covered him with a mighty discharge of arrows. Thereupon, with steady
arrows having their points aflame, and inspired with _mantras_, I
pierced him even as (Indra) riveth a mountain with a thunderbolt. Then
his person began to be multiplied a hundredfold and a thousandfold. At
this, I pierced all his bodies with shafts. Then again all those forms
became one, O Bharata. Thereat I struck at it. Next, he now assumed a
small body with a huge head, and now a huge body with a small head. And,
O king, he then assumed his former person and approached me for fight.
And, O foremost of the Bharata race, when in the encounter I failed to
overwhelm him with arrows, I fixed the mighty weapon of the Wind-god.
But I failed to discharge it at him, and this was a wonder. And when
that weapon thus failed of effect, I was struck with amazement. However,
O king, exerting myself more vigorously, I again covered that being with
a mighty multitude of shafts. Then taking _Sthuna-karna_, and _Varuna_
and _Salava_, and _Asmavarsha_ weapons, I assailed him, profusely
showering shafts. But, O king, he instantly swallowed up even all these
weapons of mine. And when all those (weapons) had been swallowed up, I
discharged the weapon presided over by Brahma. And when the blazing
arrows issuing from that weapon were heaped upon him all around, and
being thus heaped over by that mighty weapon discharged by me, he
increased (in bulk). Then all the world became oppressed with the energy
begotten of the weapon hurled by me, and the firmament and all the
points of the sky became illumined. But that one of mighty energy
instantly baffled even that weapon. And, O monarch, when that weapon
presided over by _Brahma_ had been baffled I was possessed with terrible
fear. Thereupon immediately holding even my bow and the two
inexhaustible quivers, I shot at that being, but he swallowed up all
those weapons. And when all the weapons had been baffled and swallowed
up, there ensued a wrestling between him and myself. And we encountered
each other first with blows and then with slaps. But incapable of