celestial weapons. Beholding a celestial weapon aimed at him by Karna,
Ghatotkacha, that foremost of Rakshasas invoked into existence his
Rakshasa illusion. He was seen surrounded by a large force of
terrible-looking Rakshasas, armed with lances, large rocks and hills and
clubs.[233] Beholding Ghatotkacha advancing with a mighty weapon uplifted
(in his hands) like unto the Destroyer himself of all creatures armed
with his fierce and fatal club, all the kings there were struck with
fear. Terrified at the leonine roars uttered by Ghatotkacha, the
elephants passed urine, and all the combatants trembled with fear. Then
there fell on all sides a thick rain of rocks and stones poured incessantly
by the Rakshasas, who had, in consequence of midnight, became inspired with
greater strength.[234] Iron wheels and Bhusundis, and darts, and lances
and spears and Sataghnis and axes also began to fall incessantly.
Beholding that fierce and terrible battle, all the kings, as also thy
sons and the combatants, fled away in fear. Only one amongst them, viz.,
Karna, proud of the power of his weapons, and feeling a noble pride,
trembled not. Indeed, with his shafts he destroyed that illusion invoked
into existence by Ghatotkacha. Beholding his illusion dispelled,
Ghatotkacha, filled with rage began to shoot deadly shafts from desire of
slaying the Suta's son. Those shafts, bathed in blood, piercing through
Karna's body in that dreadful battle, entered the earth like angry
snakes. Then the valiant son of the Suta, filled with rage and possessed
of great lightness of hands, prevailing over Ghatotkacha, pierced the
latter with ten shafts. Then Ghatotkacha, thus pierced by the Suta's son
in his vital parts and feeling great pain, took up a celestial wheel
having a thousand radii. The edge of that wheel was sharp as a razor.
Possessed of the splendour of the morning sun, and decked with jewels and
gems, Bhimasena's son hurled that wheel at the son of Adhiratha, desirous
of making an end of the latter. That wheel, however, of great power and
hurled also with great might, was cut off into pieces by Karna with his
shafts, and fell down, baffled of its object, like the hopes and purposes
of an unfortunate man. Filled with rage upon beholding his wheel baffled,
Ghatotkacha covered Karna with showers of shafts, like Rahu covering the
sun. The Suta's son, however, endued with the prowess of Rudra or of
Indra's younger brother or of Indra, fearlessly shro