witnessed it, wondered exceedingly. Then
Arjuna, as if smiling, invoked into existence a celestial weapon. The
Brahmana Ashvatthama, however, O Bharata, baffled that weapon in that
battle. Indeed, all those weapons that Arjuna sped from desire of slaying
the son of Drona were baffled by the latter, that great bowman, in that
encounter. During the progress of that awful encounter of weapons, O
king, we beheld the son of Drona to resemble the Destroyer himself, with
gaping mouth. Having covered all the points of the compass, cardinal and
subsidiary, with straight arrows, he pierced Vasudeva with three arrows
in the right arm. Then Arjuna, slaying all the steeds of his high-souled
assailant, caused the Earth in that battle to be covered with a river of
blood that was exceedingly awful that led towards the other world, and
that had diverse kinds of creatures floating on it. All the spectators
beheld a large number of car-warriors along with their cars, belonging to
the division of Ashvatthama, slain and destroyed by means of the arrows
sped from Partha's bow. Ashvatthama also, slaying his enemies, caused a
terrible river of blood to flow there that led to Yama's domains. During
the progress of that fierce and awful battle between Drona's son and
Partha, the combatants fought without showing any regard for one another,
and rushed hither and thither. In consequence of cars having their steeds
and drivers slain, and steeds having their riders slain, and elephants
having their riders and guides slain, an awful carnage, O king, was made
by Partha in that battle! Car-warriors, deprived of life with shafts sped
from Partha's bow, fell down. Steeds freed from their trappings ran
hither and thither. Beholding those feats of Partha, that ornament of
battle, that valiant son of Drona quickly approached the former, that
foremost of victorious men, shook his formidable bow decked with gold,
and then pierced him from every side with many sharp arrows. Once more
bending the bow, O king, the son of Drona cruelly struck Arjuna, aiming
at the chest, with a winged arrow. Deeply pierced by Drona's son, O
Bharata, in that encounter, the wielder of Gandiva, that hero of great
intelligence forcibly covered the son of Drona with showers of arrows,
and then cut off his bow. His bow cut off Drona's son then, taking up a
spiked mace whose touch resembled that of thunder's, hurled it, in that
encounter, at the diadem-decked Arjuna. The son of Pandu, howe