Shalya, however,
proceeded against him. Both of them filled with rage, blew their conchs.
Returning and challenging each other, each then encountered the other.
Then Shalya covered Yudhishthira with showers of arrows. Similarly, the
son of Kunti covered the ruler of the Madras with showers of arrows. Then
those two heroes, the ruler of the Madras and Yudhishthira, mangled in
that battle with each other's arrows and bathed in blood, looked like a
Salmali and a Kinsuka tree decked with flowers. Both possessed of
splendour and both invincible in battle, those two illustrious warriors
uttered loud roars. Beholding them both, the soldiers could not conclude
which of them would be victorious. Whether the son of Pritha would enjoy
the Earth, having slain Shalya, or whether Shalya having slain the son of
Pandu would bestow the Earth on Duryodhana, could not be ascertained, O
Bharata, by the warriors present there. King Yudhishthira, in course of
that battle, placed his foes to his right. Then Shalya shot a hundred
foremost of arrows at Yudhishthira. With another arrow of great
sharpness, he cut off the latter's bow. Taking up another bow,
Yudhishthira pierced Shalya with three hundred shafts and cut off the
latter's bow with a razor-faced arrow. The son of Pandu then slew the
four steeds of his antagonist with some straight arrows. With two other
very sharp shafts, he then cut off the two Parshni drivers of Shalya.
Then with another blazing, well-tempered and sharp shaft, he cut off the
standard of Shalya staying in his front.
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