ed him with five, again pierced him smilingly with five and
twenty shafts. Then Kritavarman, O king, pierced every one of those great
car-warriors with five shafts, and Bhima again with seven. And the son of
Hridika felled both the bow and the standard of Bhima from the latter's
car. Then that mighty car-warrior, with great speed, wrathfully struck
Bhima, whose bow had been cut off with seventy keen shafts in the chest.
Then mighty Bhima, deeply pierced with those excellent shafts of
Hridika's son, trembled on his car like a mountain during an earthquake.
Beholding Bhimasena in that condition, the Parthas headed by king
Yudhishthira the just afflicted Kritavarman, O king, shooting at him many
shafts. Encompassing that warrior there with throngs of cars, O sire,
they cheerfully began to pierce him with their shafts, desiring to
protect the Wind-god's son in that battle. Then mighty Bhimasena
recovering consciousness, took up in that battle a dart made of steel and
equipped with a golden staff, and hurled it with great speed from his own
car at the car of Kritavarman. That dart resembling a snake freed from
its slough, hurled from Bhima's hands, fierce-looking, blazed forth as it
proceeded towards Kritavarman. Beholding that dart endued with the
splendour of the Yuga-fire coursing towards him, the son of Hridika cut
it in twain with two shafts. Thereupon, that dart decked with gold, thus
cut off, fell down on the earth, illumining the ten points of the
compass, O king, like a large meteor falling from the firmament. Seeing
his dart baffled, Bhima blazed forth in wrath. Then taking up another
bow which was tougher and whose twang was louder, Bhimasena, filled with
wrath, attacked the son of Hridika in that battle. Then O king, Bhima, of
terrible might, struck Kritavarman, in the centre of the chest with five
shafts, in consequence of thy evil policy, O monarch! The ruler of the
Bhoja then, mangled in every limb, O sire, by Bhimasena, shone
resplendent in the field like a red Asoka covered with flowers. Then that
mighty bowman, viz., Kritavarman, filled with rage, smilingly struck
Bhimasena with three shafts, and having struck him forcibly, pierced in
return every one of those great car-warriors struggling vigorously in
battle, with three shafts. Each of the latter then pierced him in return
with seven shafts. Then that mighty car-warrior of the Satwata race,
filled with rage, cut off, smiling in that battle, with a razor-face