gth
uttered a loud roar. Hearing that roar thy sons became filled with
delight. Bhima, however, with seven swift arrows, cut off in the welkin
that dart endued with the effulgence of the sun or fire, hurled from the
hands of Karna. Cutting off that dart, resembling a snake just freed from
its slough, Bhima, O sire, as if on the lookout for taking the
life-breath of the Suta's son, sped, in great wrath, many shafts in that
battle that were equipped with peacock-feathers and golden wings and each
of which, whetted on stone, resembled the rod of Yama. Karna also of
great energy, taking up another formidable bow, the back of whose staff
was adorned with gold, and drawing it with force, shot many shafts. The
son of Pandu, however, cut off all those arrows with nine straight arrows
of his own. Having cut off, O ruler of men those mighty shafts shot by
Vasushena, Bhima, O monarch, uttered a loud roar like that of a lion.
Roaring at each other like two mighty bulls for the sake of a cow in
season, or like two tigers for the sake of the same piece of meat, they
endeavoured to strike each other, each being desirous of finding the
other's laches. At times they looked at each other with angry eyes, like
two mighty bulls in a cow-pen. Then like two huge elephants striking each
other with the points of their tusks, they encountered each other with
shafts shot from their bows drawn to the fullest stretch. Scorching each
other, O king, with their arrowy showers, they put forth their prowess
upon each other, eyeing each other in great wrath. Sometimes laughing at
each other, and sometimes rebuking each other, and sometimes blowing
their conchs, they continued to fight with each other. Then Bhima once
more cut Karna's bow at the handle, O sire, and despatched by means of
his shafts the latter's steeds, white as conchs, to the abode of Yama,
and the son of Pandu also felled his enemy's charioteer from his niche in
the car. Then Karna, the son of Vikartana, made steedless and driverless,
and covered in that battle (with shafts), became plunged into great
anxiety. Stupefied by Bhima with his arrowy showers, he knew not what to
do. Beholding Karna placed in the distressful plight, king Duryodhana,
trembling with wrath, commended (his brother) Durjaya, saying, "Go, O
Durjaya! There the son of Pandu is about to devour the son of Radha! Slay
that beardless Bhima soon, and infuse strength into Karna!" Thus
addressed, the son Durjaya, saying unto D