ch took place in days
of old between Samvara and the chief of the celestials. Thus blessed be
thou, took place hundreds of single combats between car-warriors and
elephants, and steeds and foot-soldiers of thy army and theirs in the
midst of the dreadful general engagement. Indeed, such a battle was never
seen or heard of before as that which then took place between those
warriors that were bent upon Drona's destruction and protection. Indeed,
many were the encounters that were then seen on all parts of field, some
of which were terrible, some beautiful, and some exceedingly fierce, O
lord.'"

SECTION XXIV

"Dhritarashtra said, 'When the troops were thus engaged and thus
proceeded against one another in separate divisions, how did Partha and
the warriors of my army endued with great activity fight? What also did
Arjuna do towards the car-warriors of the Samsaptakas? And what, O
Sanjaya, did the Samsaptakas, in their turn, do to Arjuna?'

"Sanjaya said, 'When the troops were thus engaged and proceeded against
one another, thy son Duryodhana himself rushed against Bhimasena, leading
his elephant division. Like an elephant encountering an elephant, like a
bull encountering a bull, Bhimasena, summoned by the king himself, rushed
against that elephant division of the Kaurava army. Skilled in battle and
endued with great might of arms, Pritha's son, O sire, quickly broke that
elephant division. These elephants, huge as hills, and with ichor
trickling down from every part of their bodies, were mangled and forced
to turn back by Bhimasena with his arrows. Indeed, as the wind, when it
riseth, driveth away gathering masses of clouds, so did that son of
Pavana rout that elephant force of the Kauravas. And Bhima, shooting his
arrows at those elephants, looked resplendent like the risen sun,
striking everything in the world with his rays. Those elephants,
afflicted with the shafts of Bhima, became covered with blood and looked
beautiful like masses of clouds in the welkin penetrated with the rays of
the sun. Then Duryodhana, excited with wrath, pierced with the sharp
shafts that son of the Wind-god who was causing such a slaughter among
his elephants. Then Bhima, with eyes red in wrath, desirous of
despatching the king to Yama's abode, pierced him speedily with many
sharp shafts. Then Duryodhana, mangled all over with arrows and excited
with rage, pierced Bhima, the son of Pandu, with many shafts endued with
the effulgence of