fear.  When the Kuru army was thus broken, the Kuru king, O monarch, viz., thy son, rushed against all his foes advancing against him.  Then Duryodhana challenged all the Pandavas to battle, O chief of Bharata’s race, like the Asura Vali in days of yore challenging the gods.  At this, all the Pandava heroes, uniting together, rushed against the advancing Duryodhana, shooting and hurling at him diverse weapons and upbraiding him repeatedly.  Duryodhana, however, filled with rage, fearlessly slaughtered those enemies of his in hundreds and thousands, with keen shafts.  The prowess that we then beheld of thy son was exceedingly wonderful, for alone and unsupported, he fought with all the Pandavas united together.  Duryodhana then beheld his own troops who, mangled with arrows, had set their hearts on flight, gone not far from the field.  Rallying them then, O monarch, thy son who was resolved to maintain his honour, gladdening those warriors of his, said these words unto them:  “I do not see that spot in the earth or on the mountains, whither if ye fly, the Pandavas will not slay you!  What use then in flying away?  Small is the force that the Pandavas now have.  The two Krishnas also are exceedingly mangled.  If all of us stay for battle, victory will certainly be ours.  If we fly in disunion, the sinful Pandavas, pursuing us, will certainly slay all of us.  For this, it is better that we should die in battle.  Death in battle is fraught with happiness.  Fight, observant of the Kshatriya’s duty.  He that is dead knows no misery.  On the other hand, such a one enjoys eternal bliss hereafter.  Listen, ye Kshatriyas, ay, all of you, that are assembled here!  When the destroyer Yama spareth neither the hero nor the coward, who is there so foolish of understanding, although observant of a Kshatriya’s vow like us, that would not fight.  Would ye place yourselves under the power of the angry foe Bhimasena?  It behoveth you not to abandon the duty observed by your sires and grandsires.  There is no greater sin for a Kshatriya than flight from battle.  There is no more blessed path for heaven, ye Kauravas, than the duty of battle.  Slain in battle, ye warriors, enjoy heaven without delay.’”

“Sanjaya continued, ’While even these words were being uttered by thy son, the (Kaurava) warriors, exceedingly mangled, fled away on all sides, regardless of that speech.’”

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“Sanjaya said, ’The ruler of the Madras then, beholding thy son employed in rallying the troops, with fear depicted on his countenance and with heart stupefied with grief, said these words unto Duryodhana.