petuously at him, forsaking the fear of death. The
heroic Bhishma, the son of Santanu, however, in that battle, cut off, O
king, the arms and heads of their car-warriors. Thy sire, Devavrata
deprived their car-warriors of cars. And the heads of cavalry soldiers on
their chargers fell fast. And we beheld, O king, huge elephants looking
like hills, deprived of their riders, and paralysed with Bhishma's
weapons, lying all around. Amongst the Pandavas, O king, there was no
other man save that foremost of car-warriors, the mighty Bhimasena, (who
could resist Bhishma). Indeed, Bhima alone, approaching Bhishma,
encountered him in battle. Then in that encounter between Bhima and
Bhishma, a fierce and terrible uproar arose among all the troops (of the
Kauravas). The Pandavas then, filled with joy, uttered leonine shouts.
During that destructive carnage, king Duryodhana, surrounded by his
uterine brothers, protected Bhishma in that battle. Then that foremost of
car-warriors, viz., Bhima, slew Bhishma's charioteer. Thereupon the
steeds no longer controlled, ran away from the field with car. Then that
slayer of foes, viz., Bhima with a sharp arrow having a horse-shoe head,
cut off the head of Sunabha. (Thus) slain, the latter fell down on the
earth. When that son of thine, that mighty car-warrior and great bowman
was slain, seven of his heroic brothers, O sire, could not (quietly) bear
(that act). These, viz., Adityaketu and Vahvasin, and Kundadhara and
Mahodara, and Aparajita, and Panditaka and the invincible Visalaksha,
clad in variegated armour and with their beautiful coats of mail and
weapons,--these grinders of foes desirous of battle,--rushed against the
son of Pandu. And Mahodara, in that battle, pierced Bhimasena with nine
winged arrows, each resembling the thunder-bolt in force, like the slayer
of Vritra striking (the great Asura) Namuchi. And Adityaketu struck him
with seventy shafts, and Vishnu with five. And Kundadhara struck him with
ninety shafts, and Visalaksha with seven. And that conqueror of foes, the
mighty car-warrior Aparajita, O king, struck Bhimasena of great strength
with many arrows. And Panditaka also, in battle, pierced him with three
arrows. Bhima, however, did not (quietly) bear these attacks of his foes
in battle. Forcibly grasping the bow with his left hand, that grinder of
foes cut off, in that battle, the head, with a straight shaft, of thy son
Aparajita, graced with a fine nose. Thus vanquished by Bh