all directions and shooting (arrows) right
and left, Arjuna's bow was always to be seen drawn to a perfect circle.
And the arrows of the wielder of the _Gandiva_ never fell upon anything
except the aim, even as the eye never dwelleth on anything that is not
beautiful. And as the track of a herd of elephants marching through the
forest is made of itself, so was the track was made of itself for the
car of Kiritin. And struck and mangled by Partha, the hostile warriors
thought that,--_Verily, Indra himself, desirous of Partha's victory,
accompanied by all the immortals is slaying us_! And they also regarded
Vijaya, who was making a terrible slaughter around, to be none else than
Death himself who having assumed the form of Arjuna, was slaying all
creatures. And the troops of the Kurus, struck by Partha, were so
mangled and shattered that the scene looked like the achievement of
Partha himself and could be compared with nothing else save what was
observable in Partha's combats. And he severed the heads of foes, even
as reapers cut off the tops of deciduous herbs. And the Kurus all lost
their energy owing to the terror begot of Arjuna. And tossed and mangled
by the Arjuna-gale, the forest of Arjuna's foes reddened the earth with
purple secretions. And the dust mixed with blood, uplifted by the wind,
made the very rays of the sun redder still. And soon the sun-decked sky
became so red that it looked very much like the evening. Indeed, the sun
ceaseth to shed his rays as soon as he sets, but the son of Pandu ceased
not to shoot his shafts. And that hero of inconceivable energy
overwhelmed, by means of all celestial weapons, all the great bowmen of
the enemy, although they were possessed of great prowess. And Arjuna
then shot three and seventy arrows of sharp points at Drona, and ten at
Dussaha and eight at Drona's son, and twelve at Duhsasana, and three at
Kripa, the son of Saradwat. And that slayer of foes pierced Bhishma, the
son of Santanu, with arrows, and king Duryodhana with a hundred. And,
lastly, he pierced Karna in the ear with a bearded shaft. And when that
great bowmen Karna, skilled in all weapons, was thus pierced, and his
horses and car and car-driver were all destroyed, the troops that
supported him began to break. And beholding those soldiers break and
give way the son of Virata desirous of knowing Partha's purpose,
addressed him on the field of battle, and said, 'O Partha, standing on
this beautiful car, with m