Indeed, upon the slaughter of that
hero by the illustrious Yudhishthira, thy troops were like ship-wrecked
merchants on the vast deep without a raft to cross it. After the fall of
the Madra king, O monarch, thy troops, struck with fear and mangled with
arrows, were like masterless men desirous of a protector or a herd of
deer afflicted by a lion. Like bulls deprived of their horns or elephants
whose tusks have been broken, thy troops, defeated by Ajatasatru, fled
away at midday. After the fall of Shalya, O king, none amongst thy troops
set his heart on either rallying the army or displaying his prowess. That
fear, O king, and that grief, which had been ours upon the fall of
Bhishma, of Drona, and of the Suta's son, O Bharata, now became ours once
more, O monarch. Despairing of success upon the fall of the mighty
car-warrior Shalya, the Kuru army, with its heroes slain and exceedingly
confused, began to be cut down with keen shafts. Upon the slaughter of
the Madra king, O monarch, thy warriors all fled away in fear. Some on
horse-back, some on elephants, some on cars, great car-warriors with
great speed, and foot-soldiers also fled away in fear. 2,000 elephants,
looking like hills, and accomplished in smiting fled away, after Shalya's
fall, urged on with hooks and toes. Indeed, O chief of the Bharatas, thy
soldiers fled on all sides. Afflicted with arrows, they were seen to run,
breathing hard. Beholding them defeated and broken and flying away in
dejection, the Pancalas and the Pandavas, inspired with desire of
victory, pursued then hotly.
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