rows, keen and steeped in oil,
winged with the feathers of birds, and resembling snakes freed from their
sloughs. He then quickly pierced Vasudeva with sixty shafts, and then
Phalguna again with eight. Surya's son then pierced Bhima with thousands
upon thousands of mighty arrows. Having pierced Krishna and Partha's
standard, Karna felled many amongst the Somakas that followed Partha.
These, however, in return shrouded Karna with showers of straight shafts
like masses of clouds shrouding the sun in the welkin. Accomplished in
the use of weapons, the Suta's son, stupefying those advancing warriors
with his shafts and baffling all the weapons shot by them, destroyed
their cars and steeds and elephants. And the Suta's son, O king, also
afflicted with his arrows many foremost of warriors among them. Their
bodies pierced with Karna's shafts, they fell down on the ground,
deprived of life and making a loud noise as they fell. Indeed, those
mighty combatants, afflicted by Karna of terrible strength, perished like
a pack of dogs afflicted by an angry lion. And once more many foremost of
combatants among the Pancalas and many such (among the Kauravas) fell
down after this, slain by Karna and Dhananjaya. Deprived of life by the
mighty Karna with well-aimed arrows shot with great force, many fell
down, purging the contents of their stomachs. Then thy troops, regarding
the victory to be already theirs, clapped furiously and uttered loud
leonine roars. Indeed, in that dreadful encounter, all of them regarded
the two Krishnas to have been brought by Karna under his power. Then
quickly bending his bow-string and baffling all those shafts of
Adhiratha's son, Partha, filled with rage in consequence of his limbs
having been mangled with Karna's arrows, assailed the Kauravas. Rubbing
his bow-string, he clapped his palms and suddenly caused a darkness there
with the showers of shafts he shot. The diadem-decked Arjuna pierced
Karna and Shalya and all the Kurus with those arrows. The welkin having
been darkened by means of that mighty weapon, the very birds were unable
to range in their element, a delicious wind then blew, bearing fragrant
odours. Laughing the while, Partha forcibly struck Shalya's armour with
ten arrows. Piercing Karna next with a dozen shafts, he struck him once
more with seven. Deeply struck with those winged arrows of fierce energy
shot with great force from Partha's bow, Karna, with mangled limbs and
body bathed in blood,