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Sanjaya said Then beholding Bhima hard pressed in battle by the Rakshasa Vasudeva's approaching Ghatotkacha said these words to him.

O mighty armed one, behold Bhima as if devoured by the Rakshasa in battle, before the eyes of all troops and before those of yours, O highly effulgent one.

Therefore for a time leaving alone Karna, do you quickly slay Alayudha that foremost of the Rakshasas, O mighty armed one, after which you shall slay Karna.”

Then hearing the words of that one of Vrishni race and leaving Karna alone for a while, the highly puissant Ghatotkacha, that brother of Vaka, fought with that prince of the Rakshasas.

In that night the battle, that raged between the Rakshasa Alayudha and the son of Hidimba, was fierce and confused to the extreme.

Meanwhile the mighty car-warriors Yuyudhana, Nakula and Sahadeva began to pierce with keen shafts the warriors of Alayudha, viz., those grim looking heroic Rakshasas, who, wielding there bows, were rushing impetuously against them.

The diadem-decked Vibhatsu, O monarch, in that battle, discharging arrows on all sides, began to overthrow many foremost of Kshatriyas.

Similarly, O king, Karna caused many kings of fly away-including Dhristadyumna, Shikhandin and other mighty car-warriors of the Panchalas.

Beholding them thus slaughtered and wounded Bhimasena, of terrible prowess, quickly rushed against Karna shooting sharp arrows.

Then those warriors, viz., Nakula, Sahadeva and the mighty car-warrior, Satyaki, also came to the spot where Suta's son was, having slain many Rakshasas.

These then fought with Karna and the Panchalas fought with Drona. Meanwhile. Alayudha, excited with rage, began to strike that subduer of enemies, viz., Ghatotkacha on the head with a huge bludgeon. In consequence of that stroke the highly puissant son of Bhima.

Squatted down, overwhelmed with a partial swoon. Thereafter he hurled at Alayudha a mace, looking like a blazing flame of fire, decked with a hundred bells and adorned with gold. Hurled forcibly by that one of fierce achievements, that mace crushed into pieces the horses, the driver and the loudly rattling chariots of Alayudha. Then betaking to his illusive prowess the latter then jumped down from his car of which the horses, the wheels Akshas and standard and Kurara had all been shattered. Then through his illusive powers he showered a copious downpour of blood on the field.

Then sky the appeared to be over-spread with darts, masses of clouds with flashes of lightning. A thunder storm then made its appearance accompanied by rumble of clouds and claps of thunder.

Loud clapping sounds were also then heard in that combat. beholding that illusion created by the Rakshasa Alayudha, the cannibal Ghatotkacha.

Soaring high, destroyed it by his own illusive power. Possessed of potent illusive powers Alayudha then seeing his own illusions nullified by those of his adversary.

Began to pour a heavy downpour of stones on Ghatotkacha. That terrible shower of stones, the brave Ghatotkacha baffled by means of a shower of arrows. They then poured on each other diverse weapons.

Such as iron bludgeons, lances, maces sharp clubs, mallets, tridents, sabres, spears, long and small, kampanas, keen shafts, both long and broad-headed and arrows and discuses and battle axes and Ayagudas and sharp arrows and weapons with heads like those of kine, Ulukhalas.

And they then struck each other tearing up many kinds of large branched trees, such as Sami, Pilu, Karira, Champaka and O Bharata, Juguda, Vadari, blossoming Kovidara, Plaksha, Arimedhas, Palasha and the Camian, the Peepul, as also with numerous crests of mountains decked with various kinds of metals.

The clash, produced by those trees and mountain crest, became as loud as the sound of the roaring thunder. Indeed the battle, that then raged between Alayudha and Bhima's son was, O monarch, fierce in the extreme.

Like that which took place in the days of yore between the two monkey chiefs Bali and Sugriva. They wounded each other with shafts and various other kinds of weapois as also with keen-edged swords. Then those two might Rakshasas, rushing against each other, caught hold of each other by the hair.

And those two huge warriors, covered with numerous wounds on their bodies and blood and perspiration trickling down, appeared beautiful like two mighty masses of clouds pouring rain.

Then rushing with great violence and whirling the Rakshasa on high and dashing him down again, Hidimba's son cut-off the large head of his adversary.

Then holding that had graced with a pair of ear-rings, the puissant Ghatotkacha uttered a terrific roar.

Beholding the huge-bodied brother of Vaka, that subduer of foes, slain, the Panchalas and the Pandavas uttered tremendous warcries.

Thereupon on the fall of that Rakshasa the Pandava troops struck up thousands of drums and ten thousand conches.

That night then exclusively brought victory to the Pandavas; echoing with the sound of musical instruments and illumined with torches it then appeared highly beautiful.

Then the highly puissant son of Bhima threw that head of Alayudha at he face of Duryodhana who was then rendered insensible.

Thereupon Duryodhana, beholding the heroic Alayudha slain, became filled with great anxiety together with all his troops.

Alayudha, having come to Duryodhana out of his own accord, recollecting his old enmity, has said to the latter, that he would slay Bhima.

The Kuru king had considered the slaughter of Bhima to be certain and had considered the length of the days of his brother also to be measured.

Then beholding that Alayudha (on whom all his hopes rested) slain by the son of Bhimasena, Duryodhana considered Bhima's vow (about the slaughter of himself and his brothers) to be already fulfilled.