attacked Karna, the commander of the Kaurava army, with all his forces.  Duhshasana, O Bharata, with the swelling host of the samsaptakas forming a portion of the Bharata army, fiercely attacked in that battle Bhima, that foremost of warriors of irresistible impetuosity.  The heroic Uttamauja, putting forth his strength struck the son of Karna and cut off his head which fell down on the earth, filling the earth and the welkin with a loud noise.  Beholding the head of Sushena lying on the ground, Karna became filled with grief.  Soon, however, in rage he cut off the steeds, the car, and the standard, of his son’s slayer with many keen shafts.  Meanwhile Uttamauja, piercing with his keen shafts and cutting off with his bright sword the steeds of Kripa and those warriors also that protected Kripa’s sides, quickly ascended the car of Shikhandi.  Beholding Kripa deprived of his car, Shikhandi who was on his vehicle, wished not to strike him with his shafts.  The son of Drona then, covering with his own the car of Kripa, rescued the latter like a bull sunk in a mire.  Meanwhile Bhima, the son of the Wind-god clad in golden mail, began to scorch with his keen arrows the troops of thy sons like the mid-day sun scorching everything in the summer season.’”

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“Sanjaya said, ’During the progress of the fierce engagement, Bhima, while fighting along, being encompassed by innumerable foes, addressed his driver, saying, “Bear me into the midst of the Dhartarashtra host.  Proceed, O charioteer, with speed, borne by these steeds.  I will despatch all these Dhartarashtras to the presence of Yama.”  Thus urged by Bhimasena, the charioteer proceeded, quickly and with great impetuosity, against thy son’s host to that spot whence Bhima desired to slaughter it.  Then a large number of Kaurava troops, with elephants and cars and horse and foot, advanced against him from all sides.  They then, from every side, began to strike that foremost of vehicles belonging to Bhima, with numerous arrows.  The high-souled Bhima, however, with his own shafts of golden wings, cut off all those advancing arrows of his enemies.  Thus cut off into two or three fragments with Bhima’s arrows, those shafts, equipped with golden wings, of his enemies, fell down on the earth.  Then, O king, amongst those foremost of Kshatriyas, struck with Bhima’s shafts, the elephants and cars and horse and foot, set up a loud wail, O monarch, that resembled the din made by mountains when riven with thunder.  Thus struck by Bhima, those foremost of Kshatriyas, their limbs pierced with Bhima’s powerful shafts, rushed against Bhima in that battle from every side, like new-fledged birds towards a tree.  When thy troops thus rushed against him, Bhima of furious impetuosity displayed all his vim like Destroyer himself armed with a mace when he burns and exterminates all creatures at the end of the Yuga.  Thy soldiers were unable to resist in that battle that fierce forcible energy of Bhima endued with fierce