dorned with gold and pearls and gems and diamonds, had
with great care been made by the puissant Self-born himself for
Purandara. Costly as its appearance indicated, it was inspiring terror in
the hearts of foes, contributing to the happiness of him that wore it,
and shedding a fragrance, that ornament had been given by the chief of
the celestials himself with a cheerful heart unto Partha while the latter
had proceeded to slaughter the foes of the gods. That diadem was
incapable of being crushed by Rudra and the Lord of waters and Kuvera
with Pinaka and noose and thunderbolt and the very foremost of shafts. It
could not be endured by even the foremost ones among the gods. Vrisha,
however, now broke it forcibly with his snake-inspired shaft. Endued with
great activity, that wicked-natured snake of fierce form and false vows,
falling upon that diadem-decked with gold and gems, swept it away from
Arjuna's head. That snake, O king, forcibly tore it away from Partha's
head, quickly reducing into fragments that well-made ornament set over
with many a gem and blazing with beauty, like the thunderbolt riving a
mountain summit decked with lofty and beautiful trees graced with
flowers. Crushed by that excellent weapon, possessed of splendour, and
blazing with the fire of (the snake's) poison, that beautiful and
much-liked diadem of Partha fell down on the earth like the blazing disc
of the Sun from the Asta hills. Indeed, that snake forcibly swept away
from Arjuna's head that diadem adorned with many gems, like the thunder
of Indra felling a beautiful mountain summit adorned with lofty trees
bearing budding leaves and flowers. And the earth, welkin, heaven, and
the waters, when agitated by a tempest, roar aloud, O Bharata, even such
was the roar that arose in all the worlds at that time. Hearing that
tremendous noise, people, notwithstanding their efforts to be calm,
became extremely agitated and reeled as they stood. Reft of diadem, the
dark complexioned and youthful Partha looked beautiful like a blue
mountain of lofty summit. Binding then his locks with a white cloth,
Arjuna stood perfectly unmoved. With that white gear on his head, he
looked like the Udaya hill illumined with the rays of the sun. Thus that
she-snake (whom Arjuna had killed at Khandava) of excellent mouth,
through her son in the form of an arrow, sped by Surya's son, beholding
Arjuna of exceeding energy and might standing with his head at a level
with the reins