have summoned the Pandavas to battle and caused this passage-at-arms to commence!  Upon the fall of Drona, however, the prospect seems to be cheerless.  Warriors engaged in battle all die in battle.  Engaged in battle, a warrior may have either victory or death.  What can be strange then in this (viz., the death of Drona)?  Fight ye with faces turned towards every direction.  Behold now the high-souled Karna, the son of Vikartana, that great bowman of mighty strength, careering in battle, using his celestial weapons!  Through fear of that warrior in battle, that coward, viz., Dhananjaya, the son of Kunti, always turns back like a small deer at the sight of a lion!  It is he who, by the ordinary methods of human battle, brought the mighty Bhimasena endued with the strength of 10,000 elephants to that plight!  It is he who, uttering a loud roar, slew with his invincible dart the brave Ghatotkaca of a 1,000 illusions and well-acquainted with celestial weapons!  Behold today the inexhaustible might of arms of that intelligent warrior of sure aim and invincible energy!  Let the sons of Pandu behold today the prowess of both Ashvatthama and Karna resembling that of Vishnu and Vasava!  All of you are singly able to slay the sons of Pandu with their troops in battle!  How much more then are you capable, when united together, of that feat!  Endued with great energy and accomplished in weapons, you will today behold one another engaged in the achievement of mighty tasks!’”

“Sanjaya continued, ’Having said these words, O sinless one, thy son Duryodhana, with his brothers, made Karna the generalissimo (of the Kuru army).  Obtaining the command, the mighty car-warrior Karna, so fierce in battle, uttered loud roars and fought with the foe.  He caused, O sire, a great carnage among the Srinjayas, the Pancalas, the Kekayas, and the Videhas.  From his bow issued innumerable lines of arrows, one close behind the wings of another, like flights of bees.  Having afflicted the Pancalas and the Pandavas endued with great activity, and slain thousands of warriors, he was at last slain by Arjuna!”

4

Vaishampayana said, “Hearing this intelligence, O monarch, Dhritarashtra the son of Ambika, feeling the acme of grief, regarded Suyodhana to be already dead.  Exceedingly agitated, the king fell down on the Earth like an elephant deprived of its senses.  When that foremost of the monarchs, greatly agitated, fell down on the Earth, loud wails were uttered, O best of the Bharatas, by the ladies (of the royal household).  That noise was so loud that it seemed to fill the entire Earth.  Immersed in a deep ocean of woe, the Bharata ladies, with hearts exceedingly agitated and scorched by grief, wept aloud.  Approaching the king, Gandhari, O bull of Bharata’s race, and the other ladies of the household, all fell down on the earth, deprived of their senses.  Then Sanjaya, O king, began to comfort those ladies stricken with grief, bathed in tears, and reft of consciousness.