The fierce-fight

Sanjaya said Your warriors, as soon as they saw those two foremost heroes of the Vrishni-Andhaka and the Kuru races, quickly advanced against them, each striving to be the first. So also, Vijaya rushed against those foe of his.

Mounted on their huge chariots adorned with gold, covered with tiger-skins, producing deep rattle their car-wheels and looking like blazing fires, they advanced, illumining the all points of the compass.

Armed, O monarch, with bows whose stave's were decked with gold and which, in consequence of their splendour were incapable of being looked at and settling up loud warcries' and being borne by mettled horses.

Bhurishravas, Sala, Karna Vrishasena Jayadratha, Kripa, the ruler of the Madras and that foremost of car-warriors viz., Drona's son.

These eight great car-warriors, as if devouring up the skies, illumined the ten quarters, with their excellent chariots covered with tiger-skins and decked with golden moons.

Accoutered in coats of mail, inflamed with rage, riding upon those chariots the rattle of whose wheels resembled the rumble of the clouds, they covered Arjuna on every side, with shower of sharps shafts.

Steeds of best breed and variegated hue and endued with great fleetness, bearing those mighty car-warriors, appeared beautiful as they illumined the ten quarters of heaven.

Their chariots drawn by excellent horses of great fleetness born in various countries and of diverse species-some bred in hilly tracts, some in river-lands and some in the Sindhu country.

Many foremost of car-warriors among the Kuru, swiftly rushed towards Dhananjaya's car, desirous, Oking, of saving your son.

Those foremost of men taking up their huge conchs blew them and with blasts they filled the welkin and the earth with her all oceans.

Thereupon those two foremost of all gods, viz., Vasudeva and Dhananjaya also blew their conchs that were regarded as the best of all the conchs on the face of the earth.

Kunti's son blew his conch Devadatta and Keshava blew Panchajanya. The tremendous blare of the conch Devedatta, produced by Dhananjaya.

Filled the earth, the skies and the ten points of the compass. So also the blast of the Panchajanya, blown by the son of Vasudeva.

Surpassing all other sounds filled the welkin and the earth. And when the fierce and dreadful sound was still continuing.

Sound that struck the hearts of the cowards with terror and enhanced the delight of the brave and while drums, Jarajhwaras and cymbals.

And Mridangas, O mighty monarch, were sounded by thousands, great car-warriors, befriending the Kurus and desirous of Duryodhana's good.

All great bow-men, inflamed with anger and unable to bear the loud blasts of Arjuna's and Krishna's conchs, those kings come from diverse countries and accompanied by their troops.

Blew their huge conchs, desirous of answering with the blasts thus produced, the blasts produced by Keshava and Arjuna.

Then your army filled with the blasts of the conchs, had its car-warriors, elephants and horses filled with anxiety and O master, all who composed it, seemed to be ill.

Then that host filled with the blasts of conchs blown by heroic warriors, seemed to be like the welkin echoing with sounds of thunder and fallen down (through some natural cause).

That loud sound, o king, filled all the quarters with its echoes. It frightened the troops as if the end of the Yuga had come.

Thereafter Duryodhana and the other eight sovereigns, all mighty car-warriors, surrounded Pandu's son for effecting the safety to Jayadratha.

Then the son of Drona pierced Vasudeva's son with seventy-three arrows and he also pierced Arjuna with three broad-headed shafts and the latter's steeds and standard with five arrows.

Then beholding Janardana pierced and excited to the highest pitch of fury, Arjuna struck his foe with six hundred arrows.

Piercing then Karna with ten and Vrishasena with three arrows, that highly puissant hero, cut-off Shalya's bow with arrows fixed on the string, near the grasp.

Thereupon taking another bow Shalya began to pierce Pandu's son. Then Bhurishrava with three arrows furnished with golden wings and whetted on stone.

Karna with thirty-two, Vrishasena, with seven, Jayadratha with seventy-three and Kripa with ten shafts and the king of the Madras with ten other shafts, pierced Phalguna in that battle.

Thereafter with a group of sixty arrows, Drona's son covered Partha. He then pierced Vasudeva with twenty and Partha again with five arrows.

Thereupon that foremost of men, that owner of white steed, who had Krishna for his charioteer pierced them all in return displaying great lightness of hand.

Piercing Karna with twelve and Vrishasena with three shafts. He cut-off Shalya's bow, once more near the handle.

He piercing Somadatta's son with three and Shalya with ten arrows and pierced Drona's son with eight shafts, well-sharpened and resembling tongues of fire.

He struck the son of Gautama with twenty five and the ruler of the Sindhus with a hundred arrows, once more he pierced Drona's son with seventy shafts.

Bhurishrava then inflamed with rage, cutoff the whip that Hari held and he then pierced Arjuna with a group of seventy-three arrows.

Thereat Dhananjaya owning white seeds and burning with rage, mangled those enemies of his with hundreds of shafts, like a raging tempest tearing away masses of clouds.