of Kosalas with eight shafts made wholly of iron.  He succeeded not, however, in making the ruler of the Kosalas to tremble, and, therefore, he once more pierced him with many arrows.  And Phalguni’s son then cut off Vrihadvala’s bow, and struck him again with thirty arrows winged with feathers of the Kanka bird.  Prince Vrihadvala then, taking up another bow, angrily pierced the son of Phalguni in that battle with many arrows.  Verily, O scorcher of foes, the battle, for Bhishma’s sake, that took place between them, both excited with rage and both conversant with every mode of fight, was like the encounter of Vali and Vasava in days of old on the occasion of the battle between the gods and the Asuras.

“Bhimasena, fighting against the elephant-division, looked highly resplendent like Sakra armed with the thunder after splitting large mountains.[481] Indeed, elephants, huge as hills, slaughtered by Bhimasena in battle, fell down in numbers on the field, filling the earth with their shrieks.  Resembling massive heaps of antimony, and of mountain-like proportions, those elephants with frontal globes split open, lying prostrate on the earth, seemed like mountains strewn over the earth’s surface.  The mighty bowman Yudhishthira, protected by a large force, afflicted the ruler of the Madras, encountering him in that dreadful battle.  The ruler of the Madras, in return, displaying his prowess for the sake of Bhishma, afflicted the son of Dharma, that mighty car-warrior, in battle.  The king of Sindhus, having pierced Virata with nine straight arrows of keen points, once more struck him with thirty.  Virata, however, O king, that commander of a large division, struck Jayadratha in the centre of his chest with thirty shafts of keen points.  The ruler of the Matsyas and the ruler of the Sindhus, both armed with beautiful bows and beautiful scimitars, both decked with handsome coats of mail and weapons and standards, and both of beautiful forms looked resplendent in that battle.

“Drona, encountering Dhrishtadyumna the prince of the Panchalas in dreadful battle, fought fiercely with his straight shafts.  Then Drona, O king, having cut off the large bow of Prishata’s son, pierced him deeply with fifty arrows.  Then that slayer of hostile heroes, viz., the son of Prishata, taking up another bow, sped at Drona who was contending with him, many arrows.  The mighty car-warrior Drona however, cut off all those arrows, striking them with his own.  And then Drona sped at Drupada’s son five fierce shafts.  Then that slayer of hostile heroes, viz., the son of Prishata, excited with rage, hurled at Drona in that battle a mace resembling the rod of Death himself.  Drona however, with fifty arrows checked that mace decked with gold as it coursed impetuously towards him.  Thereupon that mace, cut into fragments, O king, by those shafts shot from Drona’s bow, fell down on the earth.  Then that scorcher of foes, viz., the son of Prishata, beholding his mace baffled, hurled at Drona an excellent dart made wholly of iron.  Drona, however, O Bharata, cut that dart with nine shafts in that battle and then afflicted that great bowman, viz., the son of Prishata.  Thus took place, O king, that fierce and awful battle between Drona and the son of Prishata, for the sake of Bhishma.