flies. Their
bodies looking bright with the blazing arrows sticking to them, those two
mighty car-warriors looked in that battle like two angry elephants decked
with burning torches. Then, O monarch, the mighty car-warrior, Somadatta,
in that battle, cut off with a crescent-shaped arrow the large bow of
Madhava. With great speed also, at a time when speed was of the utmost
consequence, the Kuru hero then pierced Satyaki with five and twenty
shafts, and once again with ten. Then Satyaki, taking up a tougher bow,
quickly pierced Somadatta with five shafts. With another broad-headed
arrow, Satyaki also, O king, smiling the while, cut off the golden
standard of Valhika's son. Somadatta, however, beholding his standard cut
down, fearlessly pierced the grandson of Sini with five and twenty
arrows. Satwata also, excited with rage, cut off with a razor-faced arrow
the bow of Somadatta, in that encounter. And he also pierced Somadatta
who then resembled a snake without fangs, with a hundred straight arrows,
equipped with wings of gold. The mighty car-warrior Somadatta, then, who
was endued with great strength taking up another bow, began to cover
Satyaki (with showers of shafts). Satyaki too, inflamed with rage,
pierced Somadatta with many shafts. Somadatta, in return, afflicted
Satyaki with his arrowy showers. Then Bhima coming to the encounter, and
fighting on behalf of Satyaki, struck Valhika's son with ten shafts.
Somadatta, however, fearlessly struck Bhimasena with many whetted arrows.
Then Satyaki, inflamed with rage, aiming at Somadatta's chest, shot a new
and terrible Parigha equipped with a golden staff and hard as the
thunder. The Kuru warrior, however, smiling the while, cut off that
terrible Parigha advancing with speed against him in two parts. That
formidable Parigha of iron, then, thus cut off into two fragments, fell
down like so many crests of a mountain riven by thunder. Then Satyaki, O
king, with a broad-headed arrow, cut off in that encounter Somadatta's
bow, and then with five arrows, the leathern fence that cased his
fingers. Then, O Bharata, with four other shafts he speedily despatched
the four excellent steeds of the Kuru warrior to Yama's presence. And
then that tiger among car-warriors with another straight shaft, smiling
the while, cut off from his trunk the head of Somadatta's driver. Then he
sought at Somadatta himself a terrible shaft of fiery effulgence, whetted
on stone, steeped in oil, and equippe