man
deeds soon displayed a thick shower of arrows in return. And he covered
Karna's car with countless shafts like the sun covering the different
worlds with rays. And like a lion attacked by an elephant, Arjuna, taking
some keen crescent-shaped arrows from out of his quiver and drawing his
bow to his ear, pierced the Suta's son on every part of his body. And
that grinder of foes pierced Karna's arms and thighs and head and
forehead and neck and other principal parts of his body with whetted
shafts endued with the impetuosity of the thunderbolt and shot from the
Gandiva in battle. And mangled and afflicted by the arrows shot by Partha
the son of Pandu, Vikartana's son, quitted the van of battle, and quickly
took to flight, like one elephant vanquished by another."
SECTION LV
Vaisampayana said, "After the son of Radha had fled from the field,
other warriors headed by Duryodhana, one after another, fell upon the son
of Pandu with their respective divisions. And like the shore withstanding
the fury of the surging sea, that warrior withstood the rage of that
countless host rushing towards him, arrayed in order of battle and
showering clouds of arrows. And that foremost of car-warriors, Kunti's
son Vibhatsu of white steeds, rushed towards the foe, discharging
celestial weapons all the while. Partha soon covered all the points of
the horizon with countless arrows shot from the Gandiva, like the sun
covering the whole earth with his rays. And amongst those that fought on
cars and horses and elephants, and amongst the mail-clad foot-soldiers,
there was none that had on his body a space of even two finger's breadth
unwounded with sharp arrows. And for his dexterity in applying celestial
weapons, and for the training of the steeds and the skill of Uttara, and
for the coursing of his weapons, and his prowess and light-handedness,
people began to regard Arjuna as the fire that blazeth forth during the
time of the universal dissolution for consuming all created things. And
none amongst the foe could cast his eyes on Arjuna who shone like a
blazing fire of great effulgence. And mangled by the arrows of Arjuna,
the hostile ranks looked like newly-risen clouds on the breast of a hill
reflecting the solar rays, or like groves of Asoka trees resplendent with
clusters of flowers. Indeed, afflicted by the arrows of Partha, the
soldiers looked like these, or like a beautiful garland whose flowers
gradually wither and drop away: And t
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