Thus hundreds of combats, O monarch, that were
fierce and beautiful, took place between thy men and the enemy, on
diverse parts of the field. The chief of the Bhojas then slew the brown
steeds of Bhimasena's car in that encounter. The steedless son of Pandu,
alighting from his car, began to fight with his mace, like the Destroyer
himself with his uplifted bludgeon. The ruler of the Madras then slew the
steeds of Sahadeva before his eyes. Then Sahadeva slew Shalya's son with
his sword. The preceptor Gautama (Kripa) once more fearlessly fought with
Dhrishtadyumna, both exerting themselves with great care. The preceptor's
son Ashvatthama, without much wrath and as if smiling in that battle,
pierced each of the five heroic sons of Draupadi with ten arrows. Once
more the steeds of Bhimasena were slain in that battle. The steedless son
of Pandu, quickly alighting from his car, took up his mace like the
Destroyer taking his bludgeon. Excited with wrath, that mighty hero
crushed the steeds and the car of Kritavarma. Jumping down from his
vehicle, Kritavarma then fled away. Shalya also, excited with rage, O
king, slaughtered many Somakas and Pandavas, and once more afflicted
Yudhishthira with many keen shafts. Then the valiant Bhima, biting his
nether lip, and infuriate with rage, took up his mace in that battle, and
aimed it at Shalya for the latter's destruction. Resembling the very
bludgeon of Yama, impending (upon the head of the foe) like kala-ratri
(Death Night), exceedingly destructive of the lives of elephants and
steeds and human beings, twined round with cloth of gold, looking like a
blazing meteor, equipped with a sling, fierce as a she-snake, hard as
thunder, and made wholly of iron, smeared with sandal-paste and other
unguents like a desirable lady, smutted with marrow and fat and blood,
resembling the very tongue of Yama, producing shrill sounds in
consequence of the bells attached to it, like unto the thunder of Indra,
resembling in shape a snake of virulent poison just freed from its
slough, drenched with the juicy secretions of elephants, inspiring
hostile troops with terror and friendly troops with joy, celebrated in
the world of men, and capable of riving mountain summits, that mace, with
which the mighty son of Kunti had in Kailasa challenged the enraged Lord
of Alaka, the friend of Maheshvara, that weapon with which Bhima, though
resisted by many, had in wrath slain a large number of proud Guhyakas
endued with powers of illusion on the breasts of Gandhamadana for the
sake of procuring Mandara flowers for doing what was agreeable to
Draupadi, uplifting that mace which was rich with diamonds and jewels and
gems and possessed of eight sides and celebrated as Indra's thunder, the
mighty-armed son of Pandu now rushed against Shalya.
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