Many
deprived of life, were borne away on the backs of the steeds. Many men,
proud of their valour and inspired with desire of victory, were seen to
fall down on the Earth. The Earth became strewn over with hundreds and
thousands of combatants bathed in blood, deprived of limbs, and divested
of hair. In consequence of the surface of the Earth being covered with
elephant-riders and horsemen and slain steeds and combatants with
blood-stained armour and others armed with weapons and others who had
sought to slay one another with diverse kinds of terrible weapons, all
lying closely huddled together in that battle fraught with fearful
carnage, no warrior could proceed far on his horse. Having fought for a
little while, Shakuni, the son of Subala, O monarch, went away from that
spot with the remnant of his cavalry numbering 6,000. Similarly, the
Pandava force, covered with blood, and its animals fatigued, moved away
from that spot with its remnant consisting of 6,000 horses. The
blood-stained horsemen of the Pandava army then, with hearts intent on
battle and prepared to lay down their lives, said, "It is no longer
possible to fight here on cars; how much more difficult then to fight
here on elephants! Let cars proceed against cars, and elephants against
elephants! Having retreated, Shakuni is now within his own division. The
royal son of Subala will not again come to battle." Then the sons of
Draupadi and those infuriate elephants proceeded to the place where the
Pancala prince Dhrishtadyumna, that great car-warrior, was.
Pages:
621
622
623
624
625
626
627
628
629
630
631
632
633
634
635
636
637
638
639
640
641
642
643
644
645