in arms and covered with blood, strike one another, they that were timid and of weak hearts, lost their senses.  In fact, all became cheerless.  Nothing could any longer be distinguished.  Overwhelmed with the dust raised by the troops, the battle became furious.  Then the commander of the Pandava forces saying, ‘This is the time,’ speedily led the Pandavas on those heroes that are always endued with great activity.  Obeying his behest, the mighty-armed Pandavas, smiting (the Katirava army) proceeded towards Drona’s car like swans towards a lake,—­’Seize him,’—–­’Do not fly away,’—­’Do not fear,’—­’Cut into pieces,’—­these uproarious cries were heard in the vicinity of Drona’s car.  Then Drona and Kripa, and Karna and Drona’s son, and king Jayadratha, and Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti, and Salya, received those heroes.  Those irresistible and invincible warriors, however, viz., the Panchalas and the Pandavas, inspired by noble sentiments, did not, though afflicted with shafts, avoid Drona.  Then Drona, excited with great rage, shot hundreds of shafts, and caused a great carnage amongst the Chedis, the Panchalas, and the Pandavas.  The twang of his bowstring and the slaps of his palms, were, O sire, heard on all sides.  And they resembled the roar of thunder and struck fear into the hearts of all.  Meanwhile, Jishnu, having vanquished large number of Samsaptakas, quickly came to that place where Drona was grinding the Pandava troops.  Having crossed many large lakes whose waters were constituted by blood, and whose fierce billows and eddies were constituted by shafts, and having slain the Samsaptakas, Phalguni showed himself there.  Possessed of great fame and endued as he was with the energy of the Sun himself, Arjuna’s emblem, viz., his banner bearing the ape, was beheld by us to blaze with splendour.  Having dried up the Samsaptaka ocean by means of weapons that constituted his rays, the son of Pandu then blasted the Kurus also, as if he were the very Sun that arises at the end of the Yuga.  Indeed, Arjuna scorched all the Kurus by the heat of his weapons, like the fire[61] that appears at the end of the Yuga, burning down all creatures.  Struck by him with thousands of shafts, elephant warriors and horsemen and car-warriors fell down on the earth, with dishevelled hair, and exceedingly afflicted with those arrowy showers, some uttered cries of distress.  Others set up loud shouts.  And some struck with the shafts of Partha, fell down deprived of life.  Recollecting the practices of (good) warriors, Arjuna struck not those combatants among the foe that had fallen down, or those that were retreating, or those that were unwilling to fight.  Deprived of their cars and filled with wonder, almost all the Kauravas, turning away from the field, uttered cries of Oh and Alas and called upon Karna (for protection).  Hearing that din made by the Kurus, desirous of protection, Adhiratha’s son (Karna), loudly assuring the troops with the words ’Do not fear’ proceeded