'"
16
"Sanjaya said, 'Then, O lord, thy troops, with Shalya at their head, once
more rushed against the Parthas in that battle with great impetuosity.
Although afflicted, still these troops of thine, who were fierce in
battle, rushing against the Parthas, very soon agitated them in
consequence of their superior numbers. Struck by the Kurus, the Pandava
troops, in the very sight of the two Krishnas, stayed not on the field,
though sought to be checked by Bhimasena. Filled with rage at this,
Dhananjaya covered Kripa and his followers, as also Kritavarma, with
showers of shafts. Sahadeva checked Shakuni with all his forces. Nakula
cast his glances on the ruler of the Madras from one of his flanks. The
(five) sons of Draupadi checked numerous kings (of the Kuru army). The
Pancala prince Shikhandi resisted the son of Drona. Armed with his mace,
Bhimasena held the king in check, and Kunti's son Yudhishthira resisted
Shalya at the head of his forces. The battle then commenced once more
between those pairs as they stood, among thy warriors and those of the
enemy, none of whom had ever retreated from fight. We then beheld the
highly wonderful feat that Shalya achieved, since, alone, he fought with
the whole Pandava army. Shalya then, as he stayed in the vicinity of
Yudhishthira in that battle, looked like the planet Saturn in the
vicinity of the Moon. Afflicting the king with shafts that resembled
snakes of virulent poison, Shalya rushed against Bhima, covering him with
showers of arrows.
Pages:
577
578
579
580
581
582
583
584
585
586
587
588
589
590
591
592
593
594
595
596
597
598
599
600
601