s. With his fierce shafts he
cut off hundreds of other combatants in that battle, including elephants
and car-warriors, like the Destroyer himself in wrath exterminating
creatures. In consequence of his skill cultured by practice and of the
power of his weapons, he seemed, as he was engaged in striking down his
foes, to bend his bow incessantly drawn to a circle whether when aiming
or letting off his shafts. Indeed, that formidable bow of his, the back
of whose staff was decked with gold, was seen by people to be drawn into
a perpetual circle as he was employed in slaying his enemies. Then king
Yudhishthira, with a couple of broad-headed shafts, cut off the bow of
thy son, O thou of Kuru's race, as the latter struggled in fight. And
Yudhishthira also pierced him deeply with ten excellent and foremost of
shafts. Those arrows, however, touching the armour of Duryodhana, quickly
broke into pieces. Then the Parthas, filled with delight surrounded
Yudhishthira, like the celestials and great Rishis in days of old
surrounding Sakra on the occasion of the slaughter of Vritra. Thy valiant
son then, taking up another bow, addressed king Yudhishthira, the son of
Pandu, saying, "Wait, Wait," and rushed against him. Beholding thy son
thus advancing in great battle, the Panchalas, cheerfully and with hopes
of victory, advanced to receive him. Then Drona, desirous of rescuing the
(Kuru) king, received the rushing Panchalas, like a mountain receiving
masses of rain-charged clouds driven by tempest. The battle then, O king,
that took place there was exceedingly fierce, making the hair stand on
end, between the Pandavas, O thou of mighty arms, and thy warriors.
Dreadful was the carnage of all creatures that then took place,
resembling the sport of Rudra himself (at the end of the Yuga). Then
there arose a loud uproar at the place where Dhananjaya was. And that
uproar, O lord, making the hair stand on end, rose above all other
sounds. Thus, O mighty-armed one, progressed the battle between Arjuna
and thy bowmen. Thus progressed the battle between Satyaki and thy men in
the midst of thy army. And thus continued the fight between Drona and his
enemies at the gate of the array. Thus, indeed, O lord of the earth,
continued that carnage on the earth, when Arjuna and Drona and the mighty
car-warrior Satyaki were all excited with wrath.'"

SECTION CXXIV

"Sanjaya said, 'In the afternoon of that day, O king, a dreadful battle,
characterised