egan to afflict the son of
Kratha with ceaseless showers of shafts, with great despatch and inspired
by the desire of slaying his antagonist. The latter's bow and shafts, and
bracelets, and arms, and head decked with diadem, and umbrella, and
standard, and charioteer, and steeds, were all cut off and felled by
Abhimanyu. When Kratha's son, possessed of nobility of lineage, good
behaviour, acquaintance with the scriptures, great strength, fame, and
power of arms, was slain, the other heroic combatants almost all turned
away from the fight.'"[75]

SECTION XLV

"Dhritarashtra said, 'While the youthful and invincible son of Subhadra,
never retreating from battle, was, after penetrating into our array,
engaged in achieving feats worthy of his lineage, borne by his three-year
old steeds of great might and of the best breed, and apparently trotting
in the welkin, what heroes of my army encompassed him?'

"Sanjaya said, 'Having penetrated into our array, Abhimanyu of Pandu's
race, by means of his sharp shafts, made all the kings turn away from the
fight. Then Drona, and Kripa, and Karna, and Drona's son, and Vrihadvala
and Kritavarman, the son of Hridika,--these six
car-warriors,--encompassed him. As regards the other combatants of thy
army, beholding that Jayadratha had taken upon himself the heavy duty (of
keeping off the Pandavas), they supported him, O king, by rushing against
Yudhishthira.[76] Many amongst them, endued with great strength, drawing
their bows full six cubits long, showered on the heroic son of Subhadra
arrowy downpours like torrents of rain. Subhadra's son, however, that
slayer of hostile heroes, paralysed by his shafts all those great bowmen,
conversant with every branch of learning. And he pierced Drona with fifty
arrows and Vrihadvala with twenty. And piercing Kritavarman with eighty
shafts, he pierced Kripa with sixty. And the son of Arjuna pierced
Aswatthaman with ten arrows equipped with golden wings, endued with great
speed and shot from his bow drawn to its fullest stretch. And the son of
Phalguni pierced Karna, in the midst of his foes, in one of his cars,
with a bright, well-tempered, and bearded arrow of great force. Felling
the steeds yoked to Kripa's car, as also both his Parshni charioteers,
Abhimanyu pierced Kripa himself in the centre of the chest with ten
arrows. The mighty Abhimanyu, then, in the very sight of thy heroic sons,
slew the brave Vrindaraka, that enhancer of the fame of t