In that carnage blood flowed like water and the war-cars forming its eddies, elephants, its alligators, horses and men, its sharks and fishes and the hair of animals, its herbs and moss, were all floating on it. Arms severed from bodies floated like snakes and precious stones were abundant in the bloody current; thighs and marrows formed its gavials and mud and human heads, its mountain. Iron bound bludgeous and maces were also floating there like snakes, and bows and arrows formed its rafts by means of which persons tried to cross that fearful and bloody stream, banners and umbrellas drifted on it like swans and costly head-dresses its foam. The dust rising from the earth were like the waves of the stream and jeweled necklaces were looking like so many lotuses; the brave could alone cross that stream while the faint hearted sunk within to navigate it. That gushing current, with hands of sturdy soldiers forming its alligators and crocodiles, streamed its course towards the realm of Death. (and) and that man with tiger-like ferocity made its course flew on. (And) as the Vaitarani is unnavigable by persons of fifth and inequity, even so was that awful stream of blood to men wanting in valour and intrepidity, making their heart quail with shudder.