thus covered by the intelligent king of the Vangas, the eyes of Ghatotkacha, O king, became red in anger.  And he ruled that huge dart, before upraised, at that elephant.  Struck, O king, with that dart hurled from the arms of Ghatotkacha, that elephant, covered with blood and in great agony, fell down and died.  The mighty king of the Vangas, however, quickly jumping down from that elephant, alighted on the ground.  Duryodhana then beholding the prince of elephants slain, and seeing also his troops broken and giving way, was filled with anguish.  From regard, however, for a Kshatriya’s duty[444] as also his own pride, the king, though defeated, stood firm like a hill.  Filled with wrath and aiming a sharp arrow that resembled the Yuga fire in energy, he sped it at that fierce wanderer of the night.  Beholding that arrow, blazing as Indra’s bolt, thus coursing towards him, the high-souled Ghatotkacha baffled it by the celerity of his movements.  With eyes red in wrath, he once more shouted fiercely, frightening all thy troops, like the clouds that appear at the end of the Yuga.  Hearing those fierce roars of the terrible Rakshasa, Bhishma the son of Santanu, approaching the preceptor, said these words, ’These fierce roars that are heard, uttered by Rakshasas, without doubt indicate that Hidimva’s son is battling with king Duryodhana.  That Rakshasa is incapable of being vanquished in battle by any creature.  Therefore, blessed be ye, go thither and protect the king.  The blessed Duryodhana hath been attacked by the high-souled Rakshasa.  Therefore, ye chastisers of foes, even this is our highest duty.[445]’ Hearing those words of the grandsire, those mighty car-warriors without loss of time and with the utmost speed, proceeded to the spot when the king of the Kurus was.  They met Duryodhana and Somadatta and Valhika and Jayadratha; and Kripa and Bhurisravas and Salya, and the two princes of Avanti along with Vrihadvala, and Aswatthaman and Vikarna, and Chitrasena and Vivinsati.  And many thousands of other car-warriors, including all those that followed them, proceeded, desirous of rescuing thy son Duryodhana who had been hotly pressed.  Beholding that invincible division protected by those mighty car-warriors, coming towards him with hostile intentions, that best of Rakshasas, viz., the mighty-armed Ghatotkacha, stood firm like the Mainaka mountain, with a huge bow in hand, and surrounded by his kinsmen armed with clubs and mallets and diverse other kinds of weapons.  Then commenced a fierce battle, making the hair stand on end, between those Rakshasas on the one side and that foremost of Duryodhana’s divisions on the other.  And the loud noise of twanging bows in that battle was heard, O king, on all sides resembling the noise made by burning bamboos.  And the din produced by the weapons falling upon the coats of mail of the combatants resembled, O king, the noise of splitting hills.  And the lances, O monarch, hurled by heroic arms, while coursing through