Vaishampayana said O descendant of Bharata, then united together all the mighty car-warriors of the Kuru army began to strike Arjuna collectively.

That one of incomparable energy covered, on all sides, all those mighty car-warriors with a net-work of arrows as the mountains are covered with dews.

The huge elephants roaring, the horses neighing and the bugles and conchs being sounded, there arose a great tumult.

Piercing the bodies of elephants and horses as also the iron coats of mail, the arrows of Partha dropped down in thousands.

Shooting speedily his arrows, the son of Pandu looked in battle like the blazing mid-day sun of the autumn.

Possessed by fear, the car-warriors began to leap down from their cars, the horse-men from horse-back, and the infantry to fly away.

There arose a great sound when the arrows of the high-souled Arjuna pierced the copper, silver and iron made coats of mail.

The field was soon filled with the corpses of the warriors mounted on elephants and horses, killed by sharpened arrows.

The earth was covered with dead bodies of men fallen down from the chariots where they were. Dhananjaya as if danced in the battlefield with bow in his hand.

Hearing the twang of Gandiva like the rumble of thunder and being possessed by fear, all the soldiers fled away from the battle-field.

1 There were seen, fallen in the battle-field, heads having earrings and helmets and golden necklaces.

The earth was covered with human bodies mangled by shafts, arms with bows and hands with ornaments.

O best of the Bharata race, on account of the heads cut off by sharpened arrows, falling continually on the ground, it appeared that a shower of stones fell from the sky.

Displaying his own fierce prowess, Partha of dreadful prowess ranged in the battle-field pouring his celestials weapons.

The dreadful son of Pandu discharging his fire of anger at the sons of Dhritarashtra and beholding his dreadful prowess burning down the army.

They all became terrified in the presence of the son of Dhritarashtra. Having struck terror into the army and routed the mighty carwarriors.

Arjuna, the foremost of victors, ranged in the battle-field. He made a river of mighty currents having blood for the water to flow,

Like that created by Time at the end of Yuga having bones for the moss and the dreadful hair of the dead, slain by the arrows, for the straws;

Having coats of mail and turbans floating on the surface, the elephants standing for islands. The marrow, fat and blood constituted the greatly terrific currents.

It was dreadful and highly terrific, resounding with the yells of ferocious beasts. It was filled with sharpened weapons forming its crocodiles, and was frequented by cannibals.

Strings of pearls formed its ripples and diverse other ornaments the bubbles. The arrows were the eddies, the elephants were the crocodiles, and it was incapable of being got over.

The mighty car-warriors were the islands and it was filled with the sound of bugles and conchs. Thus Partha made a river of blood which it was so hard to cross.

People could not make out when Partha took up arrows, when he drew the Gandiva bow and discharged them.