and Sutasoma and then cut off the bows of both those
heroes. Next he pierced Dhrishtadyumna with six
arrows, and then, without the loss of a moment, he
slew in that encounter the steeds of that prince.
Having slain next the steeds of Satyaki, the Suta’s
son then slew Visoka, the son of the ruler of the
Kaikayas. Upon the slaughter of the Kaikaya prince,
the commander of the Kaikaya division, Ugrakarman,
rushed with speed and striking Prasena, the son of
Karna, with many shafts of fierce impetuosity caused
him to tremble. Then Karna, with three crescent-shaped
arrows, cut off the arms and the head of his son’s
assailant, whereupon the latter, deprived of life,
fell down upon the ground from his car, like a Sala
tree with its branches lopped off with an axe.
Then Prasena, with many keen arrows of straight course,
covered the steedless grandson of Sini, and seemed
to dance upon his car. Soon, however, the son
of Karna, struck by the grandson of Sini, fell down.
Upon the slaughter of his son, Karna, with heart filled
with rage, addressed that bull among the Sinis from
desire of slaying him, saying, “Thou art slain,
O grandson of Sini!’ and sped at him an arrow
capable of slaying all foes. Then Shikhandi cut
off that arrow with three shafts of his, and struck
Karna himself with three other shafts. The fierce
son of the Suta then, cutting off with a couple of
razor-faced arrows the bow and the standard of Shikhandi,
struck and pierced Shikhandi himself with six shafts,
and then cut off the head of Dhrishtadyumna’s
son. The high-souled son of Adhiratha then pierced
Sutasoma with a very keen shaft. During the progress
of that fierce battle, and after Dhrishtadyumna’s
son had been slain, Krishna, O lion among kings, addressed
Partha, saying, “The Pancalas are being exterminated.
Go, O Partha, and slay Karna.” Thus addressed
the mighty-armed Arjuna, that foremost of men, smiled
and then proceeded on his car towards the car of Adhiratha’s
son desirous, on that occasion of terror, of rescuing
the Pancalas slaughtered by Karna, that leader of
car-warriors. Stretching his Gandiva of loud
twang and fiercely striking his palms with her bow-string,
he suddenly created a darkness by means of his arrows
and destroyed large numbers of men and steeds and
cars and standards. The echoes (of that twang)
travelled through the welkin. The birds, (no
longer finding room in their own element), took shelter
in the caverns of mountains. With his full-drawn
bow, Arjuna looked resplendent. Indeed, as the
diadem-decked Partha, at that terrible moment, fell
upon the foe, Bhimasena, that foremost of heroes,
proceeded on his car behind that son of Pandu, protecting
his rear. Those two princes then, on their cars,
proceeded with great speed towards Karna, encountering
their foes along the way. During that interval,
the Suta’s son fought fiercely, grinding the
Somakas. He slew a large number of car-warriors
and steeds and elephants, and covered the ten points
of the compass with his shafts. Then Uttamauja