with their cars, one of them to the left
and other to the right. The warriors then, with their Panavas and
Mridangas and Dundubhis and Krakachas and great Anakas and Bheris and
Jharjaras, caused a deafening noise mingled with leonine roars, such as
arise from the great receptacle of salt waters!'"

SECTION XXXVIII

"Sanjaya said, 'Then the intelligent Abhimanyu, with limbs mangled with
arrows, smilingly addressed his foe, Duhsasana, stationed before him
saying, "By good luck it is that I behold in battle that vain hero
arrived before me, who is cruel, who hath cast away all righteousness,
and who brawleth out lustily his own praises. In the assembly (for the
Kurus) and in the hearing of king Dhritarashtra, thou hadst, with thy
harsh speeches, angered king Yudhishthira. Relying on the deception of
the dice and the skill (therein) of Suvala's son, thou hadst also
maddened by success, addressed many delirious speech to Bhima![67] In
consequence of the anger of those illustrious persons, thou art, at last,
about to obtain the fruit of that conduct of thine![68]. O thou of wicked
understanding, obtain thou without delay the fruit[69] of the robbery of
other people's possessions, wrathfulness, of thy hatred of peace, of
avarice, of ignorance, of hostilities (with kinsmen), of injustice and
persecution, of depriving my sires--those fierce bowmen--of their
kingdom, and of thy own fierce temper. I shall today chastise thee with
my arrows in the sight of the whole army. Today, I shall in battle
disburden myself of that wrath which I cherish against thee. I shall
today free myself of the debt I owe to angry Krishna and to my sire who
always craveth for an opportunity to chastise thee. O Kaurava, today I
shall free myself of the debt I owe to Bhima. With life thou shalt not
escape me, if indeed, thou dost not abandon the battle." Having said
these words, that mighty-armed warrior, that slayer of hostile heroes,
aimed a shaft endued with the splendour of Yama or of Agni or of the
Wind-god, capable of despatching Duhsasana to the other world. Quickly
approaching Duhsasana's bosom, that shaft fell upon his shoulder-joint
and penetrated into his body up to the very wings, like a snake into an
ant-hill. And soon Abhimanyu once more struck him with five and twenty
arrows whose touch resembled that of fire, and which were sped from his
bow drawn to its fullest stretch. Deeply pierced and greatly pained,
Duhsasana, sat down on the te