who had, lying (within his quiver) amid sandal-dust, that snake-mouthed celestial arrow decked with gold, equipped with goodly wings, and capable of slaying all foes, he who, disregarding those heroic and mighty car-warriors having Bhishma and Drona at their head, had acquired from Jamadagni’s son the terrible brahmastra, that mighty-armed one, who, having seen the warriors with Drona at their head afflicted with arrows and turn away from the field, had cut off with his keen shafts the bow of Subhadra’s son, he who, having in a trice deprived the invincible Bhimasena endued with the might of 10,000 elephants and the speed of the wind, of his car, had laughed at him,—­he who, having vanquished Sahadeva by means of his straight shafts and made him carless, slew him not from compassion and considerations of virtue,—­he who, with Shakra’s dart, slew that prince of rakshasas, Ghatotkaca, who from desire of victory, had invoked a 1,000 kinds of illusions,—­he whose feats in battle, filling Dhananjaya with fear, had made the latter for such a long period avoid a single combat with him,—­alas, how could that hero be slain in battle?  How could he be slain by foes unless one of these had happened to him viz., the destruction of his car, the snapping of his bow, and the exhaustion of his weapons?  Who could vanquish that tiger among men, like a real tiger, endued with great impetuosity, Karna, while shaking his formidable bow and shooting therefrom his terrible shafts and celestial weapons in battle?  Surely, his bow broke, or his car sank in the earth, or his weapons became exhausted, since thou tellest me that he is slain!  I do not, indeed, see any other cause for (explaining) his slaughter!  That high-souled one who had made the terrible vow “I will not wash my feet till I slay Phalguni,” that warrior through whose fear that bull among men, king Yudhishthira the just, had not, in the wilderness, for thirteen years continuously, obtained a wink of sleep,—­that high-souled hero of great prowess relying upon whose valour my son had forcibly dragged the wife of the Pandavas to the assembly, and there in the midst of that conclave, in the very sight of the Pandavas and in the presence of the Kurus, had addressed the princess of Pancala as the wife of slaves, that hero of the Suta caste, who in the midst of the assembly had addressed Krishna, saying, “All thy husbands, O Krishna, that are even like sesamum seeds without kernel, are no more, therefore, seek some other husband, O thou of the fairest complexion!” and in wrath had caused her to listen to other expressions equally harsh and rude, how was that hero slain by the foe?  He who had said unto Duryodhana even these words, viz., “If Bhishma who boasteth of his prowess in battle or Drona who is invincible in fight, doth not, from partiality, slay the sons of Kunti, O Duryodhana, even I will slay them all, let the fever of thy heart be dispelled!” who also said, “What will (Arjuna’s) gandiva and the two inexhaustible