, thus struck by Karna, pierced his
assailant in return with seven shafts sped from his bow-string drawn to
his ear. Then Karna, O monarch, sighing like a snake of virulent poison,
shrouded the son of Pandu with a thick shower of arrows. The mighty Bhima
also, shrouding that mighty car-warrior with dense arrowy downpours in
the very sight of the Kauravas, uttered a loud shout. Then Karna, filled
with rage, grasped his strong bow and pierced Bhima with ten arrows
whetted on stone and equipped with Kanka feathers. With another
broad-headed arrow of great sharpness, he also cut off Bhima's bow. Then
the mighty-armed Bhima of great strength, taking up a terrible parigha,
twined round with hempen cords and decked with gold and resembling a
second bludgeon of Death himself, and desiring to slay Karna outright,
hurled it at him with a loud roar. Karna, however, with a number of
arrows resembling snakes of virulent poison, cut off into many fragments
that spiked mace as it coursed towards him with the tremendous peal of
thunder. Then Bhima, that grinder of hostile troops, grasping his bow
with greater strength, covered Karna with keen shafts. The battle that
took place between Karna and the son of Pandu in that meeting became
awful for a moment, like that of a couple of huge lions desirous of
slaying each other. Then Karna, O king, drawing the bow with great force
and stretching the string to his very ear, pierced Bhimasena with three
arrows. Deeply pierced by Karna, that great bowman and foremost of all
persons endued with might then took up a terrible shaft capable of
piercing through the body of his antagonist. That shaft, cutting through
Karna's armour and piercing through his body, passed out and entered the
Earth like a snake into ant-hill. In consequence of the violence of that
stroke, Karna felt great pain and became exceedingly agitated. Indeed, he
trembled on his car like a mountain during an earthquake. Then Karna, O
king, filled with rage and the desire to retaliate, struck Bhima with
five and twenty shafts, and then with many more. With one arrow he then
cut off Bhimasena's standard, and with another broad-headed arrow he
despatched Bhima's driver to the presence of Yama. Next quickly cutting
off the bow of Pandu's son with another winged arrow, Karna deprived
Bhima of terrible feats of his car. Deprived of his car, O chief of
Bharata's race, the mighty-armed Bhima, who resembled the Wind-god (in
prowess) took up a m