03.168
Arjuna said.
Then a very great shower of stones arose all around. Those, being mountain-sized and very terrible, firmly oppressed me. (03-168-1)
Then I, with arrows as brilliant as thunderbolts, driven by Indra's missile, shattered each one into a hundred pieces with speed in the battle. (03-168-2)
While the stone-rain was being pulverized, however, fire emerged. There, stone-dust fell like masses of flames. (03-168-3)
Then, when the hail of stones was checked, there appeared near me an even greater shower of water with streams as large as dice. (03-168-4)
Thousands of streams of fierce power, falling from the sky, covered the sky on all sides, as well as all the directions and intermediate directions. (03-168-5)
Nothing at all could be perceived because of the fall of streams, the roaring wind, and the thunderous cries of the Daityas. (03-168-6)
The streams, connected both in the sky and everywhere on the earth, bewilder me there as they continuously fall upon the ground. (03-168-7)
There, the divine weapon for drying, instructed by Indra—shining, terrible, and fearsome—by that, the water was dried up. (03-168-8)
But after I destroyed the stone rain and dried up the rain of water, the Dānavas, O bestower of honor, released magical fire and wind. (03-168-9)
Then I repelled the fire completely with the water-weapon; and with the mountain and the great missile, I restrained the force of the wind. (03-168-10)
But when she was repulsed, O Bhārata, the Dānavas, intoxicated by the fury of battle, began at once to employ various magical illusions. (03-168-11)
Then there arose a tremendous, terrifying, hair-raising rain of weapons having the dreadful forms of fire, of wind, and of stones. (3-168-12)
But that illusion-made rain afflicted me in battle. Then, intense and terrible darkness appeared on all sides. (03-168-13)
When the world was enveloped in darkness, terrible and cruel, the horses turned away, and even Mātali stumbled. (03-168-14)
The golden goad fell to the ground from his hand. Frightened, he kept saying to me, "Where are you?" O best of the Bharatas. (03-168-15)
Intense fear entered me also as he lay unconscious. He too, deprived of knowledge and terrified, said this to me. (03-168-16)
O Partha, a very great battle between gods and asuras once took place for the sake of amṛta; O sinless one, I saw that battle myself (03-168-17)
There was a very great battle during the slaying of Śambara; there too, I acted as the charioteer for the king of the gods. (03-168-18)
In the same way, at the slaying of Vṛtra, I assembled the horses. I also saw the dreadful battle of Vairocana. (03-168-19)
These very terrible battles have been encountered by me. O Pāṇḍava, never before have I been devoid of sense. (03-168-20)
Destruction of beings has certainly been ordained by the grandsire. Indeed, this battle is justified only for the destruction of the world. (03-168-21)
Having heard his words, steadying myself by my own self, I will confound the illusory power of the Dānavas. (03-168-22)
I said to Mātali, who was frightened, "Look at the strength of my arms, and the power of my weapons and my bow Gāṇḍīva." (03-168-23)
Today, by the magic of weapons, I will utterly destroy this most terrible illusion of these (enemies) and this fierce darkness; do not be afraid, charioteer – remain steadfast. (03-168-24)
Having thus spoken, O king, I released the illusory weapon that confounds all enemies, for the good of the heavenly beings. (03-168-25)
While being afflicted by those illusions, the lords of the asuras, of immeasurable might, once again created many kinds of illusions. (03-168-26)
Once again, light appears, but is again swallowed by darkness. The world vanishes from sight and once more sinks into the waters. (03-168-27)
Mātali, with his chariot drawn by well-harnessed horses, moved about in the hair-raising battle when there was light. (03-168-28)
Then the fierce Nivātakavacas converged all around me. Seeing an opening, I sent them to the abode of Yama (death). (03-168-29)
Though present there in the battle, O destroyer of the Nivātakavaca demons, I suddenly could not see any of the demons, as they were concealed by illusion. (03-168-30)
