Vaisampayana continued, “Beholding the Kurus ready for battle, Arjuna addressing Matsya’s son in words suitable to the occasion, said, ’O charioteer, restrain thou the steeds at such a point whence my arrows may reach the enemy.  Meanwhile, let me see, where, in the midst of this army, is that vile wretch of the Kuru race.  Disregarding all these, and singling out that vainest of princes I will fall upon his head, for upon the defeat of that wretch the others will regard themselves as defeated.  There standeth Drona, and thereafter him his son.  And there are those great bowmen—­Bhishma and Kripa and Karna.  I do not see, however, the king there.  I suspect that anxious to save his life, he retreateth by the southern road, taking away with him the kine.  Leaving this array of car-warriors, proceed to the spot where Suyodhana is.  There will I fight, O son of Virata, for there the battle will not be fruitless, Defeating him I will come back, taking away the kine.’”

Vaisampayana continued, “Thus addressed, the son of Virata restrained the steeds with an effort and turned them by a pull at the bridle from the spot where those bulls of the Kuru race were, and urged them on towards the place where Duryodhana was.  And as Arjuna went away leaving that thick array of cars, Kripa, guessing his intention, addressed his own comrades, saying, ’This Vibhatsu desireth not to take up his stand at a spot remote from the king.  Let us quickly fall upon the flanks of the advancing hero.  When inflamed with wrath, none else, unassisted, can encounter him in battle save the deity of a thousand eyes, or Krishna the son of Devaki.  Of what use to us would the kine be or this vast wealth also, if Duryodhana were to sink, like a boat, in the ocean of Partha?’ Meanwhile, Vibhatsu, having proceeded towards that division of the army, announced himself speedily by name, and covered the troops with his arrows thick as locusts.  And covered with those countless shafts shot by Partha, the hostile warriors could not see anything, the earth itself and the sky becoming overwhelmed therewith.  And the soldiers who had been ready for the fight were so confounded that none could even the flee from the field.  And beholding the light-handedness of Partha they all applauded it mentally.  And Arjuna then blew his conch which always made the bristles of the foe stand erect.  And twanging his best of bows, he urged the creatures on his flagstaff to roar more frightfully.  And at the blare of his conch and the rattle of his car-wheels, and the twang of the Gandiva, and the roar of the superhuman creatures stationed on his flagstaff, the earth itself began to tremble.  And shaking their upraised tails and lowing together, the kine turned back, proceeding along the southern road.’”

SECTION LIV