howers of arrows, like Vasava pouring rain, none among thy
troops, O king, ventured to oppose. Like a fire consuming heaps of straw
as it advances, Dhananjaya advanced, scorching all the mighty
car-warriors among the Kauravas by means of his arrows. Like a living
creature incapable of bearing the touch of fire, thy troops could not
bear the irresistible impetuosity of that intelligent son of Kunti.
Indeed, the son of Pandu, overwhelming the hostile host by means of his
arrows, came upon the king of the Pragjyotishas, O monarch, like Garuda
swooping down (upon his prey). He then held in his hands that Gandiva
which in battle was beneficial to the innocent Pandavas and baneful to
all foes, for the destruction of Kshatriyas brought about, O king, by the
fault of thy son who had recourse to deceitful dice for accomplishing his
end. Agitated by Partha thus, thy host then, O king, broke like a boat
when it strikes against a rock. Then ten thousand bowmen, brave and
fierce, firmly resolved to conquer, advanced (to encounter Arjuna). With
dauntless hearts, those mighty car-warriors all surrounded him. Capable
of bearing any burden, howsoever heavy in battle, Partha took up that
heavy burden. As an angry elephant of sixty years, with rent temples,
crushes an assemblage of lotus stalks, even so did Partha crush that
division of thy army. And when that division was being thus crushed, king
Bhagadatta, on that same elephant of his, impetuously rushed towards
Arjuna. Thereupon, Dhananjaya, that tiger among men, staying on his car,
received Bhagadatta. That encounter between Arjuna's car and Bhagadatta's
elephant was fierce in the extreme. Those two heroes, viz., Bhagadatta
and Dhananjaya, then coursed on the field, the one on his car and the
other on his elephant, both of which were equipped according to the rules
of science. Then Bhagadatta, like the lord Indra, from his elephant
looking like a mass of clouds, poured on Dhananjaya showers of arrows.
The valiant son of Vasava, however, with his arrows, cut off those arrowy
showers of Bhagadatta before they could reach him. The king of the
Pragjyotishas, then, baffling that arrowy shower of Arjuna, struck both
Partha and Krishna, O king, with many shafts and overwhelming both of
them with a thick shower of shafts. Bhagadatta then urged his elephant
for the destruction of Krishna and Partha. Beholding that angry elephant
advancing like Death himself, Janardana quickly moved his car in su