Shalya Parva — The fight between Arjuna and Drona's son. The latter kills Suratha

Sanjaya said In the meantime Arjuna, in that battle, struck with many arrows by the son of Drona as also by the latter's followers the heroic and mighty car-warriors among the Trigartas, pierced Drona's son in return with three arrows and each of the others with two. Again, the mighty armed Dhananjaya covered his enemies with shower of arrows.

Though struck with keen shafts and thought they looked like porcupines on account of those arrows sticking to their body still your soldiers, O foremost of Bharatas did not fly from Partha in that battle.

Led by Drona's son they surrounded that great car-warrior and fought with him discharging many arrows.

The gold-decked arrows, O king, shot by them, quickly filled Arjuna's car.

Beholding those two great bowmen, those two foremost of all warriors, viz., the two Krishnas, covered with arrows, those invincible (Kaurava) warriors filled with joy.

The Kubera, the wheels, the shaft, the terraces, the yoke and the Anukarsha of Arjuna's car, were covered with arrows.

Never before, O king, had been either seen or heard the like of what your warriors then did unto Partha.

That car shone with those keen arrows of beautiful wings like a celestial car, blazing with hundreds of torches dropped on the carth.

Then Arjuna, O king, covered his enemies with showers of straight arrows like a cloud pouring torrents of rain on a mountain.

Struck in that battle with arrows with Partha's name engraven on them those heroes regarded the battle field as full of Parthas.

Then the Partha-fire, having arrows for its wonderful flames and the loud twang of Gandiva for the wind that increased it, began to consume the fuel of your soldiers.

Then were seen along the tracks of Partha's car, O Bharata, number of broken wheels, yokes, quivers, banners, standards, with the cars themselves that bore them, of arrows, the Anukarshas, Trivenus, axles, traces and goads, heads of warriors decked with ear-rings and head-gears, arms, things in thousands of umbrellas along with fans and of diadems and crowns.

Along the track of the angry Partha's car, the ground, covered with muddy blood, became impassable, O chief of the Bharatas, like the sporting ground of Rudra. The spectacle filled the coward with fear and the brave with joy.

Having destroyed two thousand cars with their fences, that scorcher of foes, Partha, appeared like a smokeless fire with blazing flames.

As the illustrious Agni blazes forth for destroying the immobile and the immobile creation so. O king, mighty car-warrior Partha looked.

Beholding the prowess of Pandu's son in that battle, the son of Drona, on his car adorned with many banners, tried to check him.

Those two foremost of men both having white horses yoked to their cars quickly encountered each other, each desirous of killing the other.

The arrows discharged by both became exceedingly terrible and were as thick, O best of Bharatas, as the torrents of rain poured by two masses of clouds at the close of summer.

Each challenging the other, those two warriors struck each other with straight arrows in that battle, like a couple of bulls tearing cach other with their horns.

The battle between them, O king, was equally fought for a long while. The din of weapons was horrible.

The son of Drona then, O Bharata, struck Arjuna with a dozen of powerful gold winged arrows and Vasudeva with ten.

Having shown for a short while some respect for the preceptor's son in that great battle, Vibhatsu then, smiling, drew his bow Gandiva with force.

Immediately the great car-warrior Savyasachin deprived his antagonist of his horses, driver and car and without the least exertion struck him with three arrows.

Staying on that horseless car Drona's son, smiling, discharged, at the son of Pandu a heavy mallet that looked like a dreadful mace with iron spikes.

Seeing that weapon, which was covered with cloth of gold, come towards him, the heroic Partha, that killer of foes, cut it off into seven pieces.

Seeing his mallet cut off, Drona's son, in great anger, took up a terrible mace adorned with iron spikes and looking like a mountain crest. Accomplished in warfare, the son of Drona discharged it at Partha.

Seeing that mace come towards him like the Destroyer himself in anger Pandu's son Arjuna quickly cut it off with five excellent arrows.

Cut off with Partha's shaft in that great battle, that weapon dropped down on earth, riving the hearts, as it were, O Bharata, of the inimical kings.

The son of Pandu then struck Drona's son with three other arrows. Through deeply cut by the mighty Partha, the highly powerful Drona's son, depending upon his own manliness, displayed on sign of fear or agitation.

That great car-warrior, the son of Drona then, O king, covered Suratha with showers of arrows before the eyes of all the Kshatriyas.

At this, Suratha, the great car-warrior among the Panchalas, in that battle, riding upon his car whose rattle was as deep as the muttering of the clouds, proceeded against the son of Drona.

Drawing his best of bows capable of standing a great strain, the Panchala hero covered Ashvatthaman with arrows resembling flames of fire or snakes of virulent position.

Seeing the great car-warrior Suratha proceed towards him in anger the son of Drona was filled with range like a scorched snake.

Contracting his eye brow into three lines and licking the corners of his inouth with his tongue, he looked at Suratha in anger and then touched his bowstring and shot a keen clothyard shaft resembling the dreadful rod of Death.

Endued with great force, that shaft struck the heart of Suratha and coming out entered the Earth riving her through like the thunder-bolt of Indra hurled from the sky.

Struck with that arrow Suratha fell down on the Earth like mountain crest given with thunder.

After the fall of that hero, the valiant son of Drona, that foremost of car-warriors, speedily got upon the car of his slain enemy.

Then, O king, that warrior, invincible in batile, the son of Drona, well equipt with armour and weapons and helped by the Samsaptakas, fought with Arjuna.

At noon, that battle between one and the many, increasing the denizens of Yama's abode, became exceedingly fierce.

The sight was wonderful. Arjuna, alone and unsupported, fought with all his foes simultaneously.

The encounter was highly terrific that took place between Arjuna and his enemies, resembling that between Indra, in days of yore and the vast army of the Asuras. The encounter was highly terrific that took place between Arjuna and his enemies, resembling that between Indra, in days of yore and the vast army of the Asuras.