SECTION CLXXI

“Sanjaya said, ’Then all those kings of thy army, incapable of being easily defeated in battle, angrily proceeded against Yuyudhana’s car, unable to brook (his feats).  Mounting on their well-equipped cars, O king, that were decked with gold and jewels, and accompanied also by cavalry and elephants, they encompassed the Satwata hero.  Hemming him on all sides those mighty car-warriors, challenging that hero, uttered loud leonine roars.  Those great heroes, desirous of slaying him of Madhu’s race, poured their keen arrows on Satyaki of invincible prowess.  Beholding them thus advancing with speed towards him, that slayer of hostile hosts, viz., the mighty-armed grandson of Sini, took up and shot many shafts.  The heroic and great bowman Satyaki, invincible in battle, cut off many heads with his fierce and straight arrows.  And he of Madhu’s race also cut off the trunks of many elephants, the necks of many seeds, and arms decked with Angadas of many warriors, by means of razor-faced arrows.  With the fallen yak-tails and white umbrellas, O Bharata, the field of battle became almost full, and resembled the firmament, O lord, with stars.  The wails of the host thus slaughtered in battle, O Bharata, by Yuyudhana, became as loud as those of shrieking ghosts (in hell).  With that loud uproar the earth became filled, and the night became fiercer and more terrible.  Beholding his host, afflicted with Yuyudhana’s arrows breaking, and hearing that tremendous uproar at dead of night making the hair stand on end, thy son, that mighty car-warrior, addressing his driver, repeatedly said, ’Urge the steeds to that spot whence this uproar cometh.’  Then king Duryodhana, that firm bowman, above all modes of warfare, rushed against Yuyudhana.  Madhava pierced Duryodhana with a dozen blood-drinking shafts, sped from his bow drawn to its fullest stretch.  Thus afflicted with arrows by Yuyudhana first, Duryodhana, excited with rage, pierced the grandson of Sini in return with ten arrows.  Meanwhile, the battle that raged between the Panchalas and all thy troops presented an exceedingly wonderful sight.  Then the grandson of Sini, excited with rage in that battle, pierced thy son, that mighty car-warrior, with eighty shafts, in the chest.  He then, with other shafts, despatched Duryodhana’s steeds to Yama’s abode.  And that slayer of foes then quickly felled his antagonist’s driver from the car.  Thy son, O monarch, staying on that steedless car, shot many keen arrows towards Satyaki’s car.  The grandson of Sini, however, displaying great lightness of hand, O king, cut off those fifty shafts sped in that battle by thy son.  Then Madhava, with a broad-headed shafts suddenly cut off in that encounter the formidable bow of thy son in the handle, Deprived of both his car and bow, that puissant ruler of men then mounted quickly upon the bright car of Kritavarman.  Upon Duryodhana’s retreat, the grandson of Sini, O monarch, afflicted and routed thy army at dead of night.