eturned to his car. And soon
again, he entered into the bowels of the earth and once more becoming
little he suddenly soared into the sky. Alamvusha assumed countless
forms. Now becoming subtle and now huge and gross, he began to roar like
the clouds. And he uttered diverse kinds of words and speeches all
around. And from the welkin there fell thousands of arrowy torrents, as
also darts, and Kunapas, and lances, and spiked maces, and short arrows,
and scimitars, and swords, and thunders also. That awful downpour of
arrows caused by the Rakshasa, slew the troops of Pandu's son on the
field of battle. And in consequence of that arrowy downpour, many
elephants also of the Pandava army were slain, and many steeds also, O
king, and many foot-soldiers. And a river was caused there, whose waters
were blood and whose eddies were constituted by cars. And it abounded
with elephants that constituted its alligators. And the umbrellas of
car-warriors constituted its swans, and the flesh and marrow of animals,
its mire. And it teemed with the (cut off) arms of human beings that
constituted its snakes. And it was haunted by many Rakshasas and other
cannibals. And it wafted away, O king, countless Chedis and Panchalas and
Srinjayas. Beholding him, O monarch, careering so fearlessly in that
battle and seeing his prowess, the Pandavas became filled with anxiety;
and joy filled the hearts of thy troops then. And amongst the latter,
loud and terrible sounds of musical instruments, making the hair stand on
end, arose. Hearing that loud uproar made by thy troops, the son of Pandu
could not bear it, as a snake cannot bear the clap of human palms. With
eyes red as copper in rage, with glances that like fire consumed every
thing, the son of the Wind-god, like Tvashtri himself, aimed the weapon
known by the name of Tvashtri. From that weapon were produced thousands
of arrows on all sides. And in consequence of those arrows, a universal
rout was seen among thy troops. That weapon, shot in battle by
Bhimasena, destroying the effective illusion produced by the Rakshasa,
greatly afflicted the Rakshasa himself. Struck in every part of his body
by Bhimasena, the Rakshasa, then abandoning Bhimasena, fled towards the
division of Drona. Upon the defeat of that prince of Rakshasa by the
high-souled Bhima, the Pandavas caused every point of the compass to
resound with their leonine roars. And filled with joy, they worshipped
the mighty son of Marut, like the