asaci of immeasurable soul bowed unto Brahman and
invoked into existence that excellent irresistible weapon called
brahmastra which could be applied by the mind alone. Baffling that
weapon, however, Karna looked beautiful as he continued, like a cloud
pouring torrents of rain, to shoot his shafts. Beholding that weapon of
the diadem-decked Arjuna baffled in the midst of battle by Karna, the
wrathful and mighty Bhima, blazing up with rage, addressed Arjuna of sure
aim and said, "People say that thou art a master of the high brahmastra,
that mighty means (for achieving the destruction of foes). Do thou then,
O Savyasaci, use another weapon of the same kind." Thus addressed by his
brother, Savyasaci used a second weapon of the kind. With that, Partha of
abundant energy shrouded all the points of the compass, cardinal and
subsidiary, with arrows sped from Gandiva that resembled fierce snakes
and were like the blazing rays of the sun. Created by that bull of
Bharata's race, those arrows of golden wings, in hundreds upon hundreds,
endued with the effulgence of the yuga fire or the sun, in a moment
shrouded the car of Karna. Thence also issued long darts and battle-axes
and discs and cloth-yard shafts in hundreds, all of awful forms, at which
hostile warriors all around began to be deprived of life. The head of
some hostile warrior, severed from his trunk, fell down on the field of
battle. Another, beholding his fallen comrade, fell down dead on the
earth, through fear. The (right) arm of a third, large and massive as the
trunk of an elephant, cut off (by Partha), fell down with the sword in
grasp. The left arm of a fourth, cut off with a razor-headed arrow, fell
down with the shield in it. Even thus, Partha, decked with diadem and
garlands, wounded and slew all the foremost warriors of Duryodhana's army
with his terrible and death-dealing shafts. Vaikartana also, in the midst
of that battle, shot thousands of arrows. These, with a loud whizz, fell
upon the son of Pandu like torrents of rain poured from the clouds. Then
piercing Bhimasena and Janardana and the diadem-decked Arjuna of
superhuman feats, each with three arrows. Karna of terrible might uttered
a loud awful roar. Struck with Karna's shafts, the diadem-decked Arjuna,
beholding Bhima and Janardana, became unable to endure (the feats of his
antagonist). Once more, therefore, Partha shot eight and ten arrows.
Piercing the beautiful standard of Karna with one of those arro