erse kinds and fish and tortoises, and echoing
with the voices of diverse kinds of fowl, and softly stirred by the wind,
approaching each other, those two cars graced with standards approached
each other. Both endued with prowess equal to that of the great Indra,
both resembling the great Indra himself, those two mighty car-warriors
struck each other with shafts that resembled the great Indra's thunder,
like the great Indra himself and (the asura) Vritra.

"'Both the armies consisting of cars and elephants and steeds and
foot-soldiers, all equipped with beautiful armour and ornaments and robes
and weapons, and those also that were in the welkin, were inspired with
fear upon beholding that encounter of wonderful aspect between Arjuna and
Karna. Others among the spectators, filled with joy and uttering leonine
shouts, raised their arms, waving their fingers or the pieces of cloth
they held, when Arjuna rushed against the son of Adhiratha, from desire
of slaughter, like one infuriated elephant rushing against another.

"'The Somakas then loudly shouted to Partha, saying, "Be quick, O Arjuna,
go and pierce Karna. Cut off his head without delay, and (with it) the
desire of Dhritarashtra's son for kingdom." Similarly many warriors of
ours that were there, said unto Karna, "Proceed, proceed, O Karna, and
slay Arjuna with keen shafts. Let the sons of Pritha once more go to the
woods forever."

"'Then Karna first pierced Partha in that encounter, with ten mighty
shafts. Arjuna pierced him in return with ten keen-pointed shafts, shot
with great vigour, in the centre of the chest. Indeed, the Suta's son and
Arjuna then mangled each other with many shafts equipped with goodly
wings. Desirous of obtaining advantage of each other's lapses in that
dreadful encounter, with cheerful hearts they rushed against each other
fiercely.

"'Rubbing his two arms and the string also of Gandiva, that fierce bowman,
Arjuna, then sped showers of cloth-yard shafts, and Nalikas and arrows
equipped with heads like boar's ears and razors, and Anjalikas, and
crescent-shaped arrows. Those arrows of Partha, O king, spread over the
welkin, penetrated into Karna's car like flights of birds, with heads
bent down, penetrating in the evening into a tree for roosting there in
the night. All those arrows, however, O king, that Arjuna, that victor
over all foes, with furrowed brow and angry glances, sped at Karna, all
those successive showers of shafts shot by