sped by Subala’s son with showers of shafts, the valiant Sahadeva, O monarch, cut off his antagonist’s bow in that battle.  Seeing his bow cut off, O king, Shakuni, the son of Subala, took up a formidable scimitar and hurled it at Sahadeva.  The latter, however, with the greatest ease, O monarch, cut off in twain that terrible scimitar of Subala’s son as it coursed towards him in that encounter.  Beholding his sword cut in twain, Shakuni took up a formidable mace and hurled it at Sahadeva.  That mace also, unable to achieve its object, fell down on the Earth.  After this, Subala’s son, filled with rage, hurled at the son of Pandu an awful dart that resembled an impending death night.  With the greatest ease Sahadeva, in that encounter, cut off, with his gold-decked shafts, into three fragments, that dart as it coursed swiftly towards him.  Cut off into fragments, that dart adorned with gold fell down on the earth like a blazing thunderbolt from the firmament, diverging into many flashes.  Beholding that dart baffled and Subala’s son afflicted with fear, all thy troops fled away in fright.  Subala’s son himself joined them.  The Pandavas then, eager for victory, uttered loud shouts.  As regards the Dhartarashtras, almost all of them turned away from the fight.  Seeing them so cheerless, the valiant son of Madri, with many 1,000 shafts, checked them in that battle.  Then Sahadeva came upon Subala’s son as the latter, who was still expectant of victory, was flying away, protected by the excellent cavalry of the Gandharas.  Recollecting, O king, that Shakuni, who had fallen to his share, was still alive, Sahadeva, on his car adorned with gold, pursued that warrior.  Stringing his formidable bow and drawing it with great force, Sahadeva, filled with rage, pursued the son of Subala and vigorously struck him with many shafts equipped with vulturine feathers and whetted on stone, even like a person striking a mighty elephant with pointed lances.  Endued with great energy of mind, Sahadeva, having afflicted his foe thus, addressed him, as if for calling back to mind (his past misdeeds), in these words, ’Adhering to the duties of a Kshatriya, fight (with me) and be a man!  Thou hadst, O fool, rejoiced greatly in the midst of the assembly, while gambling with dice!  Receive now, O thou of wicked understanding, the fruit of that act!  All those wicked-souled ones that had ridiculed us then have perished!  Only that wretch of his race, Duryodhana, is still alive, and thyself, his maternal uncle!  Today I shall slay thee, striking off thy head with a razor-headed arrow like a person plucking a fruit from a tree with a stick!” Saying these words, O monarch, Sahadeva of great strength, that tiger among men, filled with rage, rushed impetuously against Shakuni.  Approaching his enemy, the invincible Sahadeva, that foremost of warriors, forcibly drawing his bow and as if burning his foe with wrath, pierced Shakuni with ten arrows and his steeds with four.  Then cutting off his