een broad-headed shafts, fierce and
looking like snakes of virulent poison, at Vikarna. Endued with great
prowess and as if dancing in that battle, he felled with those shafts the
standard of Vikarna from his car and slew also his charioteer and steeds.
Then that mighty car-warrior, the son of Subhadra, again sped at Vikarna
many other arrows that were well-tempered, straight-going, and capable of
penetrating every armour. And those arrows furnished with feathers of the
kanka bird, coming at Vikarna and passing through his body, entered the
earth, like hissing snakes. And those arrows, with wings and points
decked with gold, bathed in Vikarna's blood, seemed to vomit blood on the
earth. Beholding Vikarna thus pierced, his other uterine brothers rushed,
in that battle, against those car-warriors headed by Subhadra's son. And
when these invincible warriors upon their (own) cars came upon those
combatants (of the Pandava army) resplendent like so many suns and
staying on their cars both began to pierce one another. And Durmukha,
having pierced Srutakarman with five shafts, cut off the latter's
standard with a single shaft and then pierced his charioteer with seven.
And advancing closer, he slew with half a dozen shafts his foe's steeds,
fleet as the wind and cased in golden armour, and then felled his
charioteer. Srutakarman, however, staying on that car of his, the steeds
of which had been slain, hurled in great wrath a dart blazing like a
fierce meteor. That dart, blazing with effulgence, passing through the
renowned Durmukha's hard coat of mail, penetrated into the earth.
Meanwhile the mighty Sutasoma beholding Srutakarman deprived of his car,
caused him to mount upon his own car in the very sight of all the troops.
The heroic Srutakirti rushed against thy son Jayatsena in that battle,
desirous, O king, of slaying that renowned warrior. Then thy son
Jayatsena, O king, with a sharp arrow having a horse-shoe head, smiling
the while, cut off the bow of the high-souled Srutakirti as the latter
came along stretching it in his hands. Then Satanika, beholding his
uterine brother's bow cut off, endued as he was with great valour,
quickly came at that spot repeatedly roaring like a lion. And Satanika,
drawing his bow in that battle with great force, speedily pierced
Jayatsena with ten shafts, and uttered a loud shout like an infuriate
elephant. And with another arrow of sharp point and capable of
penetrating every armour, Satanika