SECTION XIV

“Sanjaya said, ’Then Drona, causing a great confusion in the Pandava host, careered through it, like a conflagration consuming (a forest of) trees.  Beholding that angry warrior, owning a golden car, consume their divisions like a raging conflagration, the Srinjayas trembled (in fear).  The twang, in that battle, of the constantly stretched bow of that warrior of great activity was heard to resemble the roar of the thunder.[24] Fierce shafts shot by Drona, endued with great lightness of hand, began to crush car-warriors and horsemen and elephant-warriors and foot soldiers along with elephants and steeds.  Showering his arrows as the roaring clouds at the close of summer, assisted by the wind, pour hail-stones, he inspired fear in the hearts of the foe.  Coursing (through the hostile ranks), O king, and agitating the troops, the mighty Drona enhanced the unnatural fear entertained by the enemy.  The gold-decked bow, on his quickly-moving car, was repeatedly seen to resemble the lightning’s flash amid a mass of dark clouds.  That hero, firm in truth, endued with wisdom, and always devoted, besides, to righteousness, caused an awful river of angry current, such as may be seen at the end of the Yuga, to flow there.  And that river had its source in the impetuosity of Drona’s wrath, and it was haunted by crowds of carnivorous creatures.  And the combatants constituted the waves that filled its entire surface.  And heroic warriors constituted the trees on its banks whose roots were constantly eaten away by its current.  And its waters were constituted by the blood that was shed in that battle, and cars constituted its eddies, and elephants and steeds formed its banks.  And costs of mail constituted its lilies, and the flesh of creatures the mire on its bed.  And the fat, marrow, and bones (of fallen animals and men) formed the sands on its beach, and (fallen) head-gears its froth.  And the battle itself that was fought there constituted the canopy above its surface.  And lances constituted the fish with which it abounded.  And it was inaccessible in consequence of the large number of (slain) men, elephants, and steeds (that fell in it).  And the impetus of the shaft shot constituted its current.  And the slain bodies themselves constituted the timber floating on it.  And cars constituted its tortoises.  And heads constituted the stones scattered on its banks and bed, and scimitars, its fish in profusion.  And cars and elephants formed its lakes.  And it was decked with many adornments.  And mighty car-warriors constituted its hundreds of little whirlpools.  And the dust of the earth constituted its wavelets.  And capable of being easily crossed by those possessed of exceeding energy, it was incapable of being crossed by the timid.  And heaps of dead bodies constituted the sand-banks obstructing its navigation.  And it was the haunt of Kankas and vultures and other birds of prey.  And it carried away thousands