the point of bearing fruit (laid low by a tempest).  Beholding those youthful princes brought up in every luxury, and resembling angry snakes of virulent poison, all slain by the single-handed Abhimanyu, Duryodhana was filled with fear.  Seeing (his) car-warriors and elephants and steeds and foot-soldiers crushed, the Kuru king quickly proceeded in wrath against Abhimanyu.  Continued for only a short space of time, the unfinished battle between them became exceedingly fierce.  Thy son then, afflicted with Abhimanyu’s arrows, was obliged to turn back from the fight.’

SECTION XLIV

“Dhritarashtra said, ’That which thou tellest me, O Suta, about the battle, fierce and terrible, between the one and the many, and the victory of that illustrious one, that story of the prowess of Subhadra’s son is highly wonderful and almost incredible.  I do not, however, regard it as a marvel that is absolutely beyond belief in the case of those that have righteousness for their refuge.  After Duryodhana was beaten back and a hundred princes slain, what course was pursued by the warriors of my army against the son of Subhadra?’

“Sanjaya said, ’Their mouths became dry, and eyes restless.  Sweat covered their bodies, and their hairs stood on their ends.  Despairing of vanquishing their foe, they became ready to leave the field.  Abandoning their wounded brothers and sires and sons and friends and relatives by marriage and kinsmen they fled, urging their steeds and elephants to their utmost speed.  Beholding them broken and routed, Drona and Drona’s son, and Vrihadvala, and Kripa, and Duryodhana, and Karna, and Kritavarman, and Suvala’s son (Sakuni), rushed in great wrath against the unvanquished son of Subhadra.  Almost all these, O king, were beaten back by thy grandson.  Only one warrior then, viz., Lakshmana, brought up in luxury, accomplished in arrows, endued with great energy, and fearless in consequence of inexperience and pride, proceeded against the son of Arjuna.  Anxious about his son, his father (Duryodhana) turned back for following him.  Other mighty car warriors, turned back for following Duryodhana.  All of them then drenched Abhimanyu with showers of arrows, like clouds pouring rain on the mountain-breast.  Abhimanyu, however, single-handed, began to crush them like the dry wind that blows in every direction destroying gathering masses of clouds.  Like one infuriated elephant encountering another, Arjuna’s son then encountered thy invincible grandson, Lakshmana, of great personal beauty, endued with great bravery, staying near his father with outstretched bow, brought up in every luxury, and resembling a second prince of the Yakshas[74].  Encountering Lakshmana, that slayer of hostile heroes, viz., the son of Subhadra, had his two arms and chest struck with his sharp shafts.  Thy grandson, the mighty-armed Abhimanyu then, filled with rage like a snake struck (with a rod), addressing,