my prone father with out-stretched arms
and lower limbs, appeared like a dropping bird. And him thus falling, O
thou of mighty arms, O hero, the hostile warriors bearing in their hands
lances and axes struck grievously! And (beholding this) my heart
trembled! and soon regaining my consciousness, O warrior, I could not
see in that mighty contest either the car of costly metals, or the enemy
Salwa, or my old father! Then I concluded in my mind that it was
certainly illusion. And recovering my senses, I again began to discharge
arrows by hundreds.'"

SECTION XXII

"Vasudeva continued, 'Then O thou foremost of the Bharata race, taking
up my beautiful bow, I began to cut off with my arrows the heads of the
enemies of the celestials, from off that car of costly metals! And I
began to discharge from the _Sharanga_ many well-looking arrows of the
forms of snakes, capable of going at a great height and possessing
intense energy. And, O perpetuator of the Kuru race, I could not then
see the car of costly metals, for it had vanished, through illusion! I
was then filled with wonder! That host of Danavas then, O Bharata, of
frightful visages and hair, set up a loud howl while I was waiting for
it, in that fierce battle. I then, with the object of destroying them,
fixed on my bow-string the weapon capable of piercing the foes if but
his sound was inaudible. Upon this, their shouts ceased. But those
Danavas that had sent up that shout were all slain by those shafts of
mine blazing as the Sun himself, and capable of striking at the
perception of sound alone. And after the shout had ceased at one place,
O mighty king, another yell proceeded from another quarter. Thitherto
also I sent my shafts. In this way, O Bharata, the Asuras began to send
up yells in all the ten quarters above and across. These were all slain
by me, _viz_., those that were in the skies and that were invisible,
with arrows of diverse forms, and celestial weapons inspired with
_mantras_. Then, O hero, that car of precious metals capable of going
anywhere at will, bewildering my eyes, reappeared at Pragjyotisha! And
then the destroying Danavas of fierce forms suddenly drowned me with a
mighty shower of rocks. And, O thou foremost of monarchs, torrents of
rocks falling upon me covered me up, and I began to grow like an
ant-hill (with its summits and peaks)! And covered along with my horses
and charioteer and flagstaffs, with crags on all sides, I disappeared
from si