s car with
countless shafts like the sun covering the different worlds with rays.
And like a lion attacked by an elephant, Arjuna, taking some keen
crescent-shaped arrows from out of his quiver and drawing his bow to his
ear, pierced the _Suta's_ son on every part of his body. And that
grinder of foes pierced Karna's arms and thighs and head and forehead
and neck and other principal parts of his body with whetted shafts
endued with the impetuosity of the thunderbolt and shot from the
_Gandiva_ in battle. And mangled and afflicted by the arrows shot by
Partha the son of Pandu, Vikartana's son, quitted the van of battle, and
quickly took to flight, like one elephant vanquished by another.'"

SECTION LV

Vaisampayana said, "After the son of Radha had fled from the field,
other warriors headed by Duryodhana, one after another, fell upon the
son of Pandu with their respective divisions. And like the shore
withstanding the fury of the surging sea, that warrior withstood the
rage of that countless host rushing towards him, arrayed in order of
battle and showering clouds of arrows. And that foremost of
car-warriors, Kunti's son Vibhatsu of white steeds, rushed towards the
foe, discharging celestial weapons all the while. Partha soon covered
all the points of the horizon with countless arrows shot from the
_Gandiva_, like the sun covering the whole earth with his rays. And
amongst those that fought on cars and horses and elephants, and amongst
the mail-clad foot-soldiers, there was none that had on his body a space
of even two finger's breadth unwounded with sharp arrows. And for his
dexterity in applying celestial weapons, and for the training of the
steeds and the skill of Uttara, and for the coursing of his weapons, and
his prowess and light-handedness, people began to regard Arjuna as the
fire that blazeth forth during the time of the universal dissolution for
consuming all created things. And none amongst the foe could cast his
eyes on Arjuna who shone like a blazing fire of great effulgence. And
mangled by the arrows of Arjuna, the hostile ranks looked like
newly-risen clouds on the breast of a hill reflecting the solar rays, or
like groves of _Asoka_ trees resplendent with clusters of flowers.
Indeed, afflicted by the arrows of Partha, the soldiers looked like
these, or like a beautiful garland whose flowers gradually wither and
drop away: And the all-pervading wind bore on its wings in the sky the
torn flags and umbr