every exertion, the heroic charioteer of Sakra was well-pleased.  And oppressed by those steeds and that car, some (of them) met with annihilation; and others desisted from fight; while (other) Nivata-Kavachas, challenged by us in battle and being harassed with shafts offered opposition unto me, by (discharging) mighty showers of arrows.  Thereupon, with hundreds and thousands of sundry fleet weapons inspired with the mantras relating to Brahma’s weapons, I swiftly began to burn them.  And being sore pressed by me, those mighty asuras waxing wroth afflicted me together, by pouring torrents of clubs and darts and swords.  Then, O Bharata, I took up that favourite weapon of the lord of the celestials, Maghavan by name, prime and of fiery energy and by the energy of that weapon I cut into a thousand pieces the Tomaras, together with the swords and the tridents hurled by them.  And having cut off their arms I in ire pierced 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