three huge elephants equipped with all kinds of weapons,
ridden by accomplished warriors, and adorned with lofty
standards, fell down lifeless on the ground like gigantic
cliffs riven by thunder. Then the third brother
of the Kulinda chief assailed thy son Duryodhana with
some excellent shafts in the centre of the chest.
Thy son, however, pierced him as also his elephant
with many whetted shafts. That prince of elephants
then, with the prince on his back, fell down, with
streams of blood issuing from every part of his body,
like a mountain of red chalk in the season of rains,
with red streams running down its breast, tumbling
down when riven by the thunder of Sachi’s lord.
The Kulinda prince, however, having saved himself in
time, rode another elephant. Urged by the prince,
that animal assailed Kratha with his driver and steeds
and car. Pierced, however, with Kratha’s
shafts, that elephant, with its rider, fell down like
a thunder-riven hill. The ruler of the Krathas,
that invincible car-warrior, however, struck with shafts
by the prince born on the mountains from the back of
another elephant, fell down with his steeds, driver,
bow, and standard, like a mighty tree uprooted by
the tempest. Then Vrika deeply pierced with a
dozen shafts that prince having his abode on the Himavat
as he stood on his elephant. The huge beast quickly
crushed with his four legs (the Kaurava warrior) Vrika
with his steeds and car. That prince of elephants
then, with its rider, deeply pierced by the son of
Vabhru, advanced impetuously against the latter.
Vabhru’s son, however, that prince of the Magadhas,
afflicted with arrows by Sahadeva’s son, fell
down. The prince of the Kulindas then, with that
elephant of his which was capable of slaying the foremost
of warriors with its tusks and body, rushed impetuously
towards Shakuni for slaying him. The mountaineer
succeeded in afflicting Shakuni greatly. Soon,
however, the chief of the Gandharas cut off his head.
About this time huge elephants and steeds and car-warriors
and large bands of foot, struck by Satanika, fell
down on the earth, paralysed and crushed like snakes
beaten by the tempest caused by Garuda’s wings.
Then a Kulinda warrior (on the Kaurava side), smiling
the while, pierced Satanika, the son of Nakula, with
many whetted arrows. Nakula’s son, however,
with a razor-headed arrow, cut off from his antagonist’s
trunk his head resembling a lotus. Then Karna’s
son pierced Satanika with three arrows, made wholly
of iron and Arjuna also with as many. And he pierced
Bhima with three arrows and Nakula with seven and
Janardana with a dozen. Beholding that feat of
Vrishasena, that achiever of superhuman feats, the
Kauravas became filled with joy and applauded him greatly.
They, however, that were conversant with Dhananjaya’s
prowess, regarded Vrishasena as a libation already
poured on the fire. The diadem-decked Arjuna then,
that slayer of hostile heroes, seeing Madri’s
son Nakula, that foremost of men, deprived of his