race, excited with wrath, slew
with that mace the well-trained steeds of the foremost breed, of
Adhiratha's son. Then, O bull of Bharata's race, the mighty-armed Bhima,
with a couple of razor-faced arrows, cut off the standard of Karna. And
then he slew, with a number of shafts his enemy's charioteer. Abandoning
that steedless and driverless and standardless car, Karna, O Bharata,
cheerlessly stood on the earth, drawing his bow. The prowess that we then
beheld of Radha's son was extremely wonderful, inasmuch as that foremost
of car-warriors, though deprived of car, continued to resist his foe.
Beholding that foremost of men, viz., the son of Adhiratha, deprived of
his car, Duryodhana, O monarch, said unto (his brother) Durmukha, "There,
O Durmukha, the son of Radha hath been deprived of his car by Bhimasena.
Furnish that foremost of men, that mighty car-warrior with a car."
Hearing these words of Duryodhana, thy son Durmukha, O Bharata, quickly
proceeded towards Karna and covered Bhima with his shafts. Beholding
Durmukha desirous of supporting the Suta's son in that battle, the son of
the Wind god was filled with delight and began to lick the corners of his
mouth. Then resisting Karna the while with his shafts, the son of Pandu
quickly drove his car towards Durmukha. And in that moment, O king, with
nine straight arrows of keen points, Bhima despatched Durmukha to Yama's
abode. Upon Durmukha's slaughter, the son of Adhiratha mounted upon the
car of that prince and looked resplendent, O king, like the blazing sun.
Beholding Durmukha lying prostrate on the field, his very vital pierced
(with shafts) and his body bathed in blood, Karna with tearful eyes
abstained for a moment from the fight. Circumambulating the fallen prince
and leaving him there, the heroic Karna began to breathe long and hot
breaths and knew not what to do. Seizing that opportunity, O king,
Bhimasena shot at the Suta's son four and ten long shafts equipped with
vulturine feathers. Those blood-drinking shafts of golden wings, endued
with great force illuminating the ten points as they coursed through the
welkin, pierced the armour of the Suta's son, and drank his life-blood, O
king, and passing through his body, sank into the earth and looked
resplendent like angry snakes, O monarch, urged on by Death himself, with
half their bodies inserted within their holes. Then the son of Radha,
without reflecting a moment, pierced Bhima in return with four and ten
f