fears of the timid. And it was caused by the blood of
elephants and steeds and men. And covered with the lifeless forms of men
and elephants and steeds, with flagstaffs and the bottoms of cars, with
the adornments of cars and elephants and steeds with broken cars and
wheels and Akshas and Kuveras, with loud-twanged bows decked with gold,
and gold-winged arrows and shafts in thousands, shot by Karna and Bhima,
resembling snakes just freed from their sloughs, with countless lances
and spears and scimitars and battleaxes, with maces and clubs and axes,
all adorned with gold, with standards of diverse shapes, and darts and
spiked clubs, and with beautiful Sataghnis, the earth, O Bharata, looked
resplendent. And strewn all over with earrings and necklaces of gold and
bracelets loosened (from wrists), and rings, and precious gems worn on
diadems and crowns, and head-gears, and golden ornaments of diverse
kinds, O sire, and coats of mail, and leathern fences, and elephants'
ropes, and umbrellas displaced (from their places) and Yak-tails, and
fans with the pierced bodies of elephants and steeds and men, with
blood-dyed arrows, and with diverse other objects, lying about and
loosened from their places, the field of battle looked resplendent like
the firmament bespangled with stars. Beholding the wonderful,
inconceivable, and superhuman feats of those two warriors, the Charanas
and the Siddhas were exceedingly amazed. As a blazing conflagration,
having the wind for its ally, courses through an (extended) heap of dry
grass, even so, Adhiratha's son, engaged with Bhima, coursed fiercely in
that battle.[161] Both of them felled countless standards and cars and
slew steeds and men and elephants, like a pair of elephants crushing a
forest of reeds while engaged in battle with other. Thy host looked like
a mass of clouds, O king of men, and great was the carnage caused in
that battle by Karna and Bhima.'"[162]

SECTION CXXXVIII

"Sanjaya said, 'Then Karna, O king, piercing Bhima with three arrows,
poured countless beautiful arrows upon him. The mighty-armed Bhimasena,
the son of Pandu, though thus struck by the Suta's son, showed no signs
of pain but stood immovable like a hill pierced (with arrows). In return,
O sire, in that battle, he deeply pierced Karna in the ear with a barbed
arrow, rubbed with oil, of great keenness, and of excellent temper. (With
that arrow) he felled on the earth the large and beautiful ear-ring of
Kar