dour
resembled that of Indra's bow, began to destroy his foes in that battle
like the prince of birds destroying snakes. With the greatest speed he
began to cut off the bodies of his enemies with his keen shafts. With the
showers of shafts that the son of Pritha then shot, thy troops became
entirely shrouded. Overcome with fear and with eyes shut, they began to
strike one another (so stupefied were they then). With blood issuing from
their bodies, they became deprived of their weapons of attack and defence
and divested of their life-breaths. Upon the fall of Shalya, the youthful
younger brother of the king of the Madras, who was equal to his
(deceased) brother in every accomplishment, and who was regarded as a
mighty car-warrior, proceeded against Yudhishthira. Invincible in battle
desirous of paying the last dues of his brother, that foremost of men
quickly pierced the Pandava with very many shafts. With great speed king
Yudhishthira the just pierced him with six arrows. With a couple of
razor-faced arrows, he then cut off the bow and the standard of his
antagonist. Then with a blazing and keen arrow of great force and broad
head, he struck off the head of his foe staying before him. I saw that
head adorned with earrings fall down from the car like a denizen of
heaven falling down on the exhaustion of his merits. Beholding his
headless trunk, bathed all over with blood, fallen down from the car, the
Kaurava troops broke. Indeed, upon the slaughter of the younger brother
of the Madras clad in beautiful armour, the Kurus, uttering cries of
"Oh!" and "Alas!" fled away with speed. Beholding Shalya's younger
brother slain, thy troops, hopeless of their lives, were inspired with
the fear of the Pandavas and fled, covered with dust. The grandson of
Sini then, Satyaki, O bull of Bharata's race, shooting his shafts,
proceeded against the frightened Kauravas while the latter were flying
away. Then Hridika's son, O king, quickly and fearlessly received that
invincible warrior, that irresistible and mighty bowman, as he advanced
(against the beaten army). Those two illustrious and invincible heroes of
Vrishni's race, Hridika's son and Satyaki, encountered each other like
two furious lions. Both resembling the sun in effulgence, they covered
each other with arrows of blazing splendour that resembled the rays of
the sun. The arrows of those two lions of Vrishni's race, shot forcibly
from their bows, we saw, looked like swiftly coursin