of meeting with Arjuna? O
delighter of the Pandavas, this is scarcely fit for a son of Kunti.
Staying, therefore, where thou art, cover me with thy arrows." Bhimasena,
hearing that challenge of Karna, brooked it not, but wheeling his car a
little, began to fight with the Suta's son. The illustrious Bhimasena
showered clouds of straight shafts. Desiring also to arrive at the end of
those hostilities by slaying Karna, Bhima began to weaken that hero
conversant with every weapon and clad in mail, and staying before him for
engaging in a single combat. Then mighty Bhima, that scorcher of foes,
that wrathful son of Pandu, having slain numerous Kauravas, shot diverse
showers of fierce shafts at Karna, O sire! The Suta's son, endued with
great strength, swallowed, by means of the power of his own weapons, all
those showers of arrows shot by that hero, possessed of the tread of an
infuriated elephant. Duly favoured by knowledge, that great bowman, viz.,
Karna, began in that battle, O monarch, to career like a preceptor (of
military science). The wrathful son of Radha, smiling the while, seemed
to mock Bhimasena as the latter was battling with great fury. The son of
Kunti brooked not that smile of Karna in the midst of many brave warriors
witnessing from all sides that fight of theirs. Like a driver striking a
huge elephant with a hook, the mighty Bhima, excited with rage, pierced
Karna whom he had obtained within reach, with many calf-toothed shafts in
the centre of the chest. And once more, Bhimasena pierced the Suta's son
of variegated armour with three and seventy well-shot and keen arrows
equipped with beautiful wings and cased in golden armour, each with five
shafts. And soon, within the twinkling of the eye, was seen a network of
shafts about Bhima's car caused by Karna. Indeed, O monarch, those shafts
shot from Karna's bow completely shrouded that car with its standard and
driver and the Pandava himself. Then Karna pierced the impenetrable
armour of Bhima with four and sixty arrows. And excited with rage he then
pierced Partha himself with many straight shafts capable of penetrating
into the very vitals. The mighty-armed Vrikodara, however, disregarding
those shafts shot from Karna's bow fearlessly struck the Suta's son.
Pierced with those shafts, resembling snakes of virulent poison, shot
from Karna's bow, Bhima, O monarch, felt no pain in that battle. The
valiant Bhima then, in that encounter, pierced Karna with two and t