happened even then when thou declinedst to listen to those counsels.  Hear now, however, to my narration of the battle exactly as it has happened.[435] At midday the battle became exceedingly awful and fraught with great carnage.  Listen to me, O king, as I describe it.  Then all the troops (of the Pandava army), excited with rage, rushed, at the command of Dharma’s son, against Bhishma alone from desire of slaying him.  Dhrishtadyumna and Sikhandin, and the mighty car-warrior Satyaki, accompanied, O king, by their forces, proceeded against Bhishma alone.  And those mighty car-warriors, viz., Virata and Drupada, with all the Somakas, rushed in battle against Bhishma alone.  And the Kaikeyas, and Dhrishtaketu, and Kuntibhoja, equipped in mail and supported by their forces, rushed, O king, against Bhishma alone.  And Arjuna, and the sons of Draupadi, and Chekitana of great prowess, proceeded against all the kings under the command of Duryodhana.  And the heroic Abhimanyu, and that mighty car-warrior, viz., the son of Hidimva, and Bhimasena excited with wrath, rushed against the (other) Kauravas. (Thus) the Pandavas, divided into three bodies began to slaughter the Kauravas.  And similarly the Kauravas also, O king, began to slaughter their foes.[436] That foremost of car-warriors, viz., Drona excited with wrath, rushed against the Somakas and the Srinjayas, desirous of sending them to the abode of Yama.  Thereupon loud cries of woe arose among the brave Srinjayas while they were being slaughtered.  O king, by Bharadwaja’s son bow in hand.  Large numbers of Kshatriyas, struck down by Drona, were seen to all convulsing like persons writhing in the agony of disease.  All over the field were continuously heard moans and shrieks and groans resembling those of persons afflicted with hunger.  And so the mighty Bhimasena, excited with wrath, and like unto a second Yama, caused a terrible carnage amongst the Kaurava troops.  There in that dreadful battle, in consequence of the warriors slaying one another, a terrible river began to flow whose billowy current consisted of blood.[437] And that battle, O king, between the Kurus and the Pandavas, becoming fierce and awful, began to swell the population of Yama’s kingdom.  Then in that battle Bhima excited with wrath, fell with great impetuosity upon the elephant division (of the Kauravas) and began to send many to the regions of Death.  Then, O Bharata, struck with Bhima’s shafts, some of those beasts fell down, some were paralysed, some shrieked (in pain), and some ran away in all directions.  Huge elephants, their trunks cut off and limbs mangled, screaming like cranes, began, O king, to fall down on the earth.  Nakula and Sahadeva fell upon the (Kaurava) cavalry.  Many steeds with garlands of gold on their heads and with their necks and breasts adorned with ornaments of gold, were seen to be slain in hundreds and thousands.  The earth, O king, was strewn with fallen steeds.  And some were