e and caused this passage-at-arms to commence! Upon the fall of
Drona, however, the prospect seems to be cheerless. Warriors engaged in
battle all die in battle. Engaged in battle, a warrior may have either
victory or death. What can be strange then in this (viz., the death of
Drona)? Fight ye with faces turned towards every direction. Behold now
the high-souled Karna, the son of Vikartana, that great bowman of mighty
strength, careering in battle, using his celestial weapons! Through fear
of that warrior in battle, that coward, viz., Dhananjaya, the son of
Kunti, always turns back like a small deer at the sight of a lion! It is
he who, by the ordinary methods of human battle, brought the mighty
Bhimasena endued with the strength of 10,000 elephants to that plight! It
is he who, uttering a loud roar, slew with his invincible dart the brave
Ghatotkaca of a 1,000 illusions and well-acquainted with celestial
weapons! Behold today the inexhaustible might of arms of that intelligent
warrior of sure aim and invincible energy! Let the sons of Pandu behold
today the prowess of both Ashvatthama and Karna resembling that of Vishnu
and Vasava! All of you are singly able to slay the sons of Pandu with
their troops in battle! How much more then are you capable, when united
together, of that feat! Endued with great energy and accomplished in
weapons, you will today behold one another engaged in the achievement of
mighty tasks!"'

"Sanjaya continued, 'Having said these words, O sinless one, thy son
Duryodhana, with his brothers, made Karna the generalissimo (of the Kuru
army). Obtaining the command, the mighty car-warrior Karna, so fierce in
battle, uttered loud roars and fought with the foe. He caused, O sire, a
great carnage among the Srinjayas, the Pancalas, the Kekayas, and the
Videhas. From his bow issued innumerable lines of arrows, one close
behind the wings of another, like flights of bees. Having afflicted the
Pancalas and the Pandavas endued with great activity, and slain thousands
of warriors, he was at last slain by Arjuna!'"

4

Vaishampayana said, "Hearing this intelligence, O monarch, Dhritarashtra
the son of Ambika, feeling the acme of grief, regarded Suyodhana to be
already dead. Exceedingly agitated, the king fell down on the Earth like
an elephant deprived of its senses. When that foremost of the monarchs,
greatly agitated, fell down on the Earth, loud wails were uttered, O best
of the Bharatas, by the ladies