the mountains. And we beheld elephants
slain in that battle by Bhimasena, each with only one stroke (of his
mace), like hills riven by thunder. And many elephants, huge as hills,
were slain there, having their tusks broken or temples, or bones, or
backs, or frontal globes. And others, O king, deprived of life, lay there
with foaming mouths. And many mighty elephants, with frontal globes
completely smashed, vomited large quantities of blood. And some, from
fear, laid themselves down on the ground like (so many) hillocks. And
smeared with the fat and blood (of elephants) and almost bathed in their
marrow, Bhima wandered over the field like the Destroyer himself, club in
hand. And Vrikodara, whirling that mace of his which was wet with the
blood of elephants, became terrible and awful to behold, like the wielder
of Pinaka armed with Pinaka.[381] And those huge tuskers, while (thus)
crushed by the angry Bhima, suddenly fled away, afflicted, crushing thy
own ranks. And these mighty bowmen and car-warriors, headed by Subhadra's
son (all the while) protected that battling hero whirling his gory
mace[382] wet with the blood of elephants, like the celestials protecting
the wielder of the thunder-bolt. Of terrible soul, Bhimasena then looked
like the Destroyer himself. Indeed, O Bharata, putting forth his
strength on all sides, mace in arms, we beheld Bhimasena then to resemble
Sankara himself dancing (at the end of the Yuga), and his fierce, heavy,
and sounding mace to resemble the club of Yama and possessed of the sound
of Indra's bolt. And that gory mace of his, smeared with marrow and hair,
resembled (also) the angry Rudra's Pinaka while he is engaged in
destroying all creatures. As a herdsman chastises his herd of cattle with
a goad, so did Bhima smite that elephant division with that mace of his.
And while thus slaughtered by Bhima with his mace and with shafts (by
those that protected his rear), the elephants ran on all sides, crushing
the cars of thy own army. Then driving away those elephants from the
field like a mighty wind driving away masses of clouds, Bhima stood there
like wielder of the trident on a crematorium."

SECTION LXIII

Sanjaya said, "When that elephant division was exterminated, thy son
Duryodhana urged his entire army, commanding the warriors to slay
Bhimasena. Then the entire army at the command of thy son, rushed towards
Bhimasena who was uttering fierce shouts. That vast and unlimited host
diff