arrow.  The son of Pandu then slew the four steeds of his antagonist with some straight arrows.  With two other very sharp shafts, he then cut off the two Parshni drivers of Shalya.  Then with another blazing, well-tempered and sharp shaft, he cut off the standard of Shalya staying in his front.  Then, O chastiser of foes, the army of Duryodhana broke.  The son of Drona, at this time, speedily proceeded towards the ruler of the Madras who had been reduced to that plight, and quickly taking him up on his own car, fled away quickly.  After the two had proceeded for a moment, they heard Yudhishthira roar aloud.  Stopping, the ruler of the Madras then ascended another car that had been equipped duly.  That best of cars had a rattle deep as the roar of the clouds.  Well furnished with weapons and instruments and all kinds of utensils, that vehicle made the hair of foes stand on end.’”

17

“Sanjaya said, ’Taking up another bow that was very strong and much tougher, the ruler of the Madras pierced Yudhishthira and roared like a lion.  Then that bull amongst Kshatriyas, of immeasurable soul, poured upon all the Kshatriyas showers of arrows, even like the deity of the clouds pouring rain in torrents.  Piercing Satyaki with ten arrows and Bhima with three and Sahadeva with as many, he afflicted Yudhishthira greatly.  And he afflicted all the other great bowmen with their steeds and cars and elephants with many shafts like hunters afflicting elephants with blazing brands.  Indeed, that foremost of car-warriors destroyed elephants and elephant-riders, horses and horsemen and cars and car-warriors.  And he cut off the arms of combatants with weapons in grasp and the standards of vehicles, and caused the Earth to be strewn with (slain) warriors like the sacrificial altar with blades of Kusa grass.  Then the Pandus, the Pancalas, and the Somakas, filled with rage, encompassed that hero who was thus slaughtering their troops like all-destroying Death.  Bhimasena, and the grandson of Sini, and those two foremost of men, the two sons of Madri, encompassed that warrior while he was fighting with the (Pandava) king of terrible might.  And all of them challenged him to battle.  Then those heroes, O king, having obtained the ruler of the Madras, that foremost of warriors, in battle, checked that first of men in that encounter and began to strike him with winged arrows of fierce energy.  Protected by Bhimasena, and by the two sons of Madri, and by him of Madhu’s race, the royal son of Dharma struck the ruler of the Madras in the centre of the chest with winged arrows of fierce energy.  Then the car-warriors and other combatants of thy army, clad in mail and equipped with weapons, beholding the ruler of the Madras exceedingly afflicted with arrows in that battle, surrounded him on all sides, at the command of Duryodhana.  The ruler of the Madras at this time quickly pierced Yudhishthira with seven arrows in that battle.  The high-souled son of Pritha, O king, in return, pierced his foe with