them each with ten shafts.  And in the field arrows were shot from the Gandiva like unto rows of black-bees; and this Matali admired.  And their shafts also showered upon me; but those powerful (arrows) I cut off with my shafts.  Then on being struck the Nivata-Kavachas again covered me on all sides with a mighty shower of arrows.  And having neutralised the force of the arrows by excellent swift and flaming weapons capable of baffling arms, I pierced them by thousands.  And blood began to flow from their torn frames, even as in the rainy season waters run down from the summits of mountains.  And on being wounded by my fleet and straight-coursing shafts of the touch of Indra’s thunder-bolt, they became greatly agitated.  And their bodies were pierced at hundreds of places; and the force of their arms diminished.  Then the Nivata-Kavachas fought me by (the help of) illusion.’”

SECTION CLXX

“Arjuna said, ’Then with rocks of the proportions of trees, there commenced a mighty shower of crags; and this exercised me exceedingly.  And in that high encounter, I crushed (those crags) by swift-speeding showers of arrows, issuing from Mahendra’s weapon, like unto the thunder-bolt itself.  And when the rocks had been reduced to powder, there was generated fire; and the rocky dust fell like unto masses of flames.  And when the showers of crags had been repelled, there happened near me a mightier shower of water, having currents of the proportions of an axle.  And falling from the welkin, those thousands of powerful torrents covered the entire firmament and the directions and the cardinal points.  And on account of the pouring of the shower, and of the blowing of the wind, and of roaring of the Daityas, nothing could be perceived.  And touching heaven and the entire earth, and incessantly falling on the ground, the showers bewildered me.  Thereupon, I discharged that celestial weapon which I had learnt from Indra—­even the dreadful and flaming Visoshana:  and by that the water was dried up.  And, O Bharata, when the rocky shower had been destroyed, and the watery shower had been dried up, the Danavas began to spread illusions of fire and wind.  Then by aqueous appliances I extinguished the flames; and by a mighty rock-issuing arm, resisted the fury of the winds.  And when these had been repelled, the Danavas, irrepressible in battle, O Bharata, simultaneously created various illusions.  And there happened a tremendous horrifying shower of rocks and dreadful weapons of fire and wind.  And that illusory downpour afflicted me in fight.  And then on all sides there appeared a dense and thick darkness.  And when the world had been enveloped in deep and dense darkness, the steeds turned away, Matali fell off, and from his hand the golden lash fell to the earth.  And, O foremost of the Bharatas, being frightened, he again and again cried, “Where art thou?” And when he had been stupefied, a