SECTION CV

Sanjaya said, “O tiger among men, Arjuna sent those Kshatriyas that followed Susarman to the abode of the King of the Dead by means of his whetted shafts.  Susarman however, in that battle, pierced Partha with his shafts.  And he pierced Vasudeva with seventy, and Arjuna once more with nine shafts.  Checking those shafts by means of his arrowy showers, that mighty car-warrior, viz., the son of Indra, despatched Susarman’s troops unto Yama’s abode.  Those mighty car-warriors, while being slaughtered by Partha in that battle as if by Death himself at the end of the Yuga, all fled away from the field, O king struck with panic, Some abandoning their steeds, some abandoning, O sire, their cars, and others their elephants, fled away in all directions.  Others taking with them their horses, elephants, and cars, fled away, O king, with great speed.  Foot-soldiers in that dreadful battle, throwing aside their weapons, and without any regard for one another, fled away hither and thither.  Though forbidden by Susarman the ruler of the Trigartas, and by other foremost of kings, they stayed not yet in battle.  Beholding that host routed, thy son Duryodhana himself at the head of the whole army and with Bhishma ahead, attacked Dhananjaya with all his vigour, for the sake, O king, of (protecting) the life of the ruler of the Trigartas.  And he stayed in battle, scattering diverse kinds of arrows, supported by all his brothers.  The rest of the men all fled away.  Similarly, the Pandavas, O king, clad in mail and with all their vigour, proceeded, for the sake of Phalguni, to the spot where Bhishma was.  Although acquainted with the awful prowess, in battle of the wielder of Gandiva, these yet proceeded with loud cries and great bravery to the spot where Bhishma was and surrounded him on all sides.  Then the palmyra-bannered hero covered the Pandava army, in that battle, with his straight shafts.  The sun having reached the meridian, the Kauravas, O king, fought with the Pandavas in one confused mass.  The heroic Satyaki, having pierced Kritavarman with five arrows, stayed in battle scattering his arrows by thousands.  And so king Drupada also, having pierced Drona with many whetted shafts, once more pierced him with seventy shafts and his charioteer with nine.  Bhimasena also, having pierced his great grandsire king Valhika uttered a loud roar like a tiger in the forest.  Arjuna’s son (Abhimanyu) pierced by Chitrasena with many shafts, deeply pierced Chitrasena in the chest with three arrows.  Engaged with each other in battle, those two foremost of men looked resplendent on the field like the planets, Venus and Saturn, O king, in the firmament.  Then that slayer of foes, viz., the son of Subhadra, having slain his antagonist’s steeds and charioteer with nine arrows, uttered a loud shout.  Thereupon that mighty car-warrior, (viz., Chitrasena), quickly jumping down from that car whose steed had been slain,