of thy sons, viz., the mighty and fight-handed Karna, never vanquished in battle, O bull of Bharata’s race, began, with clouds of shafts, to resist that force on all sides.  The Pandavas also fought with the foe, shooting showers of shafts.  Shaking their hundreds and thousands of bows they fought with Radha’s son, like the Daityas of old fighting with Sakra.  The mighty Karna, however, with a dense arrowy shower of his own dispelled that downpour of arrows caused by those lords of earth on all sides.  The battle that took place between them, and in which each party counteracted the feats of the other,’ resembled the encounter between Sakra and the Danavas in the great battle fought of yore between the gods and the Asuras.  The lightness of arm that we then behold of the Suta’s son was wonderful in the extreme, inasmuch as, all his foes, fighting resolutely, could not strike him in that battle.  Checking the clouds of arrows shot by the (hostile) king, that mighty car-warrior, viz., Radha’s son, sped terrible arrows marked with his own name at the yokes, the shafts, the umbrellas, the cars, and the steeds (of his foes).  Then those kings, afflicted by Karna and losing their coolness, began to wander on the field like a herd of kine afflicted with cold.  Struck by Karna, large numbers of steeds and elephants and car-warriors were seen there to drop down deprived of life.  The whole field, O king, became strewn with the fallen heads and arms of unreturning heroes.  With the dead, the dying, and the wailing warriors, the field of battle, O monarch, assumed the aspect of Yama’s domain.  Then Duryodhana, O king, witnessing the prowess of Karna, repaired to Aswatthaman and addressing him, said, ’Behold, Karna, clad in mail, is engaged with all the (hostile) kings.  Behold, the hostile army, afflicted with the arrows of Karna, is being routed like the Asura army overwhelmed with the energy of Kartikeya.  Seeing his army vanquished in battle by that intelligent Karna, yonder cometh Vibhatsu from desire of slaying the Suta’s son.  Let such steps, therefore, be taken as may prevent the son of Pandu from slaying that mighty car-warrior viz., Suta’s son, in the very sight of us all.’ (Thus addressed), Drona’s son, and Kripa, and Salya, and that great car-warrior, viz., the son of Hridika, beholding the son of Kunti coming (towards them) like Sakra himself towards the Daitya host, all advanced against Partha for rescuing the Suta’s son.  Meanwhile, Vibhatsu, O monarch, surrounded by the Panchala I advanced against Karna, like Purandara proceeding against the Asura Vritra.’[210]

“Dhritarashtra said, ’Beholding Phalguna excited with fury and looking like the Destroyer himself, as he appears at the end of the Yuga what, O Suta, did Vikartana’s son Karna do next?  Indeed, the mighty car-warrior Karna, the son of Vikartana, had always challenged Partha.  Indeed, he had always said that he was competent to vanquish the terrible Vibhatsu.  What then, O Suta, did that warrior do when he thus suddenly met his ever deadly foe?’[211]