Vaisampayana said, "Having disorganised the hostile host by force and
having recovered the kine, that foremost of bowmen, desirous of fighting
again, proceeded towards Duryodhana. And beholding the kine running wild
towards the city of the Matsyas, the foremost warriors of the Kurus
regarded Kiritin to have already achieved success. And all of a sudden
they fell upon Arjuna who was advancing towards Duryodhana. And
beholding their countless divisions firmly arrayed in order of battle
with countless banners waving over them, that slayer of foes, addressing
the son of the king of the Matsyas, said, 'Urge on, to the best of their
speed by this road, these white steeds decked with golden bridles.
Strive thou well, for I would approach this crowd of Kuru lions. Like an
elephant desiring an encounter with another, the _Suta's_ son of wicked
soul eagerly desireth a battle with me. Take me, O prince, to him who
hath grown so proud under the patronage of Duryodhana.' Thus addressed,
the son of Virata by means of those large steeds endued with the speed
of the wind and furnished with golden armour, broke that array of cars
and took the Pandava into the midst of the battle-field. And seeing this
those mighty car-warriors, Chitrasena and Sangramajit and Satrusaha and
Jaya, desirous of aiding Karna, rushed with arrows and long shafts,
towards the advancing hero of Bharata's race. Then that foremost of men,
inflamed with wrath, began to consume by means of fiery arrows shot from
his bow, that array of cars belonging to those bulls among the Kurus,
like a tremendous conflagration consuming a forest. Then, when the
battle began to rage furiously, the Kuru hero, Vikarna, mounted on his
car, approached that foremost of car-warriors, Partha, the younger
brother of Bhima,--showering upon him terrible shafts thick and long.
Then cutting Vikarna's bow furnished with a tough string and horns
overlaid with gold, Arjuna cut off his flagstaff. And Vikarna, beholding
his flagstaff cut off, speedily took to flight. And after Vikarna's
flight, Satruntapa, unable to repress his ire, began to afflict Partha,
that obstructer of foes and achiever of super-human feats, by means of a
perfect shower of arrows. And drowned, as it were, in the midst of the
Kuru-array, Arjuna, pierced by that mighty car-warrior,--king
Satruntapa--pierced the latter in return with five and then slew his
car-driver with ten shafts, and pierced by that bull of the Bharata race
with an arrow capable of cleaving the thickest coat of mail, Satruntapa
fell dead on the field of battle, like a tree from a mountain-top torn
up by the wind. And those brave bulls among men, mangled in battle by
that braver bull among men, began to waver and tremble like mighty
forests shaken by the violence of the wind that blows at the time of the
universal dissolution. And struck in battle by Partha, the son of
Vasava, those well-dressed heroes among men--those givers of wealth
endued with the energy of Vasava--defeated and deprived of life, began
to measure their lengths on the ground, like full-grown Himalayan
elephants clad in mails of black steel decked with gold. And like unto a
raging fire consuming a forest at the close of summer, that foremost of
men, wielding the _Gandiva_, ranged the field in all directions, slaying
his foes in battle thus. And as the wind rangeth at will, scattering
masses of clouds and fallen leaves in the season of spring, so did that
foremost of car-warriors--Kiritin--ranged in that battle, scattering all
his foes before him. And soon slaying the red steeds yoked unto the car
of Sangramajit, the brother of Vikartana's son, that hero decked in
diadem and endued with great vigour then cut off his antagonist's head
by a crescent-shaped arrow. And when his brother was slain, Vikartana's
son of the _Suta_ caste, mustering all his prowess, rushed at Arjuna,
like a huge elephant with out-stretched tusks, or like a tiger at a
mighty bull. And the son of Vikarna quickly pierced the son of Pandu
with twelve shafts and all his steeds also in every part of their bodies
and Virata's son too in his hand. And rushing impetuously against
Vikarna's son who was suddenly advancing against him, Kiritin attacked
him fiercely like Garuda of variegated plumage swooping down upon a
snake. And both of them were foremost of bowmen, and both were endued
with great strength, and both were capable of slaying foes. And seeing
that an encounter was imminent between them, the Kauravas, anxious to
witness it, stood aloof as lookers on. And beholding the offender Karna,
the son of Pandu, excited to fury, and glad also at having him, soon
made him, his horses, his car, and car-driver invisible by means of a
frightful shower of countless arrows. And the warriors of the Bharatas
headed by Bhishma, with their horses, elephants, and cars, pierced by
Kiritin and rendered invisible by means of his shafts, their ranks also
scattered and broken, began to wail aloud in grief. The illustrious and
heroic Karna, however counteracting with numberless arrows of his own
those shafts by Arjuna's hand, soon burst forth in view with bow and
arrows like a blazing fire. And then there arose the sound of loud
clapping of hands, with the blare of conchs and trumpets and
kettle-drums made by the Kurus while they applauded Vikartana's son who
filled the atmosphere with the sound of his bow-string flapping against
his fence. And beholding Kiritin filling the air with the twang of
_Gandiva_, and the upraised tail of the monkey that constituted his flag
and that terrible creature yelling furiously from the top of his
flagstaff, Karna sent forth a loud roar. And afflicting by means of his
shafts, Vikartana's son along with his steeds, car and car-driver,
Kiritin impetuously poured an arrowy shower on him, casting his eyes on
the grandsire and Drona and Kripa. And Vikartana's son also poured upon
Partha a heavy shower of arrows like a rain-charged cloud. And the
diadem-decked Arjuna also covered Karna with a thick down-pour of
keen-edged shafts. And the two heroes stationed on their cars, creating
clouds of keen-edged arrows in a combat carried on by means of countless
shafts and weapons, appeared to the spectators like the sun and the moon
covered by clouds, and the light-handed Karna, unable to bear the sight
of the foe, pierced the four horses of the diadem-decked hero with
whetted arrows, and then struck his car-driver with three shafts, and
his flagstaff also with three. Thus struck, that grinder of all
adversaries in battle, that bull of the Kuru race, Jishnu wielding the
_Gandiva_, like a lion awaked from slumber, furiously attacked Karna by
means of straight-going arrows. And afflicted by the arrowy shower (of
Karna), that illustrious achiever of super-human deeds soon displayed a
thick shower of arrows in return. And he covered Karna's car with
countless shafts like the sun covering the different worlds with rays.
And like a lion attacked by an elephant, Arjuna, taking some keen
crescent-shaped arrows from out of his quiver and drawing his bow to his
ear, pierced the _Suta's_ son on every part of his body. And that
grinder of foes pierced Karna's arms and thighs and head and forehead
and neck and other principal parts of his body with whetted shafts
endued with the impetuosity of the thunderbolt and shot from the
_Gandiva_ in battle. And mangled and afflicted by the arrows shot by
Partha the son of Pandu, Vikartana's son, quitted the van of battle, and
quickly took to flight, like one elephant vanquished by another.'"