viz., the old Sindhu king, may not know that it is done.  Truly, O Arjuna, there is nothing in the three worlds which thou canst not achieve or do, O son of Vasava!’ Hearing these words (of Krishna), Dhananjaya, licking the corners of his mouth, quickly shot that arrow which he had taken up for Jayadratha’s slaughter, that arrow, viz., whose touch resembled that of Indra’s thunder, which was inspired with mantras and converted into a celestial weapon, which was capable of bearing any strain, and which had always been worshipped with incense and garlands.  That shaft, sped from Gandiva, coursing swiftly, snatched Jayadratha’s head away, like a hawk snatching away a smaller bird from the top of a tree.  Dhananjaya, then, with his shafts, sent that head along in the welkin (without allowing it to fall down).  For grieving his foes and gladdening his friends, the son of Pandu, by shooting his shafts repeatedly at it, sent that head outside the limits of Samantapanchaka.  Meanwhile, king Vriddhakshatra, the father of thy son-in-law, endued with great energy, was, O sire, engaged in his evening prayers.  Decked with black locks and adorned with ear-rings, that head of Jayadratha was thrown upon Vriddhakshatra’s lap, as the latter was saying his prayers in a sitting posture.  Thus thrown on his lap, that head decked with car-rings, O chastiser of foes, was not seen by king Vriddhakshatra.  As the latter, however, stood up after finishing his prayers it suddenly fell down on the earth.  And as the head of Jayadratha fell down on the earth, the head of Vriddhakshatra, O chastiser of foes, cracked into a hundred pieces.  At the sight of this, all creatures were filled with wonder.  And all of them applauded Vasudeva and the mighty Vibhatsu.

“After, O king, the ruler of the Sindhus had been slain by the diadem-decked Arjuna, that darkness, O bull of Bharata’s race, was withdrawn by Vasudeva.  Thy sons with their followers, O king, thus, came to know subsequently that the darkness, they had seen, had all been an illusion produced by Vasudeva.  Even thus, O king, was thy son-in-law, the ruler of the Sindhus, having caused eight Akshauhinis to be slaughtered, himself slain by Partha of inconceivable energy.  Beholding Jayadratha, the ruler of the Sindhus slain, tears of sorrow fell from the eyes of thy sons.  After Jayadratha, O king, had been slain by Partha, Kesava blew his conch and that scorcher of foes, viz., the mighty-armed Arjuna also blew his; Bhimasena also, in that battle, as if for sending a message to Yudhishthira, filled the welkin with a tremendous leonine shout.  Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma, bearing that tremendous shout understood that the ruler of the Sindhus had been slain by the high-souled Phalguna.  With sounds of drums and other instruments he gladdened the warriors of his own army, and proceeded against the son of Bharadwaja from desire of battle.  Then commenced, O king, after the sun had set, a fierce battle between Drona