capable of bearing a great strain, and competent to pierce the very mountains.  Forcibly drawing the bow-string to his very ear, the son of the Wind-god, that great bowman, filled with wrath and desirous of making an end of Karna, sped that shaft.  Thus sped by the mighty Bhima, that shaft, making a noise loud as that of the thunder, pierced through thunderbolt Karna in that battle, like the thunderbolt itself piercing through a mountain.  Struck by Bhimasena, O perpetuator of Kuru’s race, the Suta’s son, that commander (of thy forces), sat down senseless on the terrace of his car.  The ruler of the Madras then, beholding the Suta’s son deprived of his senses, bore that ornament of battle away on his car, from that fight.  Then after Karna’s defeat, Bhimasena began to rout the vast Dhartarashtra host like Indra routing the danavas.’”

51

“Dhritarashtra said, ’Exceedingly difficult of accomplishment was that feat, O Sanjaya, which was achieved by Bhima who caused the mighty-armed Karna himself to measure his length on the terrace of his car.  There is only one person, Karna, who will slay the Pandavas along with the Srinjayas—­even this is what Duryodhana, O Suta, used very often to say unto me.  Beholding, however, that son of Radha now defeated by Bhima in battle, what did my son Duryodhana next do?’

“Sanjaya said, ’Beholding Radha’s son of the Suta caste turned back from the fight in that great battle, thy son, O monarch, addressed his uterine brothers, saying, “Go ye quickly, blessed be ye, and protect the son of Radha who is plunged into that fathomless ocean of calamity represented by the fear of Bhimasena.”  Thus commanded by the king, those princes, excited with wrath and desirous of slaying Bhimasena, rushed towards him like insects towards a blazing fire.  They were Srutarvan and Durddhara and Kratha and Vivitsu and Vikata and Soma, and Nishangin and Kavashin and Pasin and Nanda and Upanandaka, and Duspradharsha and Suvahu and Vatavega and Suvarchasas, and Dhanurgraha and Durmada and Jalasandha and Sala and Saha.  Surrounded by a large car-force, those princes, endued with great energy and might, approached Bhimasena and encompassed him on all sides.  They sped at him from every side showers of arrows of diverse kinds.  Thus afflicted by them, Bhima of great strength, O king, quickly slew fifty foremost car-warriors with five hundred others, amongst those sons of thine that advanced against him.  Filled with rage, Bhimasena then, O king, with a broad-headed arrow, struck off the head of Vivitsu adorned with earrings and head-gear, and graced with a face resembling the full moon.  Thus cut off, that prince fell down on the Earth.  Beholding that heroic brother of theirs slain, the (other) brothers there, O lord, rushed in that battle, from every side, upon Bhima of terrible prowess.  With two other broad-headed arrows then, Bhima of terrible prowess took the lives of two other sons of thine in that dreadful battle.  Those two, Vikata