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350
 
THE MAHABHARATA
 
Seeing that flaming serpent missile flying

towards them along the sky, the hero of

the Vrishni race, Krishna, pressed down the

chariot's wheel at once, and sent it five

inches into the ground.
 

 
ततः किरीटं तपनीय चित्रं

पार्थोत्तमाङ्गादहरत्तरस्वी ॥
 

As a result of this, the powerful serpent-

missile took off from Arjuna's head his

crown wonderfully wrought in gold.
 

 
ततोऽग्निसदृशं घोरं शरं सर्पविषोपमम् ।

रौद्रमस्त्रं समाधाय क्षेप्तुकामः किरीटिने ॥
 

Then, setting on the bow-string the divine

missile presided over by Rudra, an arrow

resembling fire, terrible and similar to

a serpent's poison, Karna wanted to

shoot it at Arjuna.
 

 
ततोऽग्रसन्मही चक्रं राधेयस्य तदा [नृप] ।

ग्रस्तचक्रस्तु राधेय इदं वचनमब्रवीत् ॥
 

At that time then, the wheel of Karna's

chariot was caught in the ground; with the

wheel stuck, Karna said :