19. Clouds of dingy dust and ashes filled the firmament, with flashes of lightnings flaming as arches amidst them; the missile weapons filled the air, as the tractile arms occupied the surface of the earth.
20. The contending combatants hooted at one another, and broke and cut their weapons in mutual contest; the cars were cleft by clashing at each other, and the chariots were reft by dashing together.
21. Here the headless trunks of the kabandhas (anthropophagi), mingled with the gigantic bodies of the vetála demons, were disastrous on every side; and there the demoniac vetála plucking their hearts for their hearty meal.
22. The bravos were tearing the arteries of the slain, and breaking asunder their arms, heads and thighs; while the uplifted and shaking arms of the Kabandhas, made a moving forest in the air.
23. The demons moving about with their open and jeering mouths, made their maws and jaws as caskets for carrion; and the soldiers passing with their helmets and coronets on, looked fiercely on all around.
24. To kill or die, to slay or to be slain, was the soldier’s final glory in the field; as it was their greatest infamy, to be backward in their giving or receiving of wounds.
25. He is the gladdener of death, who dries up the boast of soldiers and chieftains, and drains the flowing ichor of ferocious elephants (i.e. puts an end to them); and one who is entirely bent on destruction.
26. There were loud applauses given to the victory, of unboasting and unrenowned heroes; as there were the great censures, which were poured upon the nameless and dastardly cowards.
27. The rousing of the sleeping virtues of prowess and others, is as glorious to the great and strong; as the laying out of their treasures, for the protection of their protégés.
28. The proboscides of the elephants, were broken in the conflict of elephant riders and charioteers; and oozing of the fragrant fluid of ichor from their front, was altogether at a stop.