d, 'Hearing the twang of Bhimasena's bow and the sound of his
palms, the son of Radha could not brook it, like an infuriated elephant
incapable of brooking the roars of an infuriated rival. Returning for a
moment from before Bhimasena, Karna cast his eyes upon those sons of
thine that had been slain by Bhimasena. Beholding them, O best of men,
Karna became cheerless and plunged in grief. Breathing hot and long
sighs, he, once more, proceeded against the son of Pandu. With eyes red
as copper, and sighing in wrath like a mighty snake, Karna then, as he
shot his arrows, looked resplendent like the sun scattering his
rays.[159] Indeed, O bull of Bharata's race, Vrikodara was then covered
with the arrows, resembling the spreading rays of the sun that were shot
from Karna's bow. The beautiful shafts, equipped with peacock-feathers,
shot from Karna's bow, penetrated into every part of Bhima's body, like
birds into a tree for roosting there. Indeed, the arrows, equipped with
wings of gold, shot from Karna's bow falling incessantly, resembled
continuous rows of cranes. So numerous were the shafts shot by
Adhiratha's son that, these seemed to issue not from his bow alone but
from his standard, his umbrella, and the shaft and yoke and bottom of his
car also. Indeed, Adhiratha's son shot his sky-ranging shafts of
impetuous energy, decked with gold and equipped with vulturine feathers,
in such a way as to fill the entire welkin with them. Beholding him
(thus) excited with fury and rushing towards him like the Destroyer
himself, Vrikodara, becoming utterly reckless of his life and prevailing
over his foe, pierced him with nine shafts.[160] Beholding the
irresistible impetuosity of Karna as also that dense shower of arrows,
Bhima, endued as he was with great prowess, quailed not in fear. The son
of Pandu then counteracting that arrowy downpour of Adhiratha's son,
pierced Karna himself with twenty other sharp shafts. Indeed, as Pritha's
son himself had before been shrouded by the Suta's son, even so was the
latter now shrouded by the former in that battle. Beholding the prowess
of Bhimasena in battle, thy warriors, as also the Gandharas, filled with
joy, applauded him. Bhurisravas, and Kripa, and Drona's son, and the
ruler of the Madras, and Uttamaujas and Yudhamanyu, and Kesava, and
Arjuna,--these great car-warriors, O king, among both the Kurus and the
Pandavas,--loudly cheered Bhima, saying, "Excellent, Excellent," and
uttered leonine