y net like birds within a cage, they showered
in wrath upon Arjuna maces and darts and broad-swords. But Arjuna who was
conversant with the most efficacious weapons, soon checked that shower of
maces and darts and broad-swords, and in return began to mangle the limbs
of the Gandharvas with his crescent-shaped arrows. And heads and legs and
arms began to drop down from above resembling a shower of stones. And at
that sight, the foe was struck with panic. And as the Gandharvas were
being slaughtered by the illustrious son of Pandu, they began to shower
from the skies a heavy downpour of shafts upon Arjuna, who was on the
surface of the earth. But that chastiser of foes, Arjuna, endued with
mighty energy checked that shower of arrows by means of his own weapons
and began, in return, to wound them. Then Arjuna of the Kuru race shot
his well-known weapons called Sthunakarna, Indrajala, Saura, Agneya and
Saumya. And the Gandharvas consumed by the fiery weapons of Kunti's son,
began to suffer heavily, like the sons of Diti, while being scorched by
Sakra's thunder-bolt. And when they attacked Arjuna from above, they were
checked by his net of arrows. And while they attacked him from all sides
on the surface of the earth, they were checked by his crescent-shaped
arrows. And beholding the Gandharvas put in fear by Kunti's son,
Chitrasena rushed, O Bharata, at Dhananjaya, armed with a mace. And as
the king of the Gandharvas was rushing at Arjuna from above with that
mace in hand, the latter cut with his arrows that mace wholly made of
iron into seven pieces. And beholding that mace of his cut into many
pieces by Arjuna of great activity, with his arrows, Chitrasena, by means
of his science, concealed himself from the view of the Pandava and began
to fight with him. The heroic Arjuna, however, by means of his own
celestial weapons checked all the celestial weapons that were aimed at
him by the Gandharvas. And when the chief of the Gandharvas saw that he
was checked by the illustrious Arjuna with those weapons of his he
entirely disappeared from sight by help of his powers of illusion. And
Arjuna, observing that the chief of the Gandharvas was striking at him
concealed from sight, attacked his assailant with celestial weapon
inspired with proper Mantras. And the multiform Dhananjaya filled with
wrath, prevented the disappearance of his foe by means of his weapon
known by the name of Sabda-veda. And assailed with those weapons by the
i