dreadful in the extreme and resembled that between Vali and Vasava.  And staking their very lives, they began to pierce each other straight arrows shot from their fully-stretched bow-strings.  And a voice was heard in the sky applauding Drona, and saying, ’Difficult is the feat performed by Drona, inasmuch as he fighteth with Arjuna,—­that grinder of foes, that warrior endued with mighty energy, of firm grasp, and invincible in battle,—­that conqueror of both celestials and Daityas, that foremost of all car-warriors.’  And beholding Partha’s infallibility, training, fleetness of hand, and the range also of Arjuna’s, arrows, Drona became amazed.  And, O bull of the Bharata race, lifting up his excellent bow, the Gandiva the unforbearing Partha drew it now with one hand and now with another shot an arrowy shower.  And beholding that shower resembling a flight of locusts, the spectators wondering applauded him exclaiming, ‘Excellent’!  ‘Excellent’!  And so ceaselessly did he shoot his arrows that the very air was unable to penetrate the thick array.  And the spectators could not perceive any interval between the taking up of the arrows and letting them off.  And in that fierce encounter characterised by lightness of hand in the discharge of weapons, Partha began to shoot his arrows more quickly than before.  And then all at once hundreds and thousands of straight arrows fell upon Drona’s car.  And, O bull of the Bharata race, beholding Drona completely covered by the wielder of the Gandiva with his arrows, the Kuru army set up exclamation of ‘Oh’! and ‘Alas’!  And Maghavat, together with those Gandharvas and Apsaras that have come there, applauded the fleetness of Partha’s hand.  And that mighty car-warrior, the preceptor’s son, then resisted the Pandva with a mighty array of cars.  And although enraged with Arjuna, yet Aswatthaman mentally admired that feat of the high-souled son of Pritha.  And waxing wroth, he rushed towards Partha, and discharged at him an arrowy shower like a heavy down-pour by the cloud.  And turning his steeds towards Drona’s son, Partha gave Drona an opportunity to leave the field.  And thereupon the latter, wounded in that terrible encounter, and his mail and banner gone sped away by the aid of swift horses.’”

SECTION LIX

“Vaisampayana said, ’Then, O mighty king, Drona’s son rushed to an encounter with Arjuna in battle.  And beholding his rush to the conflict like a hurricane, showering shafts like a rain charged cloud Pritha’s son received him with a cloud of arrows.  And terrible was the encounter between them, like that between the gods and the Danavas.  And they shot arrows at each other like Virata and Vasava.  And the welkin being enveloped on all sides with arrows, the sun was completely hidden, and the air itself was hushed.  And, O conqueror of hostile cities, as they assailed and struck each other, loud sounds arose as of bamboos on fire.  And,