victory, O monarch, careered beautifully on all sides amongst thy
divisions. Kripa, and Kritavarma, and the mighty son of Subala, placing
the ruler of the Madras before them, fought with king Yudhishthira the
just. Duryodhana, O monarch, fought with Dhrishtadyumna, the slayer of
Bharadwaja's son, that hero endued with abundant energy and prowess.
3,000 cars, O king, despatched by thy son and headed by Drona's son,
battled with Vijaya (Arjuna). All those combatants, O king, had firmly
resolved to win victory and had cast off fear with life itself. Indeed, O
king, thy warriors penetrated into the midst of the Pandava army like
swans into a large lake. A fierce battle then took place between the
Kurus and the Pandavas, the combatants being actuated with the desire of
slaughtering one another and deriving great pleasure from giving and
receiving blows. During the progress, O king, of that battle which was
destructive of great heroes, an earthly dust, terrible to behold, was
raised by the wind. From only the names we heard (of the Pandava
warriors) that were uttered in course of that battle and from those (of
the Kuru warriors) that were uttered by the Pandavas, we knew the
combatants that fought with one another fearlessly. That dust, however, O
tiger among men, was soon dispelled by the blood that was shed, and all
the points of the compass became once more clear when that dusty darkness
was driven away. Indeed, during the progress of that terrible and awful
battle, no one among either thy warriors or those of the foe, turned his
back. Desirous of attaining to the regions of Brahman and longing for
victory by fair fight, the combatants displayed their prowess, inspired
with the hope of heaven. For paying off the debt they owed to their
masters on account of the sustenance granted by the latter, or firmly
resolved to accomplish the objects of their friends and allies, the
warriors, with hearts fixed on heaven, fought with one another on that
occasion. Shooting and hurling weapons of diverse kinds, great
car-warriors roared at or smote one another. "Slay, pierce, seize,
strike, cut off!" These were the words that were heard in that battle,
uttered by the warriors and those of the foe. Then Shalya, O monarch,
desirous of slaying him, pierced king Yudhishthira the just, that mighty
car-warrior with many sharp arrows. Conversant with what are the vital
limbs of the body, the son of Pritha, however, O monarch, with the
greatest