n mail, conversant
with all modes of warfare, prepared to throw away his life in thick of
battle,--that mighty bowman of great prowess, that tiger among men,--who
resembled an infuriate leader of elephantine herd, and who seemed ready
to devour the whole hostile army. The battle then that commenced was
exceedingly fierce and made the hair stand on end, between all those
combatants on the one side and Arjuna on the other. And all of them,
uniting together, began to resist that bull among men, advancing for the
slaughter of Jayadratha, like medicines resisting a raging disease.'"

SECTION XCI

"Sanjaya said, 'Held in check by them, that foremost of car-warriors,
viz., Partha of great might and prowess, was quickly pursued by Drona
from behind. The son of Pandu, however, like diseases scorching the body,
blasted that army, scattering his sharp shafts and resembling on that
account the sun himself scattering his countless rays of light. And
steeds were pierced, and cars with riders were broken and mangled, and
elephants were overthrown. And umbrellas were cut off and displaced, and
vehicles were deprived of their wheels. And the combatants fled on all
sides, exceedingly afflicted with arrows. Even thus progressed that
fierce battle between those warriors and Arjuna encountering each other.
Nothing could be distinguished. With his straight shafts, Arjuna, O
monarch, made the hostile army tremble incessantly. Firmly devoted to
truth, Arjuna then, of white steeds desirous of accomplishing his vow
rushed against the foremost of car-warriors, viz., Drona of red steeds.
Then the preceptor, Drona, struck his disciple, viz., the mighty bowman
Arjuna, with five and twenty straight shafts capable of reaching the very
vitals. Thereupon, Vibhatsu, that foremost of all wielders of weapons,
quickly rushed against Drona, shooting arrows capable of baffling the
force of counter arrows, shot at him. Invoking into existence then the
Brahma weapon, Arjuna, of immeasurable soul, baffled with his straight
shafts those shot so speedily at him by Drona. The skill we then beheld
of Drona was exceedingly wonderful, since Arjuna, though young, and
though struggling vigorously, could not pierce Drona with a single shaft.
Like a mass of clouds pouring torrents of rain, the Drona cloud rained
shower on the Partha-mountain. Possessed of great energy, Arjuna received
that arrowy downpour, O king, by invoking the Brahma weapon, and cut off
all those