son of my preceptor. He is
again the dear son of Drona. He is especially a Brahmana, and, therefore,
worthy of my regard.' Thinking so, that scorcher of foes, the heroic
Vibhatsu, that foremost of car-warriors, showed mercy to the son of
Bharadwaja. Avoiding the son of Drona, Kunti's son endued with great
prowess and having white steeds (yoked unto his car), began to fight,
displaying great quickness of arms and causing a great carnage of thy
troops. Duryodhana then pierced that great bowman Bhima with ten shafts
winged with vulturine feathers, adorned with gold, and whetted on stone.
Thereupon Bhimasena, excited with wrath, took up a tough and well-adorned
bow capable of taking the life of the foe, and also ten sharp shafts. And
steadily aiming those sharp-pointed shafts of fierce energy and impetuous
velocity, and drawing the bow-string to his ear, he deeply pierced the
king of the Kurus in his wide chest. Thereupon the gem hanging on his
breast on threads of gold, surrounded by those shafts, looked beautiful
like the Sun in the firmament surrounded by the planets. Thy son,
however, endued with great energy, thus struck by Bhimasena, could not
bear it (coolly), like a snake unable to bear the sounds of a man's slap.
Excited with wrath and desirous of protecting his army, he then pierced
Bhima in return, O king, with many shafts whetted on stone and endued
with golden wings. Thus struggling in battle and mangling each other
fiercely, those two mighty sons of thine looked like a pair of celestials.

"That tiger among men and slayer of hostile heroes, viz., the son of
Subhadra, pierced Chitrasena with many sharp shafts and Purumitra also
with seven shafts. And piercing Satyavrata too with seventy shafts, that
hero resembling Indra himself in battle, began as it were to dance on the
field, and caused us much pain. Chitrasena then pierced him in return
with ten shafts, and Satyavrata with nine, and Purumitra with seven. Then
the son of Arjuna, thus pierced, while yet covered with blood, cut off
the large and beautiful bow of Chitrasena that was capable of checking
foes. And cutting through his coat of mail he pierced his antagonist's
breast with a shaft. Then the princes of thy army, all heroic and mighty
car-warriors, excited with wrath and united together in that conflict,
pierced him with sharp arrows. And Abhimanyu, acquainted with the
mightiest weapons, smote them all with keen shafts. Beholding that feat
of his, thy