of life, began to measure their lengths on the ground,
like full-grown Himalayan elephants clad in mails
of black steel decked with gold. And like unto
a raging fire consuming a forest at the close of summer,
that foremost of men, wielding the Gandiva, ranged
the field in all directions, slaying his foes in battle
thus. And as the wind rangeth at will, scattering
masses of clouds and fallen leaves in the season of
spring, so did that foremost of car-warriors—Kiritin—ranged
in that battle, scattering all his foes before him.
And soon slaying the red steeds yoked unto the car
of Sangramajit, the brother of Vikatana’s son,
that hero decked in diadem and endued with great vigour
then cut off his antagonist’s head by a crescent-shaped
arrow. And when his brother was slain, Vikartana’s
son of the Suta caste, mustering all his prowess,
rushed at Arjuna, like a huge elephant with out-stretched
tusks, or like a tiger at a mighty bull. And
the son of Vikarna quickly pierced the son of Pandu
with twelve shafts and all his steeds also in every
part of their bodies and Virata’s son too in
his hand. And rushing impetuously against Vikarna’s
son who was suddenly advancing against him, Kiritin
attacked him fiercely like Garuda of variegated plumage
swooping down upon a snake. And both of them
were foremost of bowmen, and both were endued with
great strength, and both were capable of slaying foes.
And seeing that an encounter was imminent between
them, the Kauravas, anxious to witness it, stood aloof
as lookers on. And beholding the offender Karna,
the son of Pandu, excited to fury, and glad also at
having him, soon made him, his horses, his car, and
car-driver invisible by means of a frightful shower
of countless arrows. And the warriors of the Bharatas
headed by Bhishma, with their horses, elephants, and
cars, pierced by Kiritin and rendered invisible by
means of his shafts, their ranks also scattered and
broken, began to wail aloud in grief. The illustrious
and heroic Karna, however counteracting with numberless
arrows of his own those shafts by Arjuna’s hand,
soon burst forth in view with bow and arrows like
a blazing fire. And then there arose the sound
of loud clapping of hands, with the blare of conchs
and trumpets and kettle-drums made by the Kurus while
they applauded Vikartana’s son who filled the
atmosphere with the sound of his bow-string flapping
against his fence. And beholding Kiritin filling
the air with the twang of Gandiva, and the upraised
tail of the monkey that constituted his flag and that
terrible creature yelling furiously from the top of
his flagstaff, Karna sent forth a loud roar.
And afflicting by means of his shafts, Vikartana’s
son along with his steeds, car and car-driver, Kiritin
impetuously poured an arrowy shower on him, casting
his eyes on the grandsire and Drona and Kripa.
And Vikartana’s son also poured upon Partha a
heavy shower of arrows like a rain-charged cloud.
And the diadem-decked Arjuna also covered Karna with