that appeared at the time of the universal dissolution.  But Arjuna and Krishna, fearless and invincible in battle, beholding Sakra and the other celestials prepared for fight, calmly waited, bows in hands.  Skilled in battle, those heroes in wrath assailed the advancing host of celestials with their own thunderlike arrows.  The celestials repeatedly routed by Krishna and Arjuna, at last left the field of battle for fear and sought the protection of Indra.  The Munis who were witnessing the battle from the skies, beholding the celestials defeated by Madhava and Arjuna, were filled with wonder.  Sakra also repeatedly witnessing their prowess in battle, became exceedingly gratified, and once more rushed to the assault.  The chastiser of Paka then caused a heavy shower of stones, desiring to ascertain the prowess of Arjuna who was able to draw the bow even with his left hand.  Arjuna, in great wrath, dispelled with his arrows that thick shower.  Then he of a hundred sacrifices beholding that shower baffled, once more caused a thicker shower of stones.  But the son of the chastiser of Paka (viz., Arjuna) gratified his father by baffling that shower also with his swift arrows.  Then Sakra, desirous of smiting down the son of Pandu, tore up with his hands a large peak from Mandara, with tall trees on it, and hurled it against him.  But Arjuna divided that mountain-peak into a thousand pieces by his swift-going and fire-mouthed arrows.  The fragments of that mountain, in falling through the skies, looked as if the sun and the moon and the planets, displaced from their positions fell down on earth.  That huge peak fell down upon that forest and by its fall killed numerous living creatures that dwelt in Khandava.’”

SECTION CCXXX

(Khandava-daha Parva continued)

“Vaisampayana said, ’Then the inhabitants of the forest of Khandava, the Danavas and Rakshasas and Nagas and wolves and bears and other wild animals, and elephants with rent temples, and tigers, and lions with manes and deer and buffaloes by hundreds, and birds, and various other creatures, frightened at the falling stones and extremely anxious, began to fly in all directions.  They saw the forest (burning all around) and Krishna and Arjuna also ready with their weapons.  Frightened at the terrible sounds that were audible there those creatures lost their power of movement.  Beholding the forest burning in innumerable places and Krishna also ready to smite them down with his weapons, they all set up a frightful roar.  With that terrible clamour as also with the roar of fire, the whole welkin resounded, as it were, with the voice of portentous clouds.  Kesava of dark hue and mighty arms, in order to compass their destruction, hurled at them his large and fierce discus resplendent with its own energy.  The forest-dwellers including the Danavas and the Rakshasas, afflicted by that weapon, were cut in hundreds of pieces and