g each other thus and both covered with blood, they
looked like a couple of infuriated elephants of gigantic size. Then,
Hrishikesa, ever devoted to the good of the Pandavas, beholding that
combat, despatched Hidimva's son for protecting Bhimasena.'"

SECTION CLXXVIII

"Sanjaya said, 'Seeing Bhima in that battle assailed by the cannibal,
Vasudeva, approaching Ghatotkacha, said unto him these words, "Behold, O
mighty-armed one, Bhima is violently assailed by the Rakshasa in battle,
in the very sight of all the troops and of thyself, O thou of great
splendour! Abandoning Karna for the present, quickly slay Alayudha, O
mighty armed one! Thou can afterwards slay Karna." Hearing these words of
him of Vrishni's race, the valiant Ghatotkacha, abandoning Karna,
encountered Alayudha, that prince of cannibals and brother of Vaka. The
battle then that took place at night between those two cannibals, viz.,
Alayudha and the son of Hidimva became fierce and dreadful, O Bharata.
Meanwhile, the mighty car-warrior Yuyudhana, and Nakula, and Sahadeva,
pierced with keen shafts the warriors of Alayudha, those terrible-looking
and heroic Rakshasas, armed with bows. The diadem-decked Vibhatsu, O
king, in that battle, shooting his arrows on all sides, began to
overthrow many foremost of Kshatriyas. Meanwhile, Karna, O king, in that
battle agitated many kings and many mighty car-warriors amongst the
Panchalas headed by Dhrishtadyumna and Sikhandin and others. Beholding
them slaughtered (by Karna), Bhima, of terrible prowess, rushed speedily
towards Karna, shooting his shafts in that battle. Then those warriors
also, viz., Nakula and Sahadeva and the mighty car-warrior,
Satyaki, having slain the Rakshasas, proceeded to that place where the
Suta's son was. All of them, then, began to fight with Karna, while the
Panchalas encountered Drona. Then Alayudha, excited with rage, struck
Ghatotkacha, that chastiser of foes, on the head, with a gigantic
Parigha. With the stroke of that Parigha, the mighty son of Bhimasena,
endued with great prowess, seemed to be in a state of partial swoon and
sat down motionless. Recovering consciousness, the latter, then, in that
encounter, hurled at his foe a gold-decked mace adorned with a hundred
bells and looking like a blazing fire. Hurled forcibly by that achiever
of fierce feats, that mace crushed into pieces the steeds, the driver,
and the loud-rattling car of Alayudha. Having recourse to illusion, the
lat