terrible prowess, the Rakshasa, uttering a loud
leonine roar, hurled in that encounter at Drona's son, having whirled it
(previously), a terrible Asani of celestial workmanship, and equipped
with eight bells.[203] Drona's son, however, jumping down from his car,
having left his bow thereon, seized it and hurled it back at Ghatotkacha
himself. Ghatotkacha, meanwhile, had quickly alighted from his car. That
formidable Asani, of dazzling effulgence, having reduced to ashes the
Rakshasa's vehicle with steeds and drivers and standard, entered the
earth, having pierced her through. Beholding that feat of Drona's son,
viz., his having jumped down and seized that terrible Asani of celestial
workmanship, all creatures applauded it. Proceeding then, O king, to
Dhrishtadyumna's car, Bhimasena's son, taking up a terrible bow that
resembled the large bow of Indra himself, once more shot many keen shafts
at the illustrious son of Drona. Dhrishtadyumna also fearlessly shot at
Aswatthaman's chest many foremost of shafts, equipped with wings of gold
and resembling snakes of virulent poison. Then Drona's son shot arrows
and long shafts by thousands. These two heroes, however, viz.,
Ghatotkacha and Dhrishtadyumna, struck and baffled Aswatthaman's shafts
by means of their own shafts whose touch resembled that of fire. The
battle then that took place between those two lions among men
(Ghatotkacha on the one side) and the son of Drona (on the other) became
fierce in the extreme and gladdened all the combatants, O bull of
Bharata's race! Then, accompanied by a thousand cars, three hundred
elephants, and six thousand horses, Bhimasena arrived at that spot. The
virtuous son of Drona, however, endued as he was with prowess that knew
no fatigue, continued to fight with the heroic son of Bhima and with
Dhrishtadyumna supported by his followers.[204] The prowess then that
Drona's son displayed on that occasion was exceedingly wonderful, in as
much as, O Bharata, none else amongst all creatures is capable of
accomplishing such feats. Within the twinkling of an eye, he destroyed,
by means of his sharp shafts, a full Akshauhini of Rakshasa troops with
steeds, drivers, cars, and elephants, in the very sight of Bhimasena and
Hidimva's son and Prishata's son and the twins and Dharma's son and
Vijaya and Achyuta.[205] Deeply struck with the straight-going shafts (of
Aswatthaman), elephants fell down on elephants on the earth like
crestless mountains. Strewn