ble car made of black iron covered with bear-skins.
Both the height and the width of that large car measured thirty
nalwas.[197] Equipped with machines set in proper places it was; its
rattle resembled that of a mighty mass of clouds. No steeds or elephants
were yoked unto it, but, instead, beings that looked like elephants.[198]
On its tall standard perched a prince of vultures with outstretched wings
and feet, with eyes wide-expanded, and shrieking awfully. And it was
equipped with red flags and decked with the entrails of various animals.
And that huge vehicle was furnished with eight wheels. Riding on it,
Ghatotkacha was surrounded by a full Akshauhini of fierce-looking
Rakshasas armed with lances and heavy clubs and rocks and trees. Seeing
him advance with uplifted bow, resembling the mace-armed Destroyer
himself in the hour of universal dissolution, the hostile kings were
struck with fear. At sight of that prince of Rakshasas, viz.,
Ghatotkacha, looking like a mountain summit of terrible aspect,
frightful, possessed of terrible teeth and fierce face, with arrow-like
ears and high cheek-bones, with stiff hair rising upwards, awful eyes,
sunken belly, blazing mouth, wide as a chasm, and diadem on his head,
capable of striking every creature with fear, possessing jaws wide-open
like those of the Destroyer, endued with great splendour and capable of
agitating all foes, advancing towards them, thy son's host, afflicted
with fear, became highly agitated like the current of the Ganga agitated
into fierce eddies by (the action of) the wind. Terrified by the leonine
roar uttered by Ghatotkacha, elephants began to eject urine and the kings
began to tremble. Then, thrown by the Rakshasas who had become more
powerful in consequence of the night, there began to fall on the field of
battle a thick shower of stones. And a ceaseless shower of iron wheels
and Bhundis and darts and lances and spears and Sataghnis and axes also
fell there. Beholding that fierce and awful battle, the kings, thy sons,
and Karna, also exceedingly pained, fled away. Only the proud son of
Drona, ever boastful of his might in arms, stood fearlessly. And he soon
dispelled that illusion that had been created by Ghatotkacha. Upon the
destruction of his illusion, Ghatotkacha in rage sped fierce shafts at
(Aswatthaman). These pierced the son of Drona, like angry snakes speedily
piercing through an ant-hill. Those arrows, having pierced through the
body of Aswatt