showers of sharp arrows on the invincible Abhimanyu.  And the heroic Karna, as if in contempt of his antagonist, also pierced the latter’s followers on the field of battle, with many excellent shafts of great sharpness.  The high-souled Abhimanyu, however, O king, desirous of proceeding against Drona, quickly pierced Radha’s son with three and seventy shafts.  No car-warrior of thy army succeeded at that time in obstructing the progress towards Drona, of Abhimanyu, who was the son of Indra’s son and who was afflicting all the foremost car-warriors of the Kaurava host.  Then Karna, the most honoured of all bowmen, desirous of obtaining victory, pierced the son of Subhadra with hundreds of arrows, displacing his best weapons.  That foremost of all persons conversant with weapons, that valiant disciple of Rama, by means of his weapons, thus afflicted Abhimanyu who was incapable of being defeated by foes.  Though afflicted in battle by Radha’s son with showers of weapons, still Subhadra’s son who resembled a very celestial (for prowess) felt no pain.  With his shafts whetted on stone and furnished with sharp points, the son of Arjuna, cutting off the bows of many heroic warriors, began to afflict Karna in return.  With shafts resembling snakes of virulent poison and shot from his bow drawn to a circle, Abhimanyu quickly cut off the umbrella, standard, the charioteer, and the steeds of Karna, smiling the while.  Karna then shot five straight arrows at Abhimanyu.  The son of Phalguna, however, received them fearlessly.  Endued with great valour and courage, the latter then, in a moment, with only a single arrow, cut off Karna’s bow and standard and caused them to drop down on the ground.  Beholding Karna in such distress, his younger brother, drawing the bow with great force, speedily proceeded against the son of Subhadra.  The Parthas then, and their followers uttered loud shouts and beat their musical instruments and applauded the son of Subhadra [for his heroism].’”

SECTION XXXIX

“Sanjaya said, ’Then the younger brother of Karna, uttering loud roars, bow in hand, and repeatedly stretching the bow-string, quickly placed himself between those two illustrious warriors.  And Karna’s brother, with ten shafts, pierced invincible Abhimanyu and his umbrella and standard and charioteer and steeds, smiling the while.  Beholding Abhimanyu thus afflicted with those arrows, although he had achieved those superhuman feats in the manner of his sire and grandsire, the warriors of thy army were filled with delight.  Then Abhimanyu, forcibly bending the bow and smiling the while, with one winged arrow cut off his antagonist’s head.  That head, severed from the trunk, fell down on the earth.  Beholding his brother slain and overthrown, like a Karnikara tree shaken and thrown down by the wind from the mountain top, Karna, O monarch, was filled with pain.  Meanwhile, the son of Subhadra, causing Karna by means of his arrows to turn away