n shafts,
resembling the fatal rods of Yama, sped by those two warriors, the Earth,
the sky, and all the points of the compass, became shrouded. Then
Srutarvan, filled with rage, took up his bow and struck Bhimasena in that
battle, O king, with many arrows on his arms and chest. Deeply pierced, O
monarch, by thy son armed with the bow, Bhima became exceedingly agitated
like the ocean at the full or the new moon. Filled with wrath, Bhima
then, O sire, despatched with his arrows the driver and the four steeds
of thy son to Yama's abode. Beholding him carless, Pandu's son of
immeasurable soul, displaying the lightness of his hands, covered him
with winged arrows. The carless Srutarvan then, O king, took up a sword
and shield. As the prince, however, careered with his sword and bright
shield decked with a hundred moons, the son of Pandu struck off his head
from his trunk with a razor-headed arrow and felled it on the Earth. The
trunk of that illustrious warrior, rendered headless by means of that
razor-headed arrow, fell down from his car, filling the Earth with a loud
noise. Upon the fall of that hero, thy troops, though terrified, rushed
in that battle against Bhimasena from desire of fighting with him. The
valiant Bhimasena, clad in mail, received those warriors rushing quickly
at him from among the unslain remnant of that ocean of troops.
Approaching him, those warriors encompassed that hero on all sides. Thus
surrounded by those warriors of thine, Bhima began to afflict them all
with keen shafts like him of a 1,000 eyes afflicting the Asuras. Having
destroyed five hundred great cars with their fences, he once more slew
seven hundred elephants in that battle. Slaying next 10,000 foot-soldiers
with his mighty shafts, as also 800 steeds, the son of Pandu looked
resplendent. Indeed, Bhimasena, the son of Kunti, having slain thy sons
in battle, regarded his object achieved, O lord, and the purpose of his
birth accomplished. Thy troops, at that time, O Bharata, ventured to even
gaze at that warrior who was battling in that fashion and slaying thy men
in that way. Routing all the Kurus and slaying those followers of theirs,
Bhima then slapped his armpits, terrifying the huge elephants with the
noise he produced. Then thy army, O monarch, which had lost a very large
number of men, and which then consisted of a very few soldiers, became
exceedingly cheerless, O king!'"

27

"Sanjaya said, 'Duryodhana, O king, and thy son S