locusts, coming towards his car, did not tremble.
On the other hand, that illustrious warrior crushed
all those arrows with arrows of his own. The warriors
that were present there, as also the Siddhas in the
firmament, were highly pleased at sight of that wonderful
and incredible feat of Sutasoma, inasmuch as he contended
on foot with Shakuni staying in his car. Then
Shakuni, with a number of broad-headed shafts of great
impetuosity, keen and perfectly straight, cut off,
O king, the bow of Sutasoma as also all his quivers.
Bowless, and carless, Sutasoma then, uplifting a scimitar
of the hue of the blue lotus and equipped with an
ivory handle, uttered a loud shout. That scimitar
of the intelligent Sutasoma of the hue of the clear
sky, as it was whirled by that hero, was regarded
by Shakuni to be as fatal as the rod of Death.
Armed with that scimitar he suddenly began to career
in circles over the arena, displaying, O monarch,
the fourteen different kinds of manoeuvres, endued
as he was with skill and might. Indeed, he displayed
in that battle all those motions such as wheeling
about and whirling on high, and making side-thrusts
and jumping forward and leaping on high and running
above and rushing forward and rushing upwards.
The valiant son of Subala then sped a number of arrows
at his foe, but the latter quickly cut them off with
that excellent scimitar of his as they coursed towards
him. Filled with rage (at this), the son of Subala,
O king, once more sped at Sutasoma a number of shafts
that resembled snakes of virulent poison. Aided
by his skill and might, Sutasoma cut off even these
with his scimitar, displaying his great activity,
and possessed as he was of prowess equal to that of
Garuda himself. With a razor-headed arrow of
great sharpness, Shakuni then, O king, cut off that
bright scimitar of his adversary as the latter careered
in circles before him. Thus cut off, (half of)
that large scimitar suddenly fell down on the Earth,
while half of it, O Bharata, continued in the grasp
of Sutasoma. Seeing his sword cut off, the mighty
car-warrior Sutasoma retreated six steps and then
hurled that half (of the scimitar) which he had in
his grasp at his foe. The fragment decked with
gold and gems, cutting off the bow, with string, of
the illustrious Shakuni, quickly fell down on the Earth.
Then Sutasoma went to the great car of Srutakirti.
Subala’s son also, taking up another formidable
and invincible bow, proceeded towards the Pandava army,
slaying large numbers of foes (on the way). Beholding
the son of Subala careering fearlessly in battle,
a loud uproar, O king, arose among the Pandavas in
that part of the army. People witnessed those
large and proud divisions bristling with arms, routed
by the illustrious son of Subala. Even as the
chief of the celestials crushed the Daitya army, the
son of Subala destroyed that army of the Pandavas.’”
26