And
covering the entire welkin with his shafts, that mighty warrior of
immeasurable soul, the son of Pritha, enveloped Kripa with hundreds of
shafts. And sorely afflicted by those whetted arrows resembling flames
of fire, Kripa waxed wroth and quickly afflicting the high-souled Partha
of immeasurable prowess with ten thousand shafts, set up on the field of
battle a loud roar. Then the heroic Arjuna quickly pierced the four
steeds of his adversary with four fatal arrows shot from the _Gandiva_,
sharp and straight, and furnished with golden wings. And pierced by
means of those whetted arrows resembling flames of fire those steeds
suddenly reared themselves, and in consequence Kripa reeled off his
place. And seeing Gautama thrown off his place, the slayer of hostile
heroes, the descendant of the Kuru race, out of regard for his
opponent's dignity, ceased to discharge his shafts at him. Then
regaining his proper place, Gautama quickly pierced Savyasachin with ten
arrows furnished with feathers of the _Kanka_ bird. Then with a
crescent-shaped arrow of keen edge, Partha cut off Kripa's bow and
leathern fences. And soon Partha cut off Kripa's coat of mail also by
means of arrows capable of penetrating the very vitals, but he did not
wound his person. And divested of his coat of mail, his body resembled
that of a serpent which hath in season cast off its slough. And as soon
as his bow had been cut off by Partha, Gautama took up another and
stringed it in a trice.
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