ch a
way as to keep the elephant on his left. Dhananjaya, although he thus got
the opportunity of slaying that huge elephant with its rider from the
back, wished not yet to avail himself of it, remembering the rules of
fair fight. The elephant, however, coming upon other elephants and cars
and steeds, O king, despatched them all to Yama's abode. Beholding this,
Dhananjaya was filled with rage.'"

SECTION XXVII

"Dhritarashtra said, 'Filled with rage, what did Partha, the son of
Pandu, do to Bhagadatta? What also did the king of the Pragjyotishas do
to Partha? Tell me all this, O Sanjaya!'

"Sanjaya said, 'While Partha and Krishna were thus engaged with the ruler
of the Pragjyotishas, all creatures regarded them to be very near the
jaws of Death. Indeed, O monarch, from the neck of his elephant,
Bhagadatta scattered showers of shafts on the two Krishnas, staying upon
their car. He pierced Devaki's son with many arrows made wholly of black
iron, equipped with wings of gold, whetted on stone, and shot from his
bow, drawn to the fullest stretch. Those shafts whose touch resembled
that of fire, equipped with beautiful feathers, and shot by Bhagadatta,
passing through Devaki's son, entered the earth. Partha then cut off
Bhagadatta's bow and slaying next the warrior that protected his elephant
from the flank, began to fight with him as if in sport. Then Bhagadatta
hurled at him fourteen lances of sharp points, that were bright as the
rays of the sun. Arjuna, however, cut each of those lances into three
fragments. Then Indra's son cut open the armour in which that elephant
was cased, by means of a thick shower of arrows. The armour thus cut off,
fell down on the earth. Exceedingly afflicted with arrows shot by Arjuna,
that elephant, deprived of its coat of mail, looked like a prince of
mountains destitute of its cloudy robes and with streaks of water running
down its breast. Then the ruler of the Pragjyotishas hurled at Vasudeva a
dart made wholly of iron and decked with gold. That dart Arjuna cut in
twain. Then cutting off the king's standard and umbrella by means of his
arrows Arjuna quickly pierced that ruler of the mountainous realms with
ten arrows, smiling all the while. Deeply pierced with those shafts of
Arjuna, that were beautifully winged with Kanka feathers, Bhagadatta, O
monarch, became incensed with the son of Pandu. He then hurled some
lances at Arjuna's head and uttered a loud shout. In consequence of those