son in that battle. With that arrow, O best of kings,
the son of Pandu cut off from Sushena's trunk the latter's head in the
very sight of all the troops. That feat seemed exceedingly wonderful.
Thus slain by the illustrious Nakula, Karna's son fell down like a lofty
tree on the bank of a river thrown down by the current of the stream.
Beholding the slaughter of Karna's sons and the prowess of Nakula, thy
army, O bull of Bharata's race, fled away in fear. Their commander,
however, the brave and valiant ruler of the Madras, that chastiser of
foes, then protected, O monarch, those troops in that battle. Rallying
his host, O king, Shalya stood fearlessly in battle, uttering loud
leonine roars and causing his bow to twang fiercely. Then thy troops, O
king, protected in battle by that firm bowman, cheerfully proceeded
against the foe once more from every side. Those high-souled warriors,
surrounding that great bowman, the ruler of the Madras, stood, O king,
desirous of battling on every side. Then Satyaki, and Bhimasena, and
those two Pandavas, the twin sons of Madri, placing that chastiser of
foes and abode of modesty, Yudhishthira, at their head, and surrounding
him on all sides in that battle, uttered leonine roars. And those heroes
also caused a loud whizz with the arrows they shot and frequently
indulged in diverse kinds of shouts. Smilingly, all thy warriors, filled
with rage, speedily encompassed the ruler of the Madras and stood from
desire of battle. Then commenced a battle, inspiring the timid with fear,
between thy soldiers and the enemy, both of whom made death their goal.
That battle between fearless combatants, enhancing the population of
Yama's kingdom, resembled, O monarch, that between the gods and the
Asuras in days of yore. Then the ape-bannered son of Pandu, O king,
having slaughtered the Samsaptakas in battle, rushed against that portion
of the Kaurava army. Smiling, all the Pandavas, headed by Dhrishtadyumna,
rushed against the same division, shooting showers of keen arrows.
Overwhelmed by the Pandavas, the Kaurava host became stupefied. Indeed,
those divisions then could not discern the cardinal point from the
subsidiary points of the compass. Covered with keen arrows sped by the
Pandavas, the Kaurava army, deprived of its foremost warriors, wavered
and broke on all sides. Indeed, O Kaurava, that host of thine began to be
slaughtered by the mighty car-warriors of the Pandavas. Similarly, the
Pandava hos