carefully looked for
each other's lapses. Then Chitrasena, O monarch, with a broad-headed
shaft, well-tempered and sharp, cut off Nakula's bow at the handle.
Fearlessly then the son of Karna struck the bowless Nakula at the
forehead with three shafts equipped with wings of gold and whetted on
stone. With a few other keen arrows he then despatched Nakula's steeds to
Yama's abode. Nex