with the Sakas, and the Surasenas, O sire, formed its tail, O great king.  And the Magadhas and the Kalingas, with all the tribes of the Daserakas, accoutred in mail, formed the right wing of that array.  And the Karushas, the Vikunjas, the Mundas, and the Kaundivrishas, with Vrithadvala, were stationed on the left wing.  Then that chastiser of foes, Savyasachin, beholding the host disposed in battle-array, aided by Dhrishtadyumna, disposed his troops in counter-array.  And in opposition to that array of thine, the son of Pandu formed fierce array after the form of the half-moon.  And stationed on the right horn, Bhimasena shone surrounded by kings of diverse countries abundantly armed with various weapons.  Next to him were those mighty car-warriors Virata and Drupada; and next to them was Nila armed with envenomed weapons.  And next to Nila was the mighty car-warrior Dhrishtaketu, surrounded by the Chedis, the Kasis, the Karushas, and the Pauravas.  And Dhrishtadyumna, and Sikhandin, with the Panchalas and the Prabhadrakas, and supported by other troops, were stationed in the middle, O Bharata, for battle.  And thither also was king Yudhishthira the just, surrounded by his elephant division.  And next to him were Satyaki, O king, and the five sons of Draupadi.  And immediately next to them was Iravan.  And next to him were Bhimasena’s son (Ghatotkacha) and those mighty car-warriors, the Kekayas.  And next, on the left horn (of that array), was that best of men, viz., he who had for his protector, Janardana—­that protector of the whole Universe.  It was thus that the Pandavas formed their mighty counter-array for the destruction of thy sons and of those who had sided with them.  Then commenced the battle between thy troops and those of the foe striking one another, and in which cars and elephants mingled in the clash of combat.  Large numbers of elephants and crowds of cars were seen everywhere, O king, to rush towards one another for purposes of slaughter.  And the rattle of innumerable cars rushing (to join the fray), or engaged separately raised a loud uproar, mingling with the beat of drums.  And the shouts of the heroic combatants belonging to thy army and theirs, O Bharata, slaying one another in that fierce encounter, reached the very heavens.”

SECTION LVII

Sanjaya said, “After the ranks of thy army and theirs had been disposed in battle-array, that mighty car-warrior, Dhananjaya, felling in that conflict leaders of car-divisions with his arrows, caused a great carnage, O Bharata, among the car-ranks.  The Dhartarashtras, (thus) slaughtered in battle by Pritha’s son, like the Destroyer himself at the end of the Yuga, still fought perseveringly with the Pandavas.  Desirous. of (winning) blazing glory and (bent upon) making death (the only ground for) a cessation of the fight, with minds undirected to anything else, they broke the Pandava ranks in many places and were also themselves broken.  Then