and thousands, to run with the speed of the wind.  And horse-riders, deprived of their horses, and armed with swords were in that battle seen to run, or made to run (by others assailing them).  Elephant, meeting with a flying elephant in that dreadful battle, proceeded, quickly crushing foot-soldiers and steeds.  And, similarly, O king those prodigious creatures crushed many cars in that battle, and cars also, coming upon fallen steeds crushed them (in their course).  And steeds too, in the press of battle, crushed many foot-soldiers, O king (with their hoofs).  And thus, O monarch, they crushed one another in diverse ways.[469] And in that fierce and awful battle there flowed a terrible river of bloody current.  And heaps of bows obstructed its straight course, and the hair (of slain warriors) formed its moss.  And (broken) cars formed its lakes, and arrows its eddies.  And steeds formed its fishes.  And heads (severed from trunks) formed its blocks of stone.  And it abounded with elephants that formed its crocodiles.  And coats of mail and head-gears formed its froth.  And bows (in the hands of the warriors) constituted the speed of its current, and swords its tortoises.  And banners and standards in profusion formed the trees on its banks.  And mortals constituted its banks which that river continually ate away.  And it abounded with cannibals that formed its swans.  And that stream (instead of swelling the ocean with its discharge) swelled the population of Yama’s kingdom.  And brave Kshatriyas,—­mighty car-warriors,—­casting off all fear, O king, sought to cross that river with the aid of cars, elephants, and steeds that played the part of rafts and boats.  And as the river Vaitarani beareth all departed spirits towards the domains of the King of the Dead, so that river of bloody current bore away all timid men deprived of their senses in a swoon.  And the Kshatriyas, beholding that awful carnage, all exclaimed, saying, ’Alas, through Duryodhana’s fault the Kshatriyas are being exterminated.  Why, Oh, Dhritarashtra of sinful soul, deluded by avarice, harboured envy for the sons of Pandu, who are graced with numerous virtues.’  Diverse exclamations of this kind were heard there, made by one another, fraught with the praises of the Pandavas and censure of thy sons.  Hearing then these words uttered by all the combatants, thy son Duryodhana, that offender against all, addressed Bhishma and Drona and Kripa and Salya, O Bharata, saying, ’Fight ye without boastfulness.  Why tarry ye at all?’ Then the battle was resumed between the Kurus and the Pandavas, that fierce battle, O king, caused by the match at dice and marked by an awful slaughter.  Thou beholdest now, O son of Vichitravirya, the dreadful fruit of that rejection by thee (of the counsels of thy friends) though warned against it by many illustrious persons.  Neither the sons of Pandu, O king, nor their troops, nor they that follow them, nor the Kauravas, show the least regard for their lives in battle.  For this reason, O tiger among men, a dreadful destruction of kinsmen is taking place, caused either by Destiny or by thy evil policy, O king.”