ess? In wrath also, there is no one that is equal to me. Armed
with the bow and aided by the prowess of my arms, I can vanquish the
Asuras and the gods and all creatures united together. Know that my
prowess is higher than the highest. Alone assailing all the Kurus and the
Bahlikas with the fire of my shafts issuing from Gandiva, I will, putting
forth my might, burn them with their followers like a fire in the midst
of a heap of dry grass at the close of winter. My palms bear these marks
of arrows and this excellent and outstretched bow with arrow fixed on the
string. On each of the soles of my feet occur the mark of a car and a
standard. When a person like me goeth forth to battle, he cannot be
vanquished by any one." Having said these words unto Acyuta, that
foremost of all heroes, that slayer of foes, with blood red eyes,
proceeded quickly to battle, for rescuing Bhima and cutting off the head
from Karna's trunk.'"

75

"Dhritarashtra said, 'In that awful and fathomless encounter of the
Pandavas and the Srinjayas with the warriors of my army, when Dhananjaya,
O sire, proceeded for battle, how, indeed, did the fight occur?'

"Sanjaya said, 'The innumerable divisions of the Pandava army, decked
with lofty standards and swelling (with pride and energy) and united
together in battle, began to roar aloud, drums and other instruments
constituting their mouth, like masses of clouds at the close of summer
uttering deep roars. The battle that ensued resembled a baneful shower
out of season, cruel and destructive of living creatures. Huge elephants
were its clouds; weapons were the water they were to pour; the peal of
musical instruments, the rattle of car-wheels, and the noise of palms,
constituted their roar; diverse weapons decked with gold formed their
flashes of lightning; and arrows and swords and cloth-yard shafts and
mighty weapons constituted their torrents of rain. Marked by impetuous
onsets blood flowed in streams in that encounter. Rendered awful by
incessant strokes of the sword, it was fraught with a great carnage of
Kshatriyas. Many car-warriors, united together, encompassed one
car-warrior and despatched him to Yama's presence. Or, one foremost of
car-warriors despatched a single adversary, or one despatched many
adversaries united together. Again, some one car-warrior despatched to
Yama's abode some one adversary along with his driver and steeds. Some
one rider, with a single elephant, despatched many ca