shafts and Sataghnis decked with rows of bells, they soon covered
Prativindhya like masses of clouds covering the Sun. The mighty-armed
Prativindhya, consuming with his arrowy showers those assailants of his
in that battle, routed thy army like the thunder-wielding Sakra routing
the Asura host. Thus slaughtered in battle by the Pandavas, thy troops, O
king, suddenly dispersed in all directions like congregated masses of
clouds dispersed by the wind. While thy army, slaughtered on all sides,
was thus flying away, only Drona's son singly rushed with speed against
the mighty Bhimasena. All at once a fierce encounter ensued between them
like to what had taken place between Vritra and Vasava in the battle
between the gods and the Asuras (of old).'"



15

"Sanjaya said, 'Endued with the greatest activity, Drona's son, O king,
displaying the lightness of his arms, pierced Bhima with an arrow. Aiming
at all his vital points--for he had a knowledge of all the vital points
of the body--the quick-handed Ashvatthama again struck him with ninety
shafts. Pierced all over with keen arrows by the son of Drona, Bhimasena
looked resplendent in that battle like the Sun himself with his rays. The
son of Pandu then, covering the son of Drona with a 1,000 well-directed
shafts, uttered a leonine roar. Baffling with his own shafts the shafts
of his foe in that battle, the son of Drona, O king, as if smiling, then
struck the Pandava on the forehead with a cloth-yard shaft. The son of
Pandu bore that arrow on his forehead even as the proud rhinoceros, O
king, in the forest bears its horn. The valiant Bhima, then, in that
battle as if smiling all the while, struck the struggling son of Drona on
the forehead with three cloth-yard shafts. With those three arrows