of ivory, and standards, and darts, and steeds, and
elephants, and cars of diverse kind, O king, and banners,
and axles, and yokes, and wheels of many kinds, were
cut off in various ways by Karna, observant of a warrior’s
vow. There, O Bharata, with elephants and steeds
slain by Karna, the earth became impassable and miry
with flesh and blood. The uneven and even spots
also of the field, in consequence of slain horse and
foot and broken cars and dead elephants, could no longer
be distinguished. The combatants could not distinguish
friends from foes in that thick darkness caused by
shafts when Karna’s (celestial) weapon was displayed.
The mighty car-warriors of the Pandavas, O monarch,
were completely shrouded with shafts, decked with
gold, that were sped from Karna’s bow.
Those mighty car-warriors of the Pandavas, O king,
in that battle, though struggling vigorously, were
repeatedly broken by the son of Radha, even as a herd
of deer in the forest is routed by an angry lion.
Routing the foremost of Pancala car-warriors and (other)
foes, Karna of great fame, in that battle, slew the
Pandava warriors like a wolf slaying smaller animals.
Beholding the Pandava army turn away from battle,
the Dhartarashtra bowmen of great might rushed against
the retreating host uttering terrible shouts.
Then Duryodhana, O monarch, filled with great delight,
caused diverse musical instruments to be beaten and
blown in all parts of the army. The great bowmen
amongst the Pancalas, those foremost of men, though
broken, returned heroically to the fight, making death
their goal. The son of Radha, however, that bull
among men and scorcher of foes, O monarch, in that
battle, broke those returned heroes in diverse ways.
There, O Bharata twenty car-warriors among the Pancalas
and more than a hundred Cedi warriors were slain by
Karna with his shafts. Making the terraces of
cars and the backs of steeds empty, O Bharata, and
slaying the combatants that fought from the necks
of elephants, and routing the foot-soldiers, that scorcher
of foes, the Suta’s son of great bravery, became
incapable of being gazed at like the mid-day sun and
looked resplendent like the Destroyer himself at the
end of the Yuga. Thus, O monarch, that slayer
of foes, that mighty bowmen, Karna, having slain foot,
horse, car-warriors, and elephants, stood there on
his car. Indeed, like the Destroyer himself of
great might standing after slaying all creatures,
the mighty car-warrior Karna stood alone, having slain
the Somakas. The prowess that we then beheld of
the Pancalas seemed to be exceedingly wonderful, for,
though thus struck by Karna, they refused to fly away
from that hero at the head of battle. At that
time, the king (Duryodhana), and Duhshasana, and Kripa,
the son of Sharadvata, and Ashvatthama, and Kritavarma,
and Shakuni also of great might, slaughtered the Pandava
warriors in hundreds and thousands. The two sons
also of Karna, O monarch, those two brothers of prowess
incapable of being baffled, filled with rage, slaughtered