head. And with delighted soul and laughing the
while, that mighty-armed warrior, piercing Jalasandha
with three arrows, despatched him to Yama’s abode.
And next, smiting Sushena, he sent him to the presence
of Death’s self. And with a single broad-headed
shaft he felled on the ground the head, handsome as
the moon, of Ugra, decked with turban and adorned
with ear-rings. And in that battle, Pandu’s
son Bhima, with seventy shafts, despatched Viravahu
to the other world with his steeds and standard and
charioteer. And smiling the while, O king, Bhimasena
quickly despatched both the brothers Bhima and Bhimaratha
also to Yama’s abode. And then in that great
battle in the very sight of all the troops, with an
arrow of horse-shoe head Bhima despatched Sulochana
also to Death’s domain. Then the rest of
thy sons that were there, O king, beholding the prowess
of Bhimasena and while thus being struck by that illustrious
warrior, all fled from battle from fear of Bhima.
Then Santanu’s son, addressing all the mighty
car-warriors (of his army) said, ’That fierce
bowman, Bhima, excited with wrath in battle, is slaying
the mighty sons of Dhritarashtra and other heroic
car-warriors united together, whatever their knowledge
of weapons, and whatever their bravery. Therefore,
seize ye all that son of Pandu’. Thus addressed,
all the troops of the Dhritarashtra army, excited with
rage, rushed towards Bhimasena endued with great might,
And Bhagadatta, O king, on his elephant of rent temples,
suddenly rushed thither where Bhimasena was stationed.
And thither to the combat, he shrouded Bhima with his
shafts whetted on stone so as to make him completely
invisible, like the clouds covering the sun.
Those mighty car-warriors, however, (of the Pandava
army), relying on the prowess of their own arms, could
not bear that shrouding of Bhima (with the arrowy
showers of Bhagadatta). They, therefore, surrounding
Bhagadatta on all sides, poured on him their arrowy
down-pours. And they pierced his elephant also
with showers of shafts. And struck by all those
mighty car-warriors with showers of fierce shafts
of diverse kinds that elephant, O king, of the ruler
of the Pragjyotishas with blood trickling down his
body, became beautiful to behold on the field of battle
like a mass of clouds tinged with the rays of the
sun. And that elephant with temporal juice trickling
down urged by Bhagadatta, like the Destroyer, ran
with double his former speed, shaking the very earth
with his tread. Then all those mighty car-warriors,
beholding that terrible mien of the animal, and regarding
it irresistible, became cheerless. Then king
Bhagadatta, that tiger among men, excited with rage,
struck Bhimasena between his two breasts with a straight
shaft. Deeply pierced by the king with that shaft,
that great bowman and mighty car-warrior, with limbs
deprived of sensation in consequence of a swoon, sat
down on his car, holding his flagstaff. And beholding
those mighty car-warriors terrified and Bhimasena in