ease, struck the ruler of the Madras with four and ten
cloth-yard shafts, aiming at the latter's vital limbs. Resisting the son
of Pandu with his shafts, Shalya of great fame, filled with rage and
desirous of slaying his adversary, pierced him in that battle with
innumerable arrows equipped with Kanka feathers. Once more, O monarch, he
struck Yudhishthira with a straight shaft in the very sight of all the
troops. King Yudhishthira the just, possessed of great fame and filled
with rage, pierced the ruler of the Madras with many keen arrows equipped
with feathers of Kankas and peacocks. The mighty car-warrior then pierced
Candrasena with seventy arrows and Shalya's driver with nine, and
Drumasena with four and sixty. When the two protectors of his car-wheels
were (thus) slain by the high-souled son of Pandu, Shalya, O king, slew
five and twenty warriors among the Cedis. And he pierced Satyaki with
five and twenty keen arrows, and Bhimasena with seven, and the two sons
of Madri with a hundred, in that battle. While Shalya was thus careering
in that battle, that best of kings, the son of Pritha, sped at him many
shafts that resembled snakes of virulent poison. With a broad-headed
arrow, Yudhishthira the son of Kunti then cut off from his car the
standard top of his adversary as the latter stood in his front. We saw
the standard of Shalya, which was thus cut off by the son of Pandu in
that great battle, fall down like a riven mountain summit. Seeing his
standard fallen and observing the son of Pandu standing before him, the
ruler of the Madras became filled with rage and shot showers of shafts.
That bull amongst Kshatriyas, Shalya of immeasurable soul, poured over
the Kshatriyas in that battle dense showers of arrows like the deity of
the clouds pouring torrents of rain. Piercing Satyaki and Bhimasena and
the twin sons of Madri by Pandu, each with five arrows, he afflicted
Yudhishthira greatly. We then, O monarch, beheld a net of arrows spread
before the chest of Pandu's son like a mass of risen clouds. The mighty
car-warrior Shalya, in that battle, filled with rage, shrouded
Yudhishthira with straight shafts. At this, king Yudhishthira afflicted
with those showers of shafts, felt himself deprived of his prowess, even
as the Asura Jambha had become before the slayer of Vritra.'"

13

"Sanjaya said, 'When king Yudhishthira the just was thus afflicted by the
ruler of Madras, Satyaki and Bhimasena and the two sons of Madri