falling fast, resembled a stony shower.  And the headless trunk of elephant-riders on the necks of the beasts they rode, looked like headless trees on mountain summits.  And we beheld mighty elephants felled and falling, slain by Dhrishtadyumna, the high-souled son of Prishata.  Then the ruler of the Magadhas, in that battle, urged his elephant resembling Airavata himself, towards the car of Subhadra’s son.  Beholding that mighty elephant advancing towards him, that slayer of hostile heroes, the brave son of Subhadra, slew it with a single shaft.  And when the ruler of the Magadhas was thus deprived of his elephant, that conqueror of hostile cities viz., the son of Krishna, then struck off that king’s head with a broad-headed shaft with silver wings.  And Bhimasena, the son of Pandu, having penetrated that elephant division, began to wander over the field, crushing those beasts around him like Indra himself crushing the mountains.  And we beheld elephants slain in that battle by Bhimasena, each with only one stroke (of his mace), like hills riven by thunder.  And many elephants, huge as hills, were slain there, having their tusks broken or temples, or bones, or backs, or frontal globes.  And others, O king, deprived of life, lay there with foaming mouths.  And many mighty elephants, with frontal globes completely smashed, vomited large quantities of blood.  And some, from fear, laid themselves down on the ground like (so many) hillocks.  And smeared with the fat and blood (of elephants) and almost bathed in their marrow, Bhima wandered over the field like the Destroyer himself, club in hand.  And Vrikodara, whirling that mace of his which was wet with the blood of elephants, became terrible and awful to behold, like the wielder of Pinaka armed with Pinaka.[381] And those huge tuskers, while (thus) crushed by the angry Bhima, suddenly fled away, afflicted, crushing thy own ranks.  And these mighty bowmen and car-warriors, headed by Subhadra’s son (all the while) protected that battling hero whirling his gory mace[382] wet with the blood of elephants, like the celestials protecting the wielder of the thunder-bolt.  Of terrible soul, Bhimasena then looked like the Destroyer. himself.  Indeed, O Bharata, putting forth his strength on all sides, mace in arms, we beheld Bhimasena then to resemble Sankara himself dancing (at the end of the Yuga), and his fierce, heavy, and sounding mace to resemble the club of Yama and possessed of the sound of Indra’s bolt.  And that gory mace of his, smeared with marrow and hair, resembled (also) the angry Rudra’s Pinaka while he is engaged in destroying all creatures.  As a herdsman chastises his herd of cattle with a goad, so did Bhima smite that elephant division with that mace of his.  And while thus slaughtered by Bhima with his mace and with shafts (by those that protected his rear), the elephants ran on all sides, crushing the cars of thy own army.  Then driving away those elephants from the field like a mighty wind driving away masses of clouds, Bhima stood there like wielder of the trident on a crematorium.”