r the defence of the city, the Danavas,
with minds alarmed, shut the gates, so that nothing could be discovered.
Thereupon taking my shell, Devadatta, of tremendous roars, I again and
again winded it with exceeding cheerfulness. And filling all the
firmament, those sounds produced echoes. Thereat mighty beings were
terrified and they hid (themselves). And then, O Bharata, all of them
adorned with ornaments, those offsprings of Diti--the
Nivata-Kavachas--made their appearance by thousands, donning diverse mail
and taking in their hands various weapons and equipped with mighty iron
javelins and maces and clubs and hatchets and sabres and discs and
sataghnis and bhusundis and variegated and ornamented swords. Then, after
deliberating much as to the course of the car, Matali began to guide the
steeds on a (piece of) level ground, O foremost of the Bharatas. And
owing to the swiftness of those fleet coursers conducted by him, I could
see nothing--and this was strange. Then the Danavas there began to sound
thousands of musical instruments, dissonant and of odd shapes. And at
those sounds, fishes by hundreds and by thousands, like unto hills,
having their senses bewildered by that noise, fled suddenly. And mighty
force flew at me, the demons discharging sharpened shafts by hundreds and
by thousands. And then, O Bharata, there ensued a dreadful conflict
between me and the demons, calculated to extinguish the Nivata-Kavachas.
And there came to the mighty battle the Devarshis and the Danavarshis and
the Brahmarshis and the Siddhas. And desirous of victory, the Munis
eulogised me with the same sweet-speeches that (they had eulogised) Indra
with, at the war, (which took place) for the sake of Tara.'"

SECTION CLXIX

"Arjuna continued, 'Then, O Bharata, vehemently rushed at me in battle in
a body the Nivata-Kavachas, equipped with arms. And obstructing the
course of the car, and shouting loudly, those mighty charioteers, hemming
me in on all sides, covered me with showers of shafts. Then other demons
of mighty prowess, with darts and hatchets in their hands, began to throw
at me spears and axes. And that mighty discharge of darts, with numerous
maces and clubs incessantly hurled fell upon my car. And other dreadful
and grim-visaged smiters among the Nivata-Kavachas, furnished with bows
and sharpened weapons, ran at me in fight. And in the conflict, shooting
from the Gandiva sundry swift arrows coursing straight, I pierced each o