n cutting
Vikarna's bow furnished with a tough string and horns overlaid with gold,
Arjuna cut off his flagstaff. And Vikarna, beholding his flagstaff cut
off, speedily took to flight. And after Vikarna's flight, Satruntapa,
unable to repress his ire, began to afflict Partha, that obstructer of
foes and achiever of super-human feats, by means of a perfect shower of
arrows. And drowned, as it were, in the midst of the Kuru-array, Arjuna,
pierced by that mighty car-warrior,--king Satruntapa--pierced the latter
in return with five and then slew his car-driver with ten shafts, and
pierced by that bull of the Bharata race with an arrow capable of
cleaving the thickest coat of mail, Satruntapa fell dead on the field of
battle, like a tree from a mountain-top torn up by the wind. And those
brave bulls among men, mangled in battle by that braver bull among men,
began to waver and tremble like mighty forests shaken by the violence of
the wind that blows at the time of the universal dissolution. And struck
in battle by Partha, the son of Vasava, those well-dressed heroes among
men--those givers of wealth endued with the energy of Vasava--defeated
and deprived of life, began to measure their lengths on the ground, like
full-grown Himalayan elephants clad in mails of black steel decked with
gold. And like unto a raging fire consuming a forest at the close of
summer, that foremost of men, wielding the Gandiva, ranged the field in
all directions, slaying his foes in battle thus. And as the wind rangeth
at will, scattering masses of clouds and fallen leaves in the season of
spring, so did that foremost of car-warriors--Kiritin--ranged in that
battle, scattering all his foes before him. And soon slaying the red
steeds yoked unto the car of Sangramajit, the brother of Vikartana's son,
that hero decked in diadem and endued with great vigour then cut off his
antagonist's head by a crescent-shaped arrow. And when his brother was
slain, Vikartana's son of the Suta caste, mustering all his prowess,
rushed at Arjuna, like a huge elephant with out-stretched tusks, or like
a tiger at a mighty bull. And the son of Vikarna quickly pierced the son
of Pandu with twelve shafts and all his steeds also in every part of
their bodies and Virata's son too in his hand. And rushing impetuously
against Vikarna's son who was suddenly advancing against him, Kiritin
attacked him fiercely like Garuda of variegated plumage swooping down
upon a snake. And both of t