in weapons. How great is their energy
and how wonderful the skill possessed by both! Both of them stand in this
battle like two universe-destroying Yamas at the end of the Yuga. They
are born like two Rudras or like two Suns. These two tigers among men,
both endued with terrible forms, are like two Yamas in this battle." Such
were the words of the Siddhas heard there every moment. And among the
assembled denizens of heaven there arose a leonine roar. Beholding the
amazing and inconceivable feats of the two warriors in that battle, the
dense throngs of Siddhas, and Charanas were filled with wonder. And the
gods, the Siddhas, and the great Rishis applauded them both saying,
"Excellent, O mighty-armed son of Drona. Excellent, O Bhima." Meanwhile
those two heroes, in that battle, O king, having done injuries to each
other, glared at each other with eyes rolling in rage. With eyes red in
rage, their lips also quivered in rage. And they grinded their teeth in
wrath and bit their lips. And those two great car-warriors covered each
other with showers of arrows, as if they were in that battle two masses
of clouds that poured torrents of arrows for rain and that gleamed with
weapons constituting their lightning. Having pierced each other's
standards and drivers in that great battle, and having also pierced each
other's steeds, they continued to strike each other. Then, O monarch,
filled with rage, they took up in that dreadful encounter, two arrows,
and each desirous of slaying the other shot quickly at his foe. Those two
blazing arrows, resistless and endued with the force of thunder, coming,
O king, to the two warriors as they stood at the head of their respective
divisions, struck them both. Each of the two mighty combatants then
deeply struck with those arrows, sank, on the terrace of their respective
car. Understanding the son of Drona to be insensible, his driver then
bore him away from the battle-field, O king, in the sight of all the
troops. Similarly, O king, Bhima's driver bore away from the battle-field
on his car, the son of Pandu, that scorcher of foes, who was repeatedly
falling into a swoon.'"

16

"Dhritarashtra said, 'Describe to me the battle of Arjuna with the
samsaptakas, and of the other kings with the Pandavas. Narrate to me
also, O Sanjaya, the battle of Arjuna with Ashvatthama, and of the other
lords of the Earth with Partha.'

"Sanjaya said, 'Listen, O king, as I speak to thee as to how occurred the