s slain by Dhrishtadyumna.
By that wrath which such an act might kindle, and for the sake also of my
friend, ye kings, I swear truly before you all. Listen then to that oath
of mine. Without slaying Dhrishtadyumna I shall not doff my armour. If
this vow of mine be not fulfilled, let me not go to heaven. Be it Arjuna,
be it Bhimasena, or be it anybody else, whoever will come against me I
will crush him or all of them. There is no doubt in this." After
Ashvatthama had uttered these words, the entire Bharata army, united
together, rushed against the Pandavas, and the latter also rushed against
the former. The collision of brave leaders of car-divisions, O Bharata,
became exceedingly awful. A destruction of life then set in at the van of
the Kurus and the Srinjayas, that resembled what takes place at the last
great universal dissolution. Upon the commencement of that
passage-at-arms, various (superior) beings, with the gods, came there
accompanied by the Apsaras, for beholding those foremost of men. Filled
with joy, the Apsaras began to cover those foremost of men devoted to the
duties of their order, with celestial garlands, with diverse kinds of
celestial perfumes, and with diverse species of gems. Soft winds bore
those excellent odours to the nostrils of all the foremost of warriors.
Having smelt those perfumes in consequence of the action of the wind, the
warriors once more engaged in battle, and striking one another began to
fall down on the Earth. Strewn with celestial flowers, with beautiful
shafts equipped with wings of gold, and with many foremost of warriors,
the Earth looked beautiful like the firmament bespangled with myriads of
stars. Then in consequence of cheers coming from the welkin and the noise
of musical instruments, the furious passage-at-arms distinguished by
twang of bows and clatter of car-wheels and shouts of warriors became
exceedingly fierce.'"

58

"Sanjaya said, 'Thus raged that great battle between those lords of Earth
when Arjuna and Karna and Bhimasena, the son of Pandu became angry.
Having vanquished the son of Drona, and other great car-warriors, Arjuna,
O king, addressing Vasudeva, said, "Behold, O Krishna of mighty arms, the
Pandava army is flying away. Behold, Karna is slaying our great
car-warriors in this battle. I do not, O thou of Dasaratha's race, see
king Yudhishthira the just. Nor is the standard of Dharma's son, foremost
of warriors, visible. The third part of the day still