pressing them down into the earth.  The invincible son of Duhsasan, then, O sire, taking up his mace, rushed at Abhimanyu. saying, ‘Wait, Wait!’ Then those cousins, those two heroes, with upraised maces, began to strike each other, desirous of achieving each other’s death, like three-eyed (Mahadeva) and (the Asura) Andhaka in the days of old.  I ach of those chastisers of foes, struck with the other’s mace-ends fell down on the earth, like two uprooted standards erected to the honour of Indra.  Then Duhsasana’s son, that enhancer of the fame of the Kurus, rising up first, struck Abhimanyu with the mace on the crown of his head, as the latter, was on the point of rising.  Stupefied with the violence of that stroke as also with the fatigue he had undergone, that slayer of hostile hosts, viz., the son of Subhadra, fell on the earth, deprived of his senses.  Thus, O king, was one slain by many in battle,—­one who had ground the whole army, like an elephant grinding lotus-stalks in a lake.  As he lay dead on the field, the heroic Abhimanyu looked like a wild elephant slain by the hunters, The fallen hero was then surrounded by thy troops.  And he looked like an extinguished fire in the summer season after (as it lies) having consumed a whole forest, or like a tempest divested of its fury after having crushed mountain crests;[80] or like the sun arrived at the western hills after having blasted with his heat the Bharata host; or like Soma swallowed up by Rahu; or like the ocean reft of water.  The mighty car-warriors of thy army beholding Abhimanyu whose face had the splendour of the full moon, and whose eyes were rendered beautiful in consequence of lashes black as the feathers of the raven, lying prostrate on the bare earth, were filled with great joy.  And they repeatedly uttered leonine shouts.  Indeed, O monarch, thy troops were in transports of joy, while tears fell fast from the eyes of the Pandava heroes.  Beholding the heroic Abhimanyu lying on the field of battle, like the moon dropped from the firmament, diverse creatures, O king, in the welkin, said aloud, ’Alas, this one lieth on the field, slain, while fighting singly, by six mighty car-warriors of the Dhartarashtra army, headed by Drona and Karna.  This act hath been, we hold, an unrighteous one.’  Upon the slaughter of that hero, the earth looked exceedingly resplendent like the star-bespangled firmament with the moon.  Indeed, the earth was strewn with shafts equipped with wings of gold, and covered with waves of blood.  And strewn with the beautiful heads of heroes, decked with ear-rings and variegated turbans of great value, and banner and yak-tails and beautiful blankets, and begemmed weapons of great efficacy, and the bright ornaments of cars and steeds, and men and elephants, and sharp and well-tempered swords, looking like snakes freed from their sloughs, and bows, and broken shafts, and darts, and swords, and lances, and Kampanas, and diverse other kinds of weapons, she assumed a beautiful aspect.  And in consequence