Dearer to Kunti than her own
soul, he is always mindful of the duties of Kshatriyas, and would much
sooner rush into fire or sacrifice his own life than say anything that
is opposed to religion and morals. When the sons of Pandu will have
killed thy warriors in battle, then wilt thou behold thy army in the
miserable plight of a ship on the sea wrecked with its freight of jewels
on the back of a whale. Thus have I described unto thee the prowess of
the sons of Pandu, disregarding whom in thy foolishness, thou hast acted
so. If thou escapest unscathed from them, then, indeed thou wilt have
obtained a new lease of life.'"
Vaisampayana continued, "Then those five sons of Pritha, each like unto
Indra, filled with wrath, leaving the panic-stricken infantry alone who
were imploring them for mercy, rushed furiously upon the charioteers,
attacking them on all sides and darkening the very air with the thick
shower of arrows they shot."
SECTION CCLXIX
Vaisampayana said, "Meanwhile, the king of Sindhu was giving orders to
those princes, saying, 'Halt, strike, march, quick,' and like. And on
seeing Bhima, Arjuna and the twin brothers with Yudhishthira, the
soldiers sent up a loud shout on the field of battle. And the warriors
of the Sivi, Sauvira and Sindhu tribes, at the sight of those powerful
heroes looking like fierce tigers, lost heart. And Bhimasena, armed with
a mace entirely of Saikya iron and embossed with gold, rushed towards
the Saindhava monarch doomed to death.
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