then four other arrows. These tour arrows slew
the steeds of Kritavarman, and the other cut off Kritavarman’s
bow. Then Satyaki pierced the charioteer of his
foe and those that protected the latter’s rear,
with many keen shafts, to afflict his antagonist’s
forces. The hostile division then, afflicted with
Satyaki’s arrows, broke down. Thereupon,
Satyaki of prowess incapable of being baffled, quickly
proceeded on his way. Hear now, O king, what that
hero of great valour then did unto thy troops.
Having, O monarch, forded the ocean constituted by
Drona’s division, and filled with joy at having
vanquished Kritavarman in battle, that hero then addressed
his charioteer, saying, ‘Proceed slowly without
fear.’ Beholding, however, that army of
thine that abounded with cars, steeds, elephants and
foot-soldiers, Satyaki once more told his charioteer,
’That large division which thou seest on left
of Drona’s host, and which looks dark as the
clouds, consists of the elephants (of the foe).
Rukmaratha is its leader. Those elephants are
many, O charioteer, and are difficult of being resisted
in battle. Urged by Duryodhana, they wait for
me, prepared to cast away their lives. All those
combatants are of princely birth, and great bowmen,
and capable of displaying great prowess in battle,
belonging to the country of the Trigartas, they are
all illustrious car-warriors, owning standards decked
with gold. Those brave warriors are waiting,
desirous of battle with me. Urge the steeds quickly,
O charioteer and take me thither. I shall fight
with the Trigartas in the very sight of Bharadwaja’s
son.’ Thus addressed, the charioteer, obedient
to Satwata’s will, proceeded slowly. Upon
that bright car of solar effulgence, equipped with
standard, those excellent steeds harnessed thereto
and perfectly obedient to the driver, endued with speed
of the wind, white as the Kunda flower, or the moon,
or silver, bore him (to that spot). As he advanced
to battle, drawn by those excellent steeds of the
hue of a conch, those brave warriors encompassed him
on all sides with their elephants, scattering diverse
kinds of keen arrows capable of easily piercing everything.
Satwata also fought with that elephant division, shooting
his keen shafts, like a mighty cloud at the end of
summer pouring torrents of rain on a mountain breast.
Those elephants slaughtered with those shafts, whose
touch resembled thunder sped by that foremost one
among the Sinis began to fly away from the field, their
tusks broken, bodies covered with blood, heads and
frontal globes split open, ears and faces and trunks
cut off, and themselves deprived of riders, and standards
cut down, riders slain, and blankets loosened, ran
away, O king, in all directions. Many amongst
them, O monarch, mangled by Satwata with long shafts
and calf-tooth-headed arrows and broad-headed arrows
and Anjalikas and razor-faced arrows and crescent-shaped
ones fled away, with blood flowing down their bodies,
and themselves ejecting urine and excreta and uttering