“Sanjaya said, ‘The illustrious son of Somadatta pierced each of the sons
of Draupadi, those great bowmen, with five arrows, and once more with
seven arrows. Much afflicted, O lord, by that fierce warrior, they were
stupefied and knew not for some time what to do. Then that crusher of
foes, Satanika, the son of Nakula, piercing Somadatta’s son, that bull
among men, with a couple of arrows, uttered in joy a loud roar. The other
brothers then, struggling vigorously, quickly pierced the wrathful son of
Somadatta, each with three straight shafts. Then the illustrious son of
Somadatta, O monarch, sped at them five shafts, piercing each of them in
the chest with one shaft. Then those five brothers, thus pierced by that
high-souled warrior with his shafts, surrounded that hero on every side
and began to pierce him deeply with their shafts. Then the son of Arjuna,
filled with rage, despatched with keen shafts, the four steeds of
Saumadatti to the region of Yama. And the son of Bhimasena, cutting off
the bow of the illustrious son of Somadatta, uttered a loud shout and
pierced his foe with many sharp arrows. The son of Yudhishthira then,
cutting off Saumadatti’s standard, felled it on the earth, while the son
of Nakula felled the enemy’s charioteer from his niche in the car. Then
the son of Sahadeva, ascertaining the foe to be on the point of leaving
the field in consequence of the brothers, cut off, with a razor-faced
arrow, the head of that illustrious warrior. That head, decked with
ear-rings of gold, fell on the earth and adorned the field like the sun
of brilliant effulgence that rises at the end of the Yuga. Beholding the
head of the high-souled son of Somadatta thus fallen on the ground, thy
troops, O king, overcome with fear, fled in all directions.
“‘The Rakshasa Alamvusha in that battle, filled with rage, fought with the
mighty Bhimasena, like Ravana’s son (Indrajit) with (Rama’s brother)
Lakshmana. Beholding that Rakshasa and that human warrior engaged in
fight, all creatures experienced both joy and wonder. Then Bhima, O king,
laughing the while, pierced that wrathful prince of Rakshasa, viz.,
Rishyasringa’s son (Alamvusha), with nine keen shafts. Then that
Rakshasa, thus pierced in battle, uttered a loud and awful sound, and
rushed, with all his followers, against Bhima. Piercing Bhima then with
five straight shafts, he quickly destroyed in that battle, thirty cars
supporting Bhima. And once more destroying four hundred cars of
Bhimasena, the Rakshasa pierced Bhimasena himself with winged arrows.
Then the mighty Bhima deeply pierced by the Rakshasa, sat down on the
terrace of his car, overcome by a swoon. The son of the Wind-god then,
recovering his senses, became filled with rage. Drawing his excellent and
terrible bow that was capable of bearing a great strain, he afflicted
Alamvusha, in every part of his body, with keen shafts. Thereupon, the
Rakshasa who resembled a huge mass of antimony, looked resplendent O
king, like a flowering Kinsuka. Whilst being struck in that battle with
those shafts sped from the bow of Bhima, the Rakshasa recollected the
slaughter of his brother (Vaka) by the illustrious Pandava. Assuming then
an awful form, he addressed Bhima, saying, “Wait a little in this battle,
O Partha! Behold today my prowess. O thou of wicked understanding, that
foremost of Rakshasas, viz., the mighty Vaka, was my brother. It is true
he was slain by thee. But that took place out of my sight.” Having said
these words unto Bhima, Alamvusha made himself invisible, and began to
cover Bhimasena with a dense shower of arrows. Upon the disappearance of
the Rakshasa, Bhima, O monarch, covered the welkin with straight shafts.
Thus afflicted by Bhima, Alamvusha soon returned to his car. And soon
again, he entered into the bowels of the earth and once more becoming
little he suddenly soared into the sky. Alamvusha assumed countless
forms. Now becoming subtle and now huge and gross, he began to roar like
the clouds. And he uttered diverse kinds of words and speeches all
around. And from the welkin there fell thousands of arrowy torrents, as
also darts, and Kunapas, and lances, and spiked maces, and short arrows,
and scimitars, and swords, and thunders also. That awful downpour of
arrows caused by the Rakshasa, slew the troops of Pandu’s son on the
field of battle. And in consequence of that arrowy downpour, many
elephants also of the Pandava army were slain, and many steeds also, O
king, and many foot-soldiers. And a river was caused there, whose waters
were blood and whose eddies were constituted by cars. And it abounded
with elephants that constituted its alligators. And the umbrellas of
car-warriors constituted its swans, and the flesh and marrow of animals,
its mire. And it teemed with the (cut off) arms of human beings that
constituted its snakes. And it was haunted by many Rakshasas and other
cannibals. And it wafted away, O king, countless Chedis and Panchalas and
Srinjayas. Beholding him, O monarch, careering so fearlessly in that
battle and seeing his prowess, the Pandavas became filled with anxiety;
and joy filled the hearts of thy troops then. And amongst the latter,
loud and terrible sounds of musical instruments, making the hair stand on
end, arose. Hearing that loud uproar made by thy troops, the son of Pandu
could not bear it, as a snake cannot bear the clap of human palms. With
eyes red as copper in rage, with glances that like fire consumed every
thing, the son of the Wind-god, like Tvashtri himself, aimed the weapon
known by the name of Tvashtri. From that weapon were produced thousands
of arrows on all sides. And in consequence of those arrows, a universal
rout was seen among thy troops. That weapon, shot in battle by
Bhimasena, destroying the effective illusion produced by the Rakshasa,
greatly afflicted the Rakshasa himself. Struck in every part of his body
by Bhimasena, the Rakshasa, then abandoning Bhimasena, fled towards the
division of Drona. Upon the defeat of that prince of Rakshasa by the
high-souled Bhima, the Pandavas caused every point of the compass to
resound with their leonine roars. And filled with joy, they worshipped
the mighty son of Marut, like the Maruts worshipping Sakra after the
defeat in battle of Prahlada.’”