In that
dense darkness caused by arrows, they were unable to see anything else.
Those two foremost of men, both accomplished in weapons, as they
incessantly aimed and shot innumerable arrows, O king, displayed diverse
kinds of beautiful manoeuvres. While they were thus contending with each
other in battle, sometimes the Suta's son prevailed over his rival and
sometimes the diadem-decked Partha prevailed over his, in prowess and
weapons and lightness of hands. Beholding that terrible and awful
passage-at-arms between those two heroes each of whom was desirous of
availing himself of the other's lapses, all the other warriors on the
field of battle became filled with wonder. The beings in the welkin, O
king, applauded Karna and Arjuna. Indeed, many of them at a time, filled
with joy, cheerfully shouted, sometimes saying, "Excellent, O Karna!" and
sometimes saying, "Excellent, O Arjuna!" During the progress of that
fierce encounter, while the earth was being pressed deep with the weight
of cars and the tread of steeds and elephants, the snake Aswasena, who
was hostile to Arjuna, was passing his time in the nether region. Freed
from the conflagration at Khandava, O king, he had, from anger,
penetrated through the earth (for going to the subterranean region). That
brave snake, recollecting the death of his mother and the enmity he on
that account harboured against Arjuna, now rose from the lower region.
Endued with the power of ascending the skies, he soared up with great
speed upon beholding that fight between Karna and Arjuna.
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