fell down on the earth like animals cut off in a horse-sacrifice by the
person appointed to that duty. 2,000 well-trained heroes, delighting in
battle, hailing from diverse realms, well-paid, of sure aim, and their
limbs smeared with excellent sandal-paste, were quickly cut off by the
single-handed Nakula inspired with desire of victory. Then Karna's son,
suddenly advancing with great speed against the rushing Nakula in that
battle pierced him from every side with many keen arrows from desire of
slaying him. Thus struck with shafts (by Vrishasena), Nakula struck his
brave antagonist in return. Pierced by the son of Pandu, Vrishasena
became filled with wrath. Protected, however, in that dreadful battle, by
his brother Bhima, the high-souled Nakula achieved such terrible feats on
that occasion. Filled with rage, the son of Karna then pierced with
eighteen shafts the heroic Nakula who seemed to sport in that battle,
while employed, unaided, in destroying the foremost of men and steeds and
elephants. Deeply pierced by Vrishasena in that battle, O king, Pandu's
son Nakula, that foremost of men, endued with great activity, became
filled with rage and rushed in that encounter against the son of Karna
from desire of slaying him. Then Vrishasena poured showers of keen shafts
upon Nakula of great energy as the latter precipitately advanced against
him in that battle like a hawk with outstretched wings from desire of
meat. Baffling, however, his antagonist's showers of shafts, Nakula
careered in diverse beautiful motions. Then Karna's son, O king, in that
dreadful battle, cut off, with his mighty shafts, the shield, decked with
a 1,000 stars, of Nakula, while he was careering with great activity in
those beautiful motions. Without losing a moment, that resister of foes,
(Vrishasena), with half a dozen sharp razor-headed shafts, then cut off
that naked sword of Nakula, polished and keen-edged, made of steel,
capable of bearing a great strain and of destroying the bodies of all
foes, and terrible and fierce as the poison of the snake, while he was
whirling it rapidly. After this, Vrishasena deeply pierced his antagonist
in the centre of his chest with some well-tempered and keen shafts.
Having achieved those feats in battle that were applauded by all noble
persons and that could not be achieved by other men, the high-souled
Nakula of great activity, afflicted with those shafts, proceeded to the
car, O king, of Bhimasena. The steedless