as the moon at full, and decked with large and expansive eyes of coppery hue.  There the arms, looking like spiked maces, with weapons in grasp, and smeared with excellent perfumes, of warriors delighting in battle and contending with uplifted weapons, are falling.  Steeds with eyes, tongues, and entrails drawn out along with their riders, are falling and fallen and deprived of life lie prostrate on the Earth.  Those lifeless elephants huge as mountain summits, torn, mangled, and pierced by Partha, are falling down like veritable hills.  Those cars, looking like the changeful forms of vapour in the sky, with their royal riders slain, are falling down like the celestial cars of the denizens of heaven upon the exhaustion of the latter’s merits.  Behold, the army is exceedingly agitated by the diadem-decked Arjuna, like herds of countless cattle by a maned lion.  There the Pandava heroes, advancing for the attack, are slaying kings and large numbers of elephants and steeds and car-warriors and foot-soldiers of thy army engaged in battle.  There Partha, shrouded (by friends and foes and weapons and dust) is not to be seen, like the Sun shrouded by clouds.  Only the top of his standard may be seen and the twang of his bow-string may be heard.  Thou art sure, O Karna, to behold today that hero of white steed with Krishna for his driver, engaged in slaughtering his foes in battle.  Thou art sure of beholding him about whom thou hadst been enquiring.  Today, O Karna, thou art sure to behold those two tigers among men, both of red eyes, both chastisers of foes, viz., Vasudeva and Arjuna, stationed on the same car.  If, O son of Radha, thou succeedest in slaying him that hath Keshava for his driver and Gandiva for his bow, then thou shalt be our king.  Challenged by the samsaptakas, Partha now proceedeth against them.  That mighty warrior is engaged in making a great slaughter of his foes in battle.”  Unto the ruler of the Madras who was saying so, Karna, in rage, said, “Behold, Partha is assailed on all sides by the angry samsaptakas.  Like the Sun shrouded by the clouds, Partha is no longer visible.  Plunged, into that ocean of warriors, O Shalya, Arjuna is sure to perish.”

“’Shalya said, “Who is there that would slay Varuna with water, or quench fire with fuel?  Who is there that would seize the wind, or drink off the ocean?  I regard thy act of afflicting Partha to be even such.  Arjuna is incapable of being vanquished in battle by the very gods and the Asuras united together and having Indra himself at their head.  Or, suffer thyself to be gratified, and be of easy mind, having said those words (about thy capacity to slay Partha) Partha cannot be conquered in battle.  Accomplish some other purpose thou mayst have in thy mind.  He that would uplift this Earth on his two arms, or burn all creatures in wrath, or hurl the gods from heaven, may vanquish Arjuna in battle.  Behold that other heroic son of Kunti, viz., Bhima, who is never fatigued with