belabouring his cattle in the forest with a goad, Bhagadatta
repeatedly smote the Pandava host. Like the cawing of quickly retreating
crows when assailed by hawks, a loud and confused noise was heard among
the Pandava troops who fled away with great speed. That prince of
elephants, struck by its rider with hook, resembled, O king, a winged
mountain of old. And it filled the hearts of the enemy with fear, like to
what merchants experience at sight of the surging sea.[53] Then elephants
and car-warriors and steeds and kings, flying away in fear, made, as they
fled, a loud and awful din that, O monarch, filled the earth and sky and
heaven and the cardinal and subsidiary directions in that battle. Mounted
on that foremost of elephants, king Bhagadatta penetrated the hostile
army like the Asura Virochana in days of old into the celestial host in
battle well-protected by the gods. A violent wind began to blow; a dusty
cloud covered the sky and the troops; and people regarded that single
elephant as multiplied into many, coursing all over the field.'"

SECTION XXV

"Sanjaya said, 'Thou askest me about the feats of Arjuna in battle.
Listen, O thou of mighty arms, to what Partha achieved in the fight.
Beholding the risen dust and hearing the wail of the troops when
Bhagadatta was performing great feats on the field, the son of Kunti
addressed Krishna and said "O slayer of Madhu, it seems that the ruler of
the Pragjyotishas hath, on his elephant, with great impetuosity, advanced
to battle. This loud din that we hear must be due to him. Well-versed in
the art of grinding and battling from the back of an elephant, and not
inferior to Indra himself in battle, he, I think, is the foremost of all
elephant-warriors in the world.[54] His elephant, again, is the foremost
of elephants, without a rival to encounter it in battle. Possessed of
great dexterity and above all fatigue, it is, again, impervious to all
weapons. Capable of bearing every weapon and even the touch of fire, it
will, O sinless one, alone destroy the Pandava force today. Except us
two, there is none else capable of checking that creature. Go quickly,
therefore, to that spot where the ruler of the Pragjyotishas is. Proud in
battle, in consequence of the strength of his elephant, and arrogant in
consequence of his age, I will this very day send him as a guest to the
slayer of Vala." At these words of Arjuna, Krishna began to proceed to
the place where Bhagadatta was