The destruction of the Nivatakavachas.

Arjuna said: Then, O Bharata, furnished with arms, all the Nivatakavacha flew in a body towards me furiously in battle,

Those mighty car-warriors obstructing the course of the car and uttering loud yells and surrounding me on all sides, enveloped me with downpours of arrows.

Then other demons, of great strength armed with spears and Pattishas, hurled at me spears and Bhushundis.

That continuous discharge of spears together with maces and clubs fell upon my car.

Other dreadful and terrible-looking Nivatakavachas, dexterous in hurling (weapons) and armed with sharpened weapons and bows, rushed at me in fight.

I (on my part) in the encounter, discharging several fleet arrows coursing straight, from the Gandiva, pierced each of them with ten (shafts).

(And) I drove them back by those arrows of mine sharpened on stones. Then those horses being swiftly driven by Matali,

Careered through several courses with the spread of the wind and being dexterously guided by Matali, trampled upon the sons of Diti.

(And) Though that mighty car was yoked with hundreds of horses, yet being skillfully driven by Matali, as they began to move, it seemed as if they were a few only.

By the press of their hoofs and by the thundering noise of the car-wheels and by the discharge of my arrows hundreds of demons fell dead.

Others, holding their bows in their hands, even when deprived of life and their charioteers being slain, were carried (hither and thither) by the horses.

(And) all those dexterous in striking, obstructing all sides and directions, became engaged in the fight with various weapons, at which my mind was distressed.

Then the prowess of Matali appeared highly wonderful to me in that he guided the swift steeds with ease.

O king, then, in the fight, I cut off the Danavas by hundreds and thousands who were furnished with arms, by various swift weapons.

O destroyer of foes, the heroic charioteer of Shakra, Matali, seeing me thus course there (on the field of battle) exerting my utmost, became well pleased (with me).

Then, some (of the Danavas) crushed by the horses and the car, met with destruction and some gave up fighting; while others, in the encounter, challenged by us and afflicted with arrows, opposed me by heavy downpour of shafts.

Thereupon, I began to consume them with hundreds and thousands of ornamented swift arrows inspired with Mantras relating to the weapon of Brahma.

Then those mighty demons sore pressed by me and fired with anger, afflicted me with simultaneous discharge of clubs, darts and swords.

O Bharata, I then, took up that favourite weapon of the lord of the gods, named, Madhava, possessed of exceedingly fiery energy.

Then by the power of that weapon, I cut, to a hundred pieces, the swords, tridents and thousands of Tomaras hurled by them.

Having destroyed their weapons, wrathfully pierced each of them with ten arrows.

And the fact that on the battle field mighty arrows like (thick flights of black bees), were discharged from the Gandiva, was admired by Matali.

And the skillfulness with which displaying prowess, I cut off, with my shafts, their arrows which completely surrounded me, drew admiration from Matali.

Being struck, those Nivatakavachas again completely surrounded me with a mighty discharge of arrows.

Having arrested the career of their shafts by excellent, fleet and blazing weapons inspired with mantras, capable of destroying (other) weapons, I pierced them by thousands.

Like waters running down from the summit of mountains, in the rainy season, blood began to flow from their mangled bodies.

Smitten by mighty, fleet and straightcoursing arrows having the touch of the thunderbolt hurled by Indra, those Danavas became greatly agitated.

Their bodies were cut to a hundred pieces and their weapons lost their energy. Then those Nivatakavachas began fighting with me by the help of illusion.