Pandu's son in that battle, the son of Drona, on
his car equipped with many banners, endeavoured to check him. Those two
tigers among men, both having white steeds yoked unto their vehicles and
both regarded as the foremost of car-warriors, quickly encountered each
other, each desirous of slaying the other. The arrowy showers shot by
both became exceedingly terrible and were as dense, O bull of Bharata's
race, as the torrents of rain poured by two masses of clouds at the close
of summer. Each challenging the other, those two warriors mangled each
other with straight shafts in that battle, like a couple of bulls tearing
each other with their horns. The battle between them, O king, was fought
equally for a long while. The clash of weapons became terrific. The son
of Drona then, O Bharata, pierced Arjuna with a dozen gold-winged arrows
of great energy and Vasudeva with ten. Having shown for a short while
some regard for the preceptor's son in that great battle, Vibhatsu then,
smiling the while, stretched his bow Gandiva with force. Soon, however,
the mighty car-warrior Savyasaci (Arjuna) made his adversary steedless
and driverless and carless, and without putting forth much strength
pierced him with three arrows. Staying on that steedless car, Drona's
son, smiling the while, hurled at the son of Pandu a heavy mallet that
looked like a dreadful mace with iron spikes. Beholding that weapon,
which was decked with cloth of gold, coursing towards him, the heroic
Partha, that slayer of foes, cut it off into seven fragments. Seeing his
mallet cut off, Drona's son of great wrath took up a terrible mace
equipped with iron spikes and looking like a mountain summit.
Accomplished in battle, the son of Drona hurled it then at Partha.
Beholding that spiked mace coursing towards him like the Destroyer
himself in rage, Pandu's son Arjuna quickly cut it off with five
excellent shafts. Cut off with Partha's shafts in that great battle, that
weapon fell down on the Earth, riving the hearts, as it were, O Bharata,
of the (hostile) kings. The son of Pandu then pierced Drona's son with
three other shafts. Though deeply pierced by the mighty Partha, Drona's
son, however, of great might, relying upon his own manliness, showed no
sign of fear or agitation. That great car-warrior, the son of Drona,
then, O king, shrouded Suratha (the Pancala) with showers of shafts
before the eyes of all the Kshatriyas. At this, Suratha, that great
car-warrior among