together, said unto one another, ’Beholding Karna on the field, the Pandavas will never be able to stand in battle.  Indeed, Karna is quite competent to vanquish in battle the very gods with Vasava at their head.  What need be said, therefore, for the sons of Pandu who are destitute of energy and prowess?  The mighty-armed Bhishma spared the Parthas in battle.  Karna, however, will slay them in the fight with his keen shafts.’  Speaking unto one another thus and filled with joy, they proceeded, applauding and worshipping the son of Radha.  As regards our army, it was arrayed by Drona in the form of a Sakata (vehicle); while the array of our illustrious foes, O king, was in the form of a Krauncha (crane), as disposed, O Bharata, by king Yudhishthira the just in great cheerfulness.  At the head of their array were those two foremost of persons viz., Vishnu and Dhananjaya, with their banner set up, bearing the device of the ape.  The hump of the whole army and the refuge of all bowmen, that banner of Partha, endued with immeasurable energy, as it floated in the, sky, seemed to illumine the entire host of the high-souled Yudhishthira.  The banner of Partha, possessed of great intelligence, seemed to resemble the blazing Sun that riseth at the end of the Yuga for consuming the world.  Amongst bowmen, Arjuna is the foremost; amongst bows, Gandiva is the foremost amongst creature Vasudeva is the first; and amongst all kinds of discs, Sudarsana is the first.  Bearing these four embodiments of energy, that car unto which were yoked white steeds, took up its position in the front of the (hostile) army, like the fierce discus upraised (for striking).  Thus did those two foremost of men stand at the very head of their respective forces, viz., Karna at the head of thy army, and Dhananjaya at the head of the hostile one.  Both excited with wrath, and each desirous of slaying the other, Karna and Arjuna looked at each other in that battle.’

“Then when that mighty car-warrior, viz..  Bharadwaja’s son, proceeded to battle with great speed, the earth seemed to tremble with loud sounds of wailing.  Then the thick dust, raised by the wind resembling a canopy of tawny silk, enveloped the sky and the sun.  And though the firmament was cloudless, yet a shower fell of pieces of flesh, bones, and blood.  And vultures and hawks and cranes and Kankas, and crows in thousands, began continually to fall upon the (Kaurava) troops.  And jackals yelled aloud; and many fierce and terrible birds repeatedly wheeled to the left of thy army, from desire of eating flesh and drinking blood,[11] and many blazing meteors, illuminating (the sky), and covering large areas with their tails, fell on the field with loud sound and trembling motion.  And the wide disc of the sun O monarch, seemed to emit flashes of lightning with thundering noise, when commander of the (Kaurava) army set out.  These and many other portents, fierce and indicating a destruction of heroes, were seen