red within its bowels, at which the gods were filled with wonder.
Then all creatures applauded Karna, who, having jumped down from his car,
had seized that Asani. Having achieved that feat, Karna once more
ascended his car. The Suta's son, that scorcher of foes, then began to
shoot his shafts. Indeed, O giver of honours, there is none else amongst
all living creatures who can accomplish what Karna accomplished in that
frightful battle. Struck by Karna with shafts like a mountain with
torrents of rain, Ghatotkacha once more disappeared from the field of
battle like the melting forms of vapour in the sky. Contending in this
way, the gigantic Rakshasa, that slayer of foes, destroyed the celestial
weapons of Karna by means of his activity as also his power of illusion.
Seeing his weapons destroyed by the Rakshasa, aided by his powers of
illusion, Karna, without being inspired with fear, continued to fight
with the cannibal. Then, O monarch, the mighty son of Bhimasena excited
with wrath, divided his own self into many parts, frightening all the
mighty car-warriors (of the Kuru army). Then there came on the field of
battle lions, and tigers, and hyenas, and snakes with fiery tongues, and
birds with iron beaks. As regards Ghatotkacha himself, struck with the
keen arrows that were sped from Karna's bow, that huge Rakshasa, looking
like (Himavat) the prince of mountains, disappeared then and there. Then
many Rakshasas and Pisachas and Yatudhanas, and large numbers of wolves
and leopards, of frightful faces rushed towards Karna for devouring him.
These approached the Suta's son, uttering fierce howls for frightening
him. Karna pierced every one of those monsters with many swift-winged and
terrible shafts that drank their blood. At last, using a celestial
weapon, he destroyed that illusion of the Rakshasa. He then, with some
straight and fierce shafts, struck the steeds of Ghatotkacha. These, with
broken and maimed limbs, and their backs cut by those shafts, fell down
on the earth, in the very sight of Ghatotkacha. The son of Hidimva,
seeing his illusion dispelled, once more made himself invisible, saying
unto Karna, the son of Vikartana, "I will presently compass thy
destruction."'"

SECTION CLXXVI

"Sanjaya said, 'During the progress of that battle between Karna and the
Rakshasa, the valiant Alayudha, that prince of Rakshasa, appeared (on the
field). Accompanied by a large force, he approached Duryodhana. Indeed,
surrounde