being which was always adored by the son of Pandu, and which was capable of vanquishing the very gods and the Asuras.  Beholding that shaft grasped by Partha in that battle, the entire universe shook with its mobile and immobile creatures.  Indeed, seeing that weapon raised (for being sped) in that dreadful battle, the Rishis loudly cried out, “Peace be to the universe!” The wielder of Gandiva then fixed on his bow that unrivalled arrow, uniting it with a high and mighty weapon.  Drawing his bow Gandiva, he quickly said, “Let this shaft of mine be like a mighty weapon capable of quickly destroying the body and heart of my enemy, if I have ever practised ascetic austerities, gratified my superiors, and listened to the counsels of well-wishers.  Let this shaft, worshipped by me and possessed of great sharpness, slay my enemy Karna by that Truth.”  Having said these words Dhananjaya let off that terrible shaft for the destruction of Karna, that arrow fierce and efficacious as a rite prescribed in the Atharvan of Angiras, blazing with effulgence, and incapable of being endured by Death himself in battle.  And the diadem-decked Partha, desirous of slaying Karna, with great cheerfulness, said, “Let this shaft conduce to my victory.  Shot by me, let this arrow possessed of the splendour of fire or the sun take Karna to the presence of Yama.”  Saying these words, Arjuna, decked with diadem and garlands, cherishing feelings of hostility towards Karna and desirous of slaying him, cheerfully struck his foe with that foremost of shafts which was possessed of the splendour of the sun or the moon and capable of bestowing victory.  Thus sped by that mighty warrior, that shaft endued with the energy of the sun caused all the points of the compass to blaze up with light.  With that weapon Arjuna struck off his enemy’s head like Indra striking off the head of Vritra with his thunder.  Indeed, O king, with that excellent Anjalika weapon inspired with mantras into a mighty weapon, the son of Indra cut off the head of Vaikartana in the afternoon.  Thus cut off with that Anjalika, the trunk of Karna fell down on the earth.  The head also of that commander of the (Kaurava) army, endued with splendour equal to that of the risen sun and resembling the meridian sun of autumn, fell down on the earth like the sun of bloody disc dropped down from the Asta hills.  Indeed, that head abandoned with great unwillingness the body, exceedingly beautiful and always nursed in luxury, of Karna of noble deeds, like an owner abandoning with great unwillingness his commodious mansion filled with great wealth.  Cut off with Arjuna’s arrow, and deprived of life, the tall trunk of Karna endued with great splendour, with blood issuing from every wound, fell down like the thunder-riven summit of a mountain of red chalk with crimson streams running down its sides after a shower.  Then from that body of the fallen Karna a light passing through the welkin penetrated the sun.  This wonderful sight, O king, was beheld by the human