from the field, quickly rushed against the other great
bowmen. Then Abhimanyu of fierce energy and great
fame, filled with wrath, broke that host of diverse
forces abounding with elephants and steeds and cars
and infantry. As regards Karna, afflicted by Abhimanyu
with countless shafts, he fled away from the field
borne by swift steeds. The Kaurava array then
broke. When the welkin was covered with Abhimanyu’s
shafts, like flights of locusts or thick showers of
rain, nothing, O monarch, could be distinguished.
Amongst thy warriors thus slaughtered by Abhimanyu
with sharp shafts, none, O monarch, stayed any longer
on the field of battle except the ruler of the Sindhus.
Then that bull among men, viz., the son of Subhadra,
blowing his conch, speedily, fell upon the Bharata
host, O bull of Bharata’s race! Like a burning
brand thrown into the midst of dry grass, Arjuna’s
son began to consume his foes, quickly careering through
the Kaurava army. Having pierced through their
array, he mangled cars and elephants and steeds and
human beings by means of his sharp shafts and caused
the field of battle teem with headless trunks.
Cut off by means of excellent arrows shot from the
bow of Subhadra’s son, the Kaurava warriors fled
away, slaying, as they fled, their own comrades before
them. Those fierce arrows, of terrible effect
whetted on stone and, countless in number, slaying
car-warriors and elephants, steeds, fell fast on the
field. Arms, decked with Angadas and other ornaments
of gold, cut off and hands cased in leathern covers,
and arrows, and bows, and bodies and heads decked with
car-rings and floral wreaths, lay in thousands on
the field. Obstructed with Upashkaras and Adhishthanas
and long poles also with crushed Akshas and broken
wheels and yokes, numbering thousands, With darts and
bows and swords and fallen standards, and with shields
and bows lying all about, with the bodies, O monarch,
of slain Kshatriyas and steeds and elephants, the
field of battle, looking exceedingly fierce, soon became
impassable. The noise made by the princes, as
they called upon One another while slaughtered by
Abhimanyu, became deafening and enhanced the fears
of the timid. That noise, O chief of the Bharatas,
filled all the points of the compass. The son
of Subhadra, rushed against the (Kaurava) troops,
slaying foremost of car-warriors and steeds and elephants,
Quickly consuming his foes, like a fire playing in
the midst of a heap of dry grass, the son of Arjuna
was seen careering through the midst of the Bharata
army. Encompassed as he was by our troops and
covered with dust, none of us could obtain a sight
of that warrior when, O Bharata, he was careening
over the field in all directions, cardinal and subsidiary.
And he took the lives of steeds and elephants and
human warriors, O Bharata, almost incessantly.
And soon after we saw him (come out of the press).
Indeed, O monarch, we beheld him then scorching his
foes like the meridian sun (scorching everything with
his rays). Equal to Vasava himself in battle,
that son of Vasava’s son viz., Abhimanyu,
looked resplendent in the midst of the (hostile) army.’”