And
afflicted with fear, the car-warriors began to leap down from their cars
and the horse-soldiers from horse-back, while the foot-soldiers began to
fly in all directions. And loud was the clatter made by Arjuna's shafts
as they cleft the coats of mail belonging to mighty warriors, made of
steel, silver, and copper. And the field was soon covered with the
corpses of warriors mounted on elephants and horses, all mangled by the
shafts of Partha of great impetuosity like unto sighing snakes. And then
it seemed as if Dhananjaya, bow in hand, was dancing on the field of
battle. And sorely affrighted at the twang of the _Gandiva_ resembling
the noise of the thunder, many were the combatants that fled from that
terrible conflict. And the field of battle was bestrewn with severed
heads decked with turbans, ear-rings and necklaces of gold, and the
earth looked beautiful by being scattered all over with human trunks
mangled by shafts, and arms having bows in their grasp and hands decked
with ornaments. And, O bull of the Bharata race, in consequence of heads
cut off by whetted shafts ceaselessly falling on the ground, it seemed
as if a shower of stones fell from the sky. And that Partha of
formidable prowess, displaying his fierceness, now ranged the field of
battle, pouring the terrible fire of his wrath upon the sons of
Dhritarashtra. And beholding the fierce prowess of Arjuna who thus
scorched the hostile host, the Kuru warriors, in the very presence of
Duryodhana, became dispirited and ceased to fight.
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