son of Kunti I swooned away!  I sat down on the side of the car.  And, O thou descendant of the Bharata race, seeing me deprived of consciousness on the car, and as if dead, my entire host exclaimed Oh! and Alas!  And 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 Danvas 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 sight altogether.  Then those foremost of heroes of the Vrishni race who were of my army were, struck with panic, and all on a sudden began to fly in all directions.  And beholding me in that plight, O king, the heaven, the firmament, and the earth were filled with exclamation