Mahabharata Drona Parva (Jayadratha-Vadha Parva) Chapter 136
The beautiful shafts, equipped with peacock-feathers, shot from Karna's bow, penetrated into every part of Bhima's body, like birds into a tree for roosting there. Indeed, the arrows, equipped with wings of gold, shot from Karna's bow falling incessantly, resembled continuous rows of cranes. So numerous were the shafts shot by Adhiratha's son that, these seemed to issue not from his bow alone but from his standard, his umbrella, and the shaft and yoke and bottom of his car also. Indeed, Adhiratha's son shot his sky-ranging shafts of impetuous energy, decked with gold and equipped with vulturine feathers, in such a way as to fill the entire welkin with them. Beholding him (thus) excited with fury and rushing towards him like the Destroyer himself, Vrikodara, becoming utterly reckless of his life and prevailing over his foe, pierced him with nine shafts.[2] Beholding the irresistible impetuosity of Karna as also that dense shower of arrows, Bhima, endued as he was with great prowess, quailed not in fear. The son of Pandu then counteracting that arrowy downpour of Adhiratha's son, pierced Karna himself with twenty other sharp shafts. Indeed, as Pritha's son himself had before been shrouded by the Suta's son, even so was the latter now shrouded by the former in that battle. Beholding the prowess of Bhimasena in battle, thy warriors, as also the Gandharas, filled with joy, applauded him. Bhurisravas, and Kripa, and Drona's son, and the ruler of the Madras, and Uttamaujas and Yudhamanyu, and Kesava, and Arjuna,—these great car-warriors, O king, among both the Kurus and the Pandavas,—loudly cheered Bhima, saying, "Excellent, Excellent," and uttered leonine roars. When that fierce uproar, making the hair stand on end rose, thy son Duryodhana, O king, quickly said unto all the kings and princes and particularly his uterine brothers, these words, "Blessed be ye, proceed towards Karna for rescuing him from Vrikodara, else the shafts shot from Bhima's bow will slay the son of Radha. Ye mighty bowmen, strive ye to protect the Suta's son." Thus commanded by Duryodhana, seven of his uterine brothers, O sire, rushing in wrath towards Bhimasena, encompassed him on all sides.
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