ll amongst the Yadus, there is none on Earth, save myself,
that would be able to bear such a close attack on his car." Having said
these words, Vibhatsu blew his conch. Then Krishna also blew his conch
filling the welkin with its blare. Hearing that blare the army of the
samsaptakas began to waver, O king, and became inspired with great
fright. Then that slayer of hostile heroes, viz., the son of Pandu,
paralysed the legs of the samsaptakas by repeatedly invoking, O monarch,
the weapon called Naga. Thus tied with those foot-tying bands by the
high-souled son of Pandu, all of them stood motionless, O king, as if
they had been petrified. The son of Pandu then began to slay those
motionless warriors like Indra in days of yore slaying the Daityas in the
battle with Taraka. Thus slaughtered in that battle, they set the car
free, and commenced to throw down all their weapons. Their legs being
paralysed, they could not, O king, move a step. Then Partha slew them
with his straight arrows. Indeed, all these warriors in that battle,
aiming at whom Partha had invoked that foot-tying weapon, had their lower
limbs encircled with snakes. Then the mighty car-warrior Susharma, O
monarch, beholding his army thus paralysed, quickly invoked the weapon
called Sauparna. Thereupon numerous birds began to come down and devour
those snakes. The latter again, at the sight of rangers of the sky,
began, O king, to fly away. Freed from that foot-tying weapon, the
Samsaptaka force, O monarch, looked like the Sun himself giving light
unto all creatures, when freed from clouds. Thus liberated, those
warriors once more shot their arrows, O sire, and hurled their weapons at
Arjuna's car. And all of them pierced Partha with numerous weapons.
Cutting off with his own arrowy downpour that shower of mighty weapons
Vasava's son, that slayer of hostile heroes, began to slaughter those
warriors. Then Susharma, O king, with a straight arrow, pierced Arjuna in
the chest, and then he pierced him with three other shafts. Deeply
pierced therewith, and feeling great pain, Arjuna sat down on the terrace
of his car. Then all the troops loudly cried out, saying, "Partha is
slain." At this the blare of conchs, and the peal of drums, and the sound
of diverse musical instruments, and loud leonine shouts, arose there.
Recovering his senses, Partha of immeasurable soul, owning white steeds
and having Krishna for his driver, speedily invoked the Aindra weapon.
Then thousands