d by this weapon, thy
son will always, in all the worlds, be invincible and crush all hostile
hosts.' Saying, So be it! the intelligent goddess went away, her wishes
fulfilled. And Naraka also became invincible and always scorched his
foes. It was from Naraka, O Partha, that the ruler of the Pragjyotishas
got this weapon of mine. There is none, in all the world, O sire,
including even Indra and Rudra, who is unslayable by this weapon. It was
for thy sake, therefore, that I baffled it, violating my promise. The
great Asura hath now been divested of that supreme weapon. Slay now, O
Partha, that invincible foe of thine, viz., Bhagadatta, enemy of the
gods, even as I formerly slew for the good of the worlds, the Asura
Naraka." Thus addressed by the high-souled Kesava, Partha suddenly
overwhelmed Bhagadatta with clouds of whetted arrows. Then, the
mighty-armed and high-souled Arjuna fearlessly struck a long arrow
between the frontal globes of his enemy's elephant. That arrow, splitting
the elephant like the thunder splitting a mountain, penetrated into its
body to the very wings, like a snake penetrating into an ant-hill. Though
urged repeatedly then by Bhagadatta, the elephant refused to obey like a
poor man's wife her lord. With limbs paralysed, it fell down, striking
the earth with its tusks. Uttering a cry of distress, that huge elephant
gave up the ghost. The son of Pandu then, with a straight shaft furnished
with a crescent-shaped head, pierced the bosom of king Bhagadatta. His
breast, being pierced through by the diadem-decked (Arjuna), king
Bhagadatta, deprived of life, threw down his bow and arrows. Loosened
from his head, the valuable piece of cloth that had served him for a
turban, fell down, like a petal from a lotus when its stalk is violently
struck. And he himself, decked with golden garlands, fell down from his
huge elephant adorned with golden housings, like flowering Kinsuka broken
by the force of the wind from the mountain-top. The son of Indra then,
having slain in battle that monarch who resembled Indra himself in
prowess and who was Indra's friend, broke the other warriors of thy army
inspired with hope of victory like the mighty wind breaking rows of
trees.'"

SECTION XXVIII

"Sanjaya said, 'Having slain Bhagadatta who was ever the favourite and
friend of Indra and who was possessed of great energy, Partha
circumambulated him. Then the two sons of the king of Gandhara viz., the
brothers Vrishaka