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Core and Pancharatra: Bahlika shone brilliantly as he fought the sons of Draupadi; Duḥśāsana attacked Sātyaki; Shakuni fought with the sons of Madri; Ghatotkacha fiercely approached the heroic demon Tamala; King Yudhishthira struck the Madra king; Twenty of Dhritarashtra's sons, including Citrasena and Vikarna, engaged in battle with Bhimasena.

Sanjaya said:

O king, listen to my account of the extraordinary battle that unfolded between the Kurus and the Pandavas.

The sons of Pritha, eager to win, approached Bharadvaja who was standing at the forefront of the formation, and engaged in battle with Drona's army.

The soldiers, protecting their own formation and that of Drona, fought in the battle against the sons of Pritha, seeking great glory.

The two princes of Avanti, Vindānuvinda, in great anger, attacked Virata with ten arrows, seeking the welfare of your son.

Virata and the great king stood in battle, displaying great valor, and fought valiantly with their followers.

A fierce battle took place among them, resembling a bloody water scene, like that of a lion with two chief elephants, broken in the forest.

The mighty Yajnaseni attacked the fierce Bahlika in the battle with sharp and dreadful arrows that pierced through his vital parts and bones.

Bahlika, in his anger, struck Yajnaseni fiercely with nine arrows that had golden feathers and were sharpened on stone.

The battle was fierce and intense, filled with arrows and spears, instilling fear in the timid and boosting the morale of the brave.

By the arrows released by those two, the sky and all directions became so covered that nothing at all was visible.

Shaibya, adorned in a cow-hide, led his army into battle against Kashyap's son, the great charioteer, resembling an elephant confronting another elephant.

The enraged King of Bahlika shone brilliantly as he fought the great warriors, the sons of Draupadi, in the battle, much like the mind shines with its five senses.

They attacked him fiercely from all sides with a barrage of arrows, just as sense objects constantly assail the body of the living beings, O best of the embodied.

In the battle, your son Duḥśāsana attacked Sātyaki, the descendant of Vṛṣṇi, with nine sharp arrows that had bent joints.

Satyaki, of true prowess, was deeply pierced by the strong and great archer bowman and quickly went into a slight faint.

Reassured, the descendant of Vṛṣṇi quickly attacked your son, the great chariot-warrior, with ten arrows adorned with heron feathers.

O king, they both stood in the battlefield, having pierced each other with arrows, appearing like two blooming Butea monosperma trees.

Alambusa, despite being angry and struck by Kuntibhoja's arrows, appeared exceedingly beautiful, like a Kimshuka tree in full bloom.

Then the demon pierced Kuntibhoja with many iron arrows and roared a terrifying sound in front of your army.

Then those two heroes, engaged in battle against each other, were witnessed by all beings, reminiscent of the ancient battle between Indra and Jambha.

O Bharata, Shakuni, fierce in battle and having enmity, along with the sons of Madri, who were excited, pierced their enemies with arrows in the battle.

The destruction of people, rooted in that cause, began, O great king; it was initiated by you and greatly augmented by Karna.

O king, inflamed by your son, the fire of anger is ready to consume the entire earth.

Shakuni, having been disheartened by the arrows of the sons of Pandu, was at a loss in battle, unable to display any valor.

Seeing him turn away, the sons of Madri, who were great warriors, attacked again with arrows, like clouds pouring rain on a great mountain.

Saubala, while being attacked by many arrows with bent joints, swiftly proceeded with his horses towards Drona's army.

Ghatotkacha then fiercely approached the heroic demon Tamala-armed in battle, assuming a moderate speed.

O great king, the battle between the two was as wonderful as the one that happened in the past between Rama and Ravana.

Then King Yudhishthira struck the Madra king in battle with fifty arrows and then pierced him again with seven more.

Then a very wonderful battle began between them, O king, just like the great battle of the past between Śambara and the gods.

Twenty of your sons, including Citrasena and Vikarna, engaged in battle with Bhimasena, supported by a vast army.