his wretch viz., Ghatotkacha, may not, relying on his powers of
illusion, slay Karna, the son of Vikartana, before thou finishest him."
Thus addressed by the king, that Rakshasa of fierce prowess and mighty
arms, saying, "So be it," rushed against Ghatotkacha. Then Bhimasena's
son, O lord, abandoning Karna, began to grind his advancing foe with
arrows. The battle that took place then between those angry Rakshasa
princes, resembled that between two infuriated elephants in the forest,
fighting for the sake of the same she-elephant in her season. Freed then
from the Rakshasa, Karna, that foremost of car-warriors, rushed against
Bhimasena, riding on his car of solar effulgence. Beholding Ghatotkacha
engaged with Alayudha in battle and afflicted like the leader of a bovine
herd when engaged with a lion, Bhima, that foremost of smiters,
disregarding the advancing Karna, rushed towards Alayudha, riding on his
car of solar effulgence and scattering clouds of shafts. Seeing Bhima
advance, Alayudha, O lord, abandoning Ghatotkacha, proceeded against
Bhima himself. Then Bhima, that exterminator of Rakshasas, impetuously
rushed towards him, O lord, and covered that prince of the Rakshasas with
shafts. Similarly, Alayudha, that chastiser of foes, repeatedly covered
the son of Kunti with straight shafts whetted on stone. All the other
Rakshasas also, of terrible forms and armed with diverse weapons
solicitous for the victory of thy sons, rushed against Bhimasena. The
mighty Bhimasena, thus assailed by them, pierced each of them with five
whetted shafts. Then those Rakshasas of wicked understanding, thus
received by Bhimasena, uttered loud wails and fled away on all sides. The
mighty Rakshasa, beholding his followers frightened by Bhima, rushed
impetuously against Bhima and covered him with shafts. Then Bhimasena, in
that battle, weakened his foe by means of many keen-pointed arrows.
Amongst those arrows sped at him by Bhima, Alayudha speedily cut off some
and seized others in that battle. Then Bhima of terrible prowess, looking
steadily at that prince of the Rakshasas, hurled at him with great force
a mace endued with the impetuosity of thunder. That mace, coursed towards
him like a flame of fire, and the cannibal struck it with a mace of his
own, where-upon the latter (baffling the former) proceeded towards Bhima.
Then, the son of Kunti covered that prince of Rakshasas, with showers of
shafts. The Rakshasa, with his own keen shafts, baf