He was regarded as being incapable of being vanquished in battle and the foremost among all the users of the bow. Krishna at once killed him by force of his own strength and thus destroyed all the hopes of the Kshatriyas.
अस्तम्भनीयं युधि मन्यमानो ज्यां कर्षतां श्रेष्ठतमं पृथिव्याम्। सर्वोत्साहं क्षत्रियाणां निहत्य प्रसह्य कृष्णस्तरसा सम्ममर्द॥