arriors of thy army, looking upon that scene, as if
they were spectators of a sport in an arena, beheld not any of the two to
gain any advantage over the other in that dreadful encounter. They only
beheld, O king, that mingling and clash of the mighty weapons of those
two warriors, as a result, O monarch, of the evil policy of thyself and
thy son. Those two slayers of foes continued to cover each other with
their keen shafts. Both endued with wonderful prowess, they filled the
welkin with their arrowy downpours. Those two mighty car-warriors
shooting at each other keen shafts from desire of taking each other's
life, became exceedingly beautiful to behold like two clouds pouring
torrents of rain. Those two chastisers of foes, shooting gold-decked
arrows, made the welkin look bright, O king, as if with blazing meteors.
Shafts equipped with vulturine feathers, shot by those two heroes, looked
like rows of excited cranes in the autumn sky. Meanwhile, Krishna and
Dhananjaya, those chastisers of foes, engaged in battle with the Suta's
son, thought the burthen too great for Bhima to bear. As Karna and Bhima
for baffling each other's shafts, shot these arrows at each other, many
elephants and steeds and men deeply struck therewith, fell down deprived
of life. And in consequence of those falling and fallen creatures
deprived of life counting by thousands, a great carnage, O king, took
place in the army of thy sons. And soon, O bull of Bharata's race, the
field of battle became covered with the bodies of men and steeds and
elephants deprived of life.'"

SECTION CXXXII

"Dhritarashtra said, 'I regard Bhimasena's prowess to be exceedingly
wonderful, inasmuch as he succeeded in battling with Karna of singular
activity and energy. Indeed, O Sanjaya, tell me why that Karna, who is
capable of resisting in battle the very celestials with the Yakshas and
Asuras and men, armed with all kinds of weapons, could not vanquish in
battle Pandu's son Bhima blazing with resplendence? O tell me, how that
battle took place between them in which each staked his very life. I
think that in an encounter between the two, success is within reach of
both as, indeed, both are liable to defeat.[156] O Suta, obtaining Karna
in battle, my son Suyodhana always ventures to vanquish the sons of
Pritha with Govinda and the Satwatas. Hearing, however, of the repeated
defeat in battle of Karna by Bhimasena of terrible deeds, a swoon seems
to come upon me. I th