large snakes of great beauty falling down from a mountain summit. Cut off
with a crescent-shaped arrow by the diadem-decked (Partha), the head also
of Danda fell down on the Earth from the elephant's back, and covered
with blood it looked resplendent as it lay like the sun dropped from the
Asta mountain towards the western quarter. Then Partha pierced with many
excellent arrows bright as the rays of the sun that elephant of his foe,
resembling a mass of white clouds whereupon it fell down with a noise
like a Himalayan summit riven with thunder. Then other huge elephants
capable of winning victory and resembling the two already slain, were cut
off by Savyasaci, in that battle, even as the two (belonging to Danda and
Dandadhara) had been cut off. At this the vast hostile force broke. Then
elephants and cars and steeds and men, in dense throngs, clashed against
one another and fell down on the field. Tottering, they violently struck
one another and fell down deprived of life. Then his soldiers,
encompassing Arjuna like the celestials encompassing Purandara, began to
say, "O hero, that foe of whom we had been frightened like creatures at
the sight of Death himself, hath by good luck been slain by thee. If thou
hadst not protected from that fear those people that were so deeply
afflicted by mighty foes, then by this time our foes would have felt that
delight which we now feel at their death, O slayer of enemies." Hearing
these and other words uttered by friends and allies, Arjuna, with a
cheerful heart, worshipped those men, each according to his deserts, and
proceeded once more against the samsaptakas.'"



19

"Sanjaya said, 'Wheeling round, like the planet Mercury in the curvature
of its orbit, Jishnu (Arjuna) once more slew large number of the