The valiant son of Vasava, however, with his arrows, cut off those arrowy showers of Bhagadatta before they could reach him.  The king of the Pragjyotishas, then, baffling that arrowy shower of Arjuna, struck both Partha and Krishna, O king, with many shafts and overwhelming both of them with a thick shower of shafts, Bhagadatta then urged his elephant for the destruction of Krishna and Partha.  Beholding that angry elephant advancing like Death himself, Janardana quickly moved his car in such a way as to keep the elephant on his left.  Dhananjaya, although he thus got the opportunity of slaying that huge elephant with its rider from the back, wished not yet to avail himself of it, remembering the rules of fair fight.  The elephant, however, coming upon other elephants and cars and steeds, O king, despatched them all to Yama’s abode.  Beholding this, Dhananjaya was filled with rage.

SECTION XXVII

“Dhritarashtra said, ’Filled with rage, what did Partha, the son of Pandu, do to Bhagadatta?  What also did the king of the Pragjyotishas do to Partha?  Tell me all this, O Sanjaya!’

“Sanjaya said, ’While Partha and Krishna were thus engaged with the ruler of the Pragjyotishas, all creatures regarded them to be very near the jaws of Death.  Indeed, O monarch, from the neck of his elephant, Bhagadatta scattered showers of shafts on the two Krishnas, staying upon their car.  He pierced Devaki’s son with many arrows made wholly of black iron, equipped with wings of gold, whetted on stone, and shot from his bow, drawn to the fullest stretch.  Those shafts whose touch resembled that of fire, equipped with beautiful feathers, and shot by Bhagadatta, passing through Devaki’s son, entered the earth.  Partha then cut off Bhagadatta’s bow and slaying next the warrior that protected his elephant from the flank, began to fight with him as if in sport.  Then Bhagadatta hurled at him fourteen lances of sharp points, that were bright as the rays of the sun.  Arjuna, however, cut each of those lances into three fragments.  Then Indra’s son cut open the armour in which that elephant was eased, by means of a thick shower of arrows.  The armour thus cut off, fell down on the earth.  Exceedingly afflicted with arrows shot by Arjuna, that elephant, deprived of its coat of mail, looked like a prince of mountains destitute of its cloudy robes and with streaks of water running down its breast.  Then the ruler of the Pragjyotishas hurled at Vasudeva a dart made wholly of iron and decked with gold.  That dart Arjuna cut in twain.  Then cutting off the king’s standard and umbrella by means of his arrows Arjuna quickly pierced that ruler of the mountainous realms with ten arrows, smiling all the while.  Deeply pierced with those shafts of Arjuna, that were beautifully winged with Kanka feathers, Bhagadatta, O monarch, became incensed with the son of Pandu.  He then hurled some lances at Arjuna’s head