hty car-warrior, viz., Dharma's son,
pierced the son of Hridika in the arms and chest with ten arrows. Then
that warrior of Madhu's race, thus pierced, O sire, by Dharma's son in
that battle, trembled with rage and afflicted Yudhishthira with seven
shafts. Then Pritha's son cutting off his enemy's bow as also the
leathern fence that cased his hands, sped at him five keen shafts whetted
on stone. Those fierce shafts, piercing through the latter's costly
armour, decked with gold, entered the earth like snakes into an ant-hill.
With the twinkling of an eye, Kritavarman, taking up another bow, pierced
the son of Pandu with sixty arrows and once more with ten. Of
immeasurable soul, the son of Pandu, then placing his large bow on his
car, sped at Kritavarman a dart resembling a snake. That dart decked with
gold, shot by the son of Pandu, piercing through Kritavarman's right arm,
entered the earth. Meanwhile, Pritha's son, taking up his formidable bow,
shrouded the son of Hridika with showers of straight shafts. Then brave
Kritavarman, that great car-warrior among the Vrishnis, within less than
the twinkling of an eye, made Yudhishthira steedless and driverless and
carless. Thereupon, the eldest son of Pandu took up a sword and a shield.
Then he, of Madhu's race, cut off both those weapons in that battle.
Yudhishthira then, taking up a fierce lance, equipped with a gold-decked
staff, quickly sped it, in that battle, at the illustrious son of
Hridika. Hridika's son, however, smiling the while, and displaying great
lightness of hand, cut off into two fragments that lance hurled from the
arms of Yudhishthira, as it coursed impetuously towards him. He then
covered the son of Dharma with a hundred arrows in that encounter.
Excited with wrath, he then cut off the latter's coat of mail with
showers of shafts. Yudhishthira's armour, decked with gold, cut off by
Hridika's son with his shafts, dropped down from his body, O king, like a
cluster of stars dropping down from the firmament. His armour cut off,
himself deprived of car and afflicted with the shafts of Kritavarman,
Dharma's son, Yudhishthira, quickly retreated from battle. The mighty
car-warrior Kritavarman, then, having vanquished Yudhishthira, the son of
Dharma, once more began to protect the wheel of Drona's car.'"

SECTION CLXV

"Sanjaya said, 'Bhuri, O king, in that battle, resisted that foremost of
car-warriors, viz., the grandson of Sini, who advanced like an elephan