e and ocean, and, once more, Garuda and Takshaka, and once
again, a cloud and a tempest, and then thunder and a large mountain, and
once again, an elephant and then Rahu and the sun, they thus displayed a
hundred different kinds of illusion, solicitous of destroying each other.
Indeed, Alamvusha and Ghatotkacha fought most wonderfully, striking each
other with spiked clubs and maces and lances and mallets and axes and
short clubs and mountain-cliffs. Riding on horseback or on elephants, on
foot or on car, those foremost of Rakshasas, both endued with large
powers of illusion, fought with each other in battle. Then Ghatotkacha, O
king, desiring to slay Alamvusha, roared aloft in rage and then alighted
with great quickness like a hawk. Seizing then that gigantic prince of
Rakshasas, viz., Alamvusha, who thus struggled with him, he pressed him
down on the earth, like Vishnu slaying (the Asura) Maya in battle. Taking
a scimitar of wonderful appearance, Ghatotkacha, of immeasurable prowess,
then cut off from his trunk, O king, his fierce and mighty foe's terrible
head that was still uttering awful roars. Seizing that blood-dyed head by
the hair, Ghatotkacha quickly proceeded towards Duryodhana's car.
Approaching (the Kuru king), the mighty-armed Rakshasa, smiling the
while, threw upon Duryodhana's car that head with frightful face and
hair. Uttering then a fierce roar, deep as that of the clouds in the
season of rains, he addressed Duryodhana, O king, and said, "This thy
ally is now slain, he, that is, whose prowess thou hadst beheld! Thou
shalt see the slaughter of Karna again, and then thy own. One that is
observant of these three, viz., morality, profit and pleasure, should
never see with empty hands a king, a Brahmana, or a woman.[230] Live
cheerfully till that time when I slay Karna." Having said these words, he
then, O king, proceeded towards Karna, shooting hundreds of keen arrows
upon the head of Karna. The battle then that took place between that
human warrior and that Rakshasa, was fierce and terrible, O king, and
exceedingly wonderful.'"

SECTION CLXXV

"Dhritarashtra said, 'How, indeed, did that battle take place when at
dead of night Vikartana's son, Karna, and the Rakshasa Ghatotkacha
encountered each other? What aspect did that fierce Rakshasa then
present? What kind of car did he ride, and what was the nature of his
steeds and what of his weapons? What was the size of his steeds, of the
standard of his c