sed the force of the arrows by excellent swift
and flaming weapons capable of baffling arms, I pierced them by
thousands. And blood began to flow from their torn frames, even as in the
rainy season waters run down from the summits of mountains. And on being
wounded by my fleet and straight-coursing shafts of the touch of Indra's
thunder-bolt, they became greatly agitated. And their bodies were pierced
at hundreds of places; and the force of their arms diminished. Then the
Nivata-Kavachas fought me by (the help of) illusion.'"

SECTION CLXX

"Arjuna said, 'Then with rocks of the proportions of trees, there
commenced a mighty shower of crags; and this exercised me exceedingly.
And in that high encounter, I crushed (those crags) by swift-speeding
showers of arrows, issuing from Mahendra's weapon, like unto the
thunder-bolt itself. And when the rocks had been reduced to powder, there
was generated fire; and the rocky dust fell like unto masses of flames.
And when the showers of crags had been repelled, there happened near me a
mightier shower of water, having currents of the proportions of an axle.
And falling from the welkin, those thousands of powerful torrents covered
the entire firmament and the directions and the cardinal points. And on
account of the pouring of the shower, and of the blowing of the wind, and
of roaring of the Daityas, nothing could be perceived. And touching
heaven and the entire earth, and incessantly falling on the ground, the
showers bewildered me. Thereupon, I discharged that celestial weapon
which I had learnt from Indra--even the dreadful and flaming Visoshana:
and by that the water was dried up. And, O Bharata, when the rocky shower
had been destroyed, and the watery shower had been dried up, the Danavas
began to spread illusions of fire and wind. Then by aqueous appliances I
extinguished the flames; and by a mighty rock-issuing arm, resisted the
fury of the winds. And when these had been repelled, the Danavas,
irrepressible in battle, O foremost of the Bharata, simultaneously
created various illusions. And there happened a tremendous horrifying
shower of rocks and dreadful weapons of fire and wind. And that illusory
downpour afflicted me in fight. And then on all sides there appeared a
dense and thick darkness. And when the world had been enveloped in deep
and dense darkness, the steeds turned away, Matali fell off, and from his
hand the golden lash fell to the earth. And, O foremost of th