t
towards a lake full of water. Then Satyaki, excited with wrath, pierced
his foe in chest with five keen shafts. At this, the latter's blood began
to flow. The Kuru warrior in that encounter similarly pierced with great
speed the grandson of Sini, that hero difficult of defeat in battle, with
ten shafts in the chest. Those warriors, drawing their bows to their
fullest stretch, and with eyes red in wrath, began, O king, to mangle
each other in that combat. The arrowy downpours of those two warriors,
both excited with rage and resembling Death himself or the sun
scattering his rays, were exceedingly terrible. Shrouding each other with
shafts, each stayed before the other in that battle. For a short while
that battle proceeded equally. Then, O king, the grandson of Sini,
excited with rage and smiling the while, cut off the bow of the
illustrious Kuru warrior in that battle. Having cut off his bow, Satyaki
quickly pierced him in the chest with nine keen arrows and addressing
him, said, "Wait! Wait!" That scorcher of foes deeply pierced his mighty
foe, quickly took up another bow and pierced the Satwata warrior in
return. Having pierced the Satwata hero with three shafts, O monarch,
Bhuri, then, smiling the while, cut off his foe's bow with a sharp and
broad-headed shaft. His bow being cut off, Satyaki, O king, maddened with
rage, hurled an impetuous dart at the broad chest of Bhuri. Pierced with
that dart, Bhuri fell down from his excellent car, covered with blood,
like the sun dropping down from the firmament. Beholding him thus slain,
the mighty car-warrior Aswatthaman, O Bharata, rushed impetuously against
grandson of Sini. Having addressed Satyaki, O king, saying, "Wait, Wait,"
he shrouded him with showers of shafts, like the clouds pouring torrents
of rain on the crest of Meru. Beholding him rushing towards the car of
Sini's grandson, the mighty car-warrior Ghatotkacha, O king, uttering a
loud roar, addressed saying, "Wait, Wait, O son of Drona! Thou shalt not
escape from me with life. I will presently slay thee like the six-faced
(Karttikeya) slaying (the Asura) Mahisha. I shall today, on the field,
purge thy heart of all desire of battle." Having said these words, that
slayer of hostile heroes, viz., the Rakshasa (Ghatotkacha), with eyes red
like copper in wrath, rushed furiously against the son of Drona, like a
lion rushing against a prince of elephants. And Ghatotkacha sped at his
foe shafts of the measure of the Ak