In that carnage blood flowed like water and the war-cars forming its eddies, elephants, its alligators, horses and men, its sharks and fishes and the hair of animals, its herbs and moss, were all floating on it. Arms severed from bodies floated like snakes and precious stones were abundant in the bloody current; thighs and marrows formed its gavials and mud and human heads, its mountain. Iron bound bludgeous and maces were also floating there like snakes, and bows and arrows formed its rafts by means of which persons tried to cross that fearful and bloody stream, banners and umbrellas drifted on it like swans and costly head-dresses its foam. The dust rising from the earth were like the waves of the stream and jeweled necklaces were looking like so many lotuses; the brave could alone cross that stream while the faint hearted sunk within to navigate it. That gushing current, with hands of sturdy soldiers forming its alligators and crocodiles, streamed its course towards the realm of Death. (and) and that man with tiger-like ferocity made its course flew on. (And) as the Vaitarani is unnavigable by persons of fifth and inequity, even so was that awful stream of blood to men wanting in valour and intrepidity, making their heart quail with shudder.
शोणितोदां रथावर्ता हस्तिग्राहसमाकुलाम्। नरमीनाश्वनक्रान्तां केशशैबलशाद्वलाम्॥ संछिन्नभुजनागेन्द्रां बहुरत्नापहारिणीम्। ऊस्याहां मजपङ्का शीर्षोपलसमावृताम्॥ धनुष्काशां शरावापां गदापरिधकेतनाम्। हंसच्छत्रध्वजोपेतामुष्णीषवरफेनिलाम्॥ हारपद्माकरां चैव भूमिरेणूर्मिमालिनीम्। आर्यवृत्तवतां संख्ये सुतरां भीरुदुस्तराम्॥ योधग्राहवतीं संख्ये वहन्तीं यमसादनम्। क्षणेन पुरुषव्याघ्रः प्रावर्तयत निम्नगाम्॥ यथा वैतरणीमुग्रां दुस्तरामकृतात्मभिः। तथा दुस्तरणी घोरां भीरूणां भयवर्धिनीम्॥