in battle, beholding Sakra and the
other celestials prepared for fight, calmly waited, bows in hands.
Skilled in battle, those heroes in wrath assailed the advancing host of
celestials with their own thunderlike arrows. The celestials repeatedly
routed by Krishna and Arjuna, at last left the field of battle for fear
and sought the protection of Indra. The Munis who were witnessing the
battle from the skies, beholding the celestials defeated by Madhava and
Arjuna, were filled with wonder. Sakra also repeatedly witnessing their
prowess in battle, became exceedingly gratified, and once more rushed to
the assault. The chastiser of Paka then caused a heavy shower of stones,
desiring to ascertain the prowess of Arjuna who was able to draw the bow
even with his left hand. Arjuna, in great wrath, dispelled with his
arrows that thick shower. Then he of a hundred sacrifices beholding that
shower baffled, once more caused a thicker shower of stones. But the son
of the chastiser of Paka (viz., Arjuna) gratified his father by baffling
that shower also with his swift arrows. Then Sakra, desirous of smiting
down the son of Pandu, tore up with his hands a large peak from Mandara,
with tall trees on it, and hurled it against him. But Arjuna divided that
mountain-peak into a thousand pieces by his swift-going and fire-mouthed
arrows. The fragments of that mountain, in falling through the skies,
looked as if the sun and the moon and the planets, displaced from their
positions fell down on earth. That huge peak fell down upon that forest
and by its fall killed numerous living creatures that dwelt in Khandava.'"

SECTION CCXXX

(Khandava-daha Parva continued)

"Vaisampayana said, 'Then the inhabitants of the forest of Khandava, the
Danavas and Rakshasas and Nagas and wolves and bears and other wild
animals, and elephants with rent temples, and tigers, and lions with
manes and deer and buffaloes by hundreds, and birds, and various other
creatures, frightened at the falling stones and extremely anxious, began
to fly in all directions. They saw the forest (burning all around) and
Krishna and Arjuna also ready with their weapons. Frightened at the
terrible sounds that were audible there those creatures lost their power
of movement. Beholding the forest burning in innumerable places and
Krishna also ready to smite them down with his weapons, they all set up a
frightful roar. With that terrible clamour as also with the roar of fire,
the wh