Ambopakhyana Parva — The combat between Bhishma and Rama

Bhishma said Then did the charioteer, o lord of the universe, who was regarded as being skillful in such matters, draw forth the arrows from his own body and those of the horses as well as that of myself.

In the morning, the sun having risen the fight commenced again, the horses (of both parties) having been bathed and allowed to roll on the ground, and given water and thereby refreshed,

Seeing me coming quickly with my coat of mail on and seated on my chariot Rama, of great luster, got ready his car very carefully.

I too, seeing Rama, who was desirous of fight, approaching, keeping aside that best of bows, at once dismounted from my chariot.

Having bowed down to him I got on it again and desirous of fight stood before Jamadgna, past the reach of fear.

Then did I, all on a sudden, cover him with a great shower of arrows: and he too covered me with shower of arrows.

The son of Jamadagni worked up with wrath, again shot forth on me fearful and sharp arrows having months blazing like those of serpents.

Then did I at once again and again cut them asunder, O king, by my hundred and thousands of arrows, when they were still in the air.

Then did the illustrious son of Jamadagni shoot at me celestial weapons but I thwarted them off, O you of long arms.

In fact, O you of long arms, I performed mightier tasks by my weapons on which there was a loud commotion all about, oking.

Then did I shoot at the son of Jamadagni the weapons called Vayavya but Rama, O Bharata, warded if off by the weapon called Guhyaka.

Then did I after repeating suitable incantations shoot the weapon called Agneya ine was but Rama thwarted that weapon called Agneya but Rama thwarted that weapon of mine by one called Varuna, O lord.

In this way did I ward off the heavenly weapons of Rama and the energetic Rama too, that chastiser of enemies, conversant with celestial weapons, thwarted off the weapons of mine.

There did that best among the twice-born, Rama, the son of Jamadagni, suddenly turning to the right, pierce me in my breast.

Then did I foremost among the Bharatas, faint on that best of cars. My charioteer quickly removed who deprived of consciousness.

O chief among the Bharatas, seeing me afflicted and struck with the arrows of Rama and removed, being deprived of consciousness,

All the followers of Rama, Akri avrana and others and the daughter of the king of the Kashis all set up a loud shout.

My consciousness (after a time) having come back I said to my charioteer "O charioteer go where Rama is, I am prepared (for battle) for I have now no pains.”

Then did the charioteer bear me by means of exceedingly beautiful horses which went on dancing as it were, O scion of the Kuru race, and which were of the speed similar of that of the wind.

Having then come near Rama and being wrathful I shot forth a shower of arrows, O Kaurava, with the desire of gaining victory over that wrathful one.

But that Rama cut asunder those arrows which went along in straight lines, when they were in still in the air, by shooting three arrows for each of mine.

Then were all of them (Rama's followers) rejoiced at seeing my well furnished arrows cut asunder in two by hundreds and thousands.

Then did I shoot at Rama, the son of Jamadgna with the desire of killing him, blazing arrows of good appearance, guided by death itself.

Struck with its force and owing to its impetus, Rama fainted in the field and fell on the ground.

Rama falling on the ground all began to cry out Alas, Alas, as might be the case, O Bharata, if the sun were to fall on the earth.

Then did all those ascetics and the princess of Kashi,Odelighter of the race of Kuru, being filled with anxiety, began to comfort him,

By embracing him and slowly passing over the palms of their hands rendered cold by water and by blessings of victory, OKaurava.

Then did Rama, rising up, give vent to these wrathful words:-"Stay, O Bhishma, you are already killed" fixing an arrow to his bow.

In that great battle that arrow, shot by him, quickly fell on my right side owing to which I was as much agitated as a tree is shaken by a gale.

Then did Rama, after killing my horses in that great battle, cover me up with clusters of arrows shot with lightness of hand and with such precision that each could carry away with it a single hair of my body,

Then did I too shoot my weapons with lightness of hand so as toward off his arrows, O you of long arms, and those arrows (of mine and of Rama) stayed in the air (without falling down.)

The arrows shot by Rama and myself completely covered the sky so that even the sun, covered by a net of arrows, could not give forth its heat.

The very wind then shut up in that net could not pass through it. Then owing to the wind being shut up, and the sun too not being able to impart its rays,

And from the clashing of weapons there sprang up a fire and those arrows were ablaze owing to the fire brought into existence by them.

At the time, O king, every body on earth, was reduced to ashes. At that time, hundreds and thousands, and tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands,

And millions and hundreds of millions of Rama's arrows were shot by that wrathful one, all in quick succession.

In that battle, I too, by my arrows resembling poisonous snakes, cutting asunder those arrows, made them fill up the earth like snakes cut up in fragments, O ruler of men.

Such was the wonderful fight that took place at the time, O best among the Bharatas. Evening having passed away my preceptor also retired.