-{| SATYASTHA Karna: AHAM Sharma AT#17 |}- - Page 72

"On seeing this, Karna, the great archer, began to fight with the rakshasa. Ghatotkacha pierced Karna with five swift arrows. He roared loudly and terrified all the kings. Ghatotkacha again used an anjalika arrow and quickly severed the bow in Karna's hand, with many large arrows still affixed to it. Karna picked up another firm and large bow, capable of bearing a burden. It was as large as Indra's weapon233 and he drew it back powerfully. O great king! Karna shot gold-tufted arrows that were capable of killing the enemy towards the rakshasas who were in the sky. The rakshasas were broad in the chest and those arrows shattered their herd. It was as if a herd of wild elephants were being oppressed by a lion. The rakshasas were destroyed by those arrows of the lord, together with their horses, charioteers and elephants. The illustrious one consumed them, like the fire consumes all beings at the time of the destruction of a yuga. Having killed the rakshasa soldiers, the son of a suta was resplendent. It was like the city of Tripura, being burnt in earlier times in the sky, by the god Maheshvara.

O venerable one! O king! Among the thousands of kings on the side of the Pandaveyas, there was not a single one who was capable of glancing at him. O king! The sole exception was the immensely strong Ghatotkacha, Indra among the rakshasas. He possessed terrible valour and strength. Enraged, he looked like Vaivasvata.234 Fire was generated from his angry eyes. O king! They were like flaming drops of oil in giant torches. He struck one palm with another palm. He gnashed his lower lips. He ascended his chariot, generated again through maya. It was yoked to mounts that were actually asses. But they looked like elephants and had the faces of pishachas. He angrily instructed his charioteer, Take me to the son of a suta.' The supreme of rathas advanced on a chariot that was terrible in form. O lord of the earth! There was again a duel with the son of a suta. The rakshasa was again enraged. He hurled a vajra towards the son of a suta. That vajra was extremely terrible and possessed eight wheels. It had been constructed by Rudra. As it descended, Karna placed his bow on his chariot and seized it. He hurled it back. But Gatitkacha235 descended from his chariot. That immensely radiant weapon reduced his236 chariot to ashes, with his horses, charioteer and standard. It then shattered the earth and entered, astounding the gods who were there. Karna had descended and had seized the great vajra, which had been created by a god. All the beings and gods applauded this. Having performed this deed in the battle, Karna again ascended his chariot. The son of a suta, the scorcher of enemies, released iron arrows. O granter of honours! I do not think that there is anyone among all the beings who can perform the terrible deed accomplished by Karna in the battle there. He237 was struck by those iron arrows, which were like rain pouring down on a mountain. He possessed the form of a city of the gandharvas and disappeared again. He was a scorcher of enemies and was great in the use of maya. Using his maya and his dexterity, he destroyed all those divine weapons. The weapons were destroyed by the maya of the rakshasa. However, without any fear, Karna continued to fight with the rakshasa.

"O great king! Bhimasena's immensely strong son became angry. He divided himself into many different forms and frightened the kings. Lions, tigers and hyenas arrived on the field of battle. There were snakes with fire in their tongues. There were birds with iron beaks. He238 was himself struck with the sharp arrows released by Karna. As large as a king of mountains, he disappeared from the spot. The rakshasas, pishachas, yatudhanas, leopards and wolves advanced from all the directions, wishing to devour Karna. They uttered fierce howls, so as to terrify him. They wielded many terrible weapons. Karna pierced each of them with swift arrows that drank up their blood. He used a divine weapon to destroy the maya of the rakshasa. He killed his horses with straight-tufted arrows. While the rakshasa looked on, they were shattered and their limbs were mangled. Their backs were broken by the arrows and they fell down on the ground. When the maya was destroyed, Hidimba's son told Karna Vaikartana, I will bring about your death soon.' Having said this, he disappeared."'