against that mighty Pandava host which he began to slaughter, like Vala rushing against the celestial host.  Attacked in battle by that Rakshasa of terrible mien, the slaughter was very great, O sire, that took place amongst those troops.  Exhibiting his prowess, the Rakshasa began to rout that vast force of the Pandavas, with thousands of arrows.  Thus slaughtered by that Rakshasa of terrible visage, the Pandava army fled away from excess of fear.  Grinding that army like an elephant grinding lotus-stalks, the mighty Rakshasa then rushed in battle against the sons of Draupadi.  Then those great bowmen, accomplished in fighting, viz., the sons of Draupadi, rushed towards the Rakshasa in battle like five planets rushing against the Sun.  That best of Rakshasa then was afflicted by those brothers endued with great energy, like the Moon afflicted by the five planets of the awful occasion of the dissolution of the world.  Then the mighty Prativindhya quickly pierced the Rakshasa with whetted shafts, sharp as battle-axes and furnished with points capable of penetrating every armour.  Thereupon that foremost of Rakshasas, with his armour pierced through, looked like a mass of clouds penetrated by the rays of the Sun.  Pierced with these shafts furnished with golden wings, Rishyasringa’s son, O king, looked resplendent like a mountain with blazing crests.  Then those five brothers in that great battle, pierced that foremost of Rakshasas with many whetted shafts of golden wings.  Pierced with those terrible shafts resembling angry snakes, Alamvusha, O king, became inflamed with rage like the king of the serpents himself.  Deeply pierced, O king, within only a few moments, O sire, by those great car-warriors, the Rakshasa, much afflicted, remained senseless for a long while.  Regaining his consciousness then, and swelling through rage to twice his dimensions, he cut off their arrows and standards and bows.  And as if smiling the while he struck each of them with five arrows.  Then that mighty Rakshasa and great car-warrior, Alamvusha, excited with wrath, and as if dancing on the terrace of his car, quickly slew the steeds, and then the charioteers, of those five illustrious adversaries of his.  And burning with rage he once more pierced them with sharp arrows of diverse shades by hundreds and thousands.  Then that wanderer of the night, viz., the Rakshasa Alamvusha, having deprived those great bowmen of their cars, rushed impetuously at them, wishing to despatch them to Yama’s abode.  Beholding them (thus) afflicted in battle by that wicked-souled Rakshasa, the son of Arjuna rushed at him.  Then the battle that took place between him and the cannibal resembled that between Vritra and Vasava.  And the mighty car-warriors of thy army, as also of the Pandavas, all became spectators of that engagement.  Encountering each other in fierce battle, blazing with wrath, endued with great might, and with eyes red in rage, each beheld the other in that battle to resemble the Yuga fire.  And that engagement between them became fierce and awful like that between Sakra and Samvara in days of old in the battle between the gods and Asuras.”