etched
arms, upon his own excellent car. Recovering his senses, however, he
began to roar like a lion.'"

83

"Sanjaya said, 'Fighting fiercely, prince Duhshasana achieved the most
difficult feats in that encounter. With a single shaft he cut off Bhima's
bow, and then with six shafts he pierced his foe's driver. Having
achieved those feats, the prince, endued with great activity, pierced
Bhima himself with nine shafts. Indeed the high-souled warrior, without
losing a moment, then pierced Bhimasena with many shafts of great energy.
Filled with rage at this, Bhimasena, endued with great activity, sped at
thy son a fierce dart. Beholding that terrible dart impetuously coursing
towards him like a blazing brand, thy high-souled son cut it off with ten
shafts shot from his bow drawn to its fullest stretch. Seeing that
difficult feat achieved by him, all the warriors, filled with joy,
applauded him highly. Thy son then once more pierced Bhima deeply with
another shaft. Blazing with wrath at sight of Duhshasana, Bhima then
addressed him, saying, "Pierced I have been, O hero, quickly and deeply,
by thee. Bear now, however, once more, the stroke of my mace." Having
said this, the enraged Bhima took up that terrible mace of his for
Duhshasana's slaughter. Once more addressing him, he said, "O thou of
wicked soul, I shall today drink thy blood on the field of battle." Thus
addressed, thy son sped at Bhima with great force a fierce dart
resembling Death itself. Bhima also, his form filled with wrath, whirled
his terrible mace and hurled it at his antagonist. That mace,
precipitately breaking Duhshasana's dart, struck thy son on his head.
Indeed, perspiring like an elephant with juicy secretions trickling down
his body, Bhima, in that dreadful battle, hurled his mace at the prince.
With that weapon, Bhimasena forcibly threw Duhshasana down from his car
at a distance measured by the length of ten bows. Struck with the
impetuous mace, Duhshasana, thrown down on the ground, began to tremble.
All his steeds also, O king, were slain, and his car too was reduced to
atoms by that falling weapon. As regards Duhshasana himself, his armour
and ornaments and attire and garlands were all displaced, and he began to
writhe, afflicted with agony. Endued with great activity, Bhimasena then
recollected, in the midst of that terrible battle and standing as he did
amid many foremost warriors of the Kuru army, all the acts of hostility
(done towar