That foremost of horses then proceeded to the kingdom of Pragjyotisha and began to wander there. At this, Bhagadatta's son, who was greatly courageous in battle, came out.

King Vajradata, O chief of the Bharatas, finding the (sacrificial) horse arrived within his kingdom, fought (for detaining it).

The royal son of Bhagadatta, coming out of his city, afflicted the horse which was coming (and seizing it), marched back towards his own place.

Marking this, the mighty armed chief of the Kuru-race, speedily stretched his Gandiva, and suddenly rushed towards his enemy.

Stupefied by the arrows shot from Gandiva, the heroic son of Bhagadatta, letting loose the horse, fled from Partha.

Once more entering his capital, that foremost of kings, irresistible in battle, cased himself in mail, and mounting on his prince of elephants, came out.

That powerful car-warrior had a white umbrella held over his head, and was fanned with a milk-white yak-tails.

Moved by childishness and folly, he challenged Partha, the powerful car warrior of the Pandavas, famed for dreadful deeds in battle, to an encounter with him.

The enraged prince then urged towards Arjuna that elephant of his, which resembled a veritable mountain, and from whose temples and mouth came out streams of juice showing excitement.

Indeed, that elephant showered its secretions like a great mass of clouds pouring rain. Capable of resisting hostile feats of its own species, it had been equipped according to the ordinances of the treatises (on warelephants). Irresistible in battle, it had become so infuriate as to be beyond control.

Urged on by the prince with the iron-hook, that powerful elephant then scemed as if it would cut through the sky (like a flying hill).

Seeing it advance towards him, o king, Dhananjaya, filled with anger and standing on the earth, O Bharata, met the prince on its back.

Filled with anger, Vajradatta quickly shed at Arjuna a number of broad headed arrows gifted with the energy of fire and resembling (as they coursed through the air) a cloud of speedily moving locusts.

Arjuna, however, with arrows sped from Gandiva, cut off those arrows, come into tow, and some into three, pieces. He cut them off in the sky itself with those arrows of his passing through the sky.

The son of Bhagadatta, seeing his broadheaded arrows thus cut off, quickly sped at Arjuna a number of other arrows in a continuous line.

Filled with anger at this, Arjuna more quickly than before, shot at Bhagadatta's son a number of straightly coursing arrows equipped with golden wings.

Vajradatta of powerful energy, struck with great force and pierced with those arrows in that fierce encounter, fell down on the Earth. Consciousness, however, did not leave him.

Mounting on his prince of elephants again in the midst of that battle, the son of Bhagadatta, desirous of victory, very coolly shot a number of arrows at Arjuna.

Filled with anger, Jishnu then shot at the prince a number of arrows which looked like burning flames of fire and which appeared to be so many snakes of dreadful poison.

Pierced therewith, the powerful elephant, emitting a large quantity of blood, looked like a mountain of many springs discharging rillets of water coloured with red chalk.