Bhishma-Vadha Parva — Eighth day's fight

Dhritarashtra said Seeing my sons, so many in number, slain by one, what, O Sanjaya, did, Bhishma, Drona, and Kripa do?

Day by day, O Sanjaya, my sons are being destroyed. Indeed 0 Suta, I consider them to be completely struck down by (Evil) Destiny. are

In as much as, my sons are never victorious and are ever vanquished in battle, in as much as my sons remaining amidst, Drona, Bhishma, the illustrious Kripa, and the heroic son of Somadatta, and Bhagadatta, and O son, Ashvathama, and many other heroic and valiant warriors of high-soul, still slaughtered in battle, what can it be but (adverse) Fate?

The wicked Duryodhana did not listen to our advise before. Forbidden, O son by myself, by Bhishma, by Vidura,

By his mother Gandhari ever anxious to compass his good, that perverse Duryodhana did not comprehend our words before through his folly. Now he reaps the fruits of his own actions,

In as much as, day by day, waxing worth in battle, Bhimasena is dispatching my sons to the abode of death.

Sanjaya said Those excellent words of Khattva have now been verified, which, O lord, uttered as they were for your good, you did not pay any heed to before.

'Withhold your sons from the dice, do not persecute the sons of Pandu', these words, spoken by your well-wishing friends,

You did not listen to, like one on death-bed neglecting wholesome medicine. It is now that you relies those words spoken by the righteous.

Disregarding the salutary advice offered by well-wishing friends like Bhishma, Drona, Vidura and others, the descendants of the Kuru race are reaping destruction.

Now, O monarch, the inevitable consequence of all that has arrived. Listen now from me as to how the battle was fought.

At mid-day, O king, the battle regard fiercely and the carnage that took place was exceedingly terrible. Hear me narrate it.

Then at the command of the son of Dharma (Yudhishthira), all the troops of the Pandava host inflamed with rage, rushed against Bhishma, out of a desire for slaying him.

Dhrishtadyumna, Shikhandin and the mighty car-warriors Satyaki, uniting together their divisions, rushed, O mighty monarch, against Bhishma.

Then the mighty car-warriors Virata and Drupada accompanied by all the Somakas rushed even against Bhishma himself.

The Kaikeyas, and Dhrishtaketu, and Kuntibhoja, clad in mail and supported by their armies, rushed, O monarch, against Bhishma himself.

Arjuna, the son of Draupadi, and the highly powerful Chekitana, rushed against the kings commanded by Duryodhana himself.

Thereafter, the valiant Abhimanyu, that mighty car-warrior, the son of Hidimba, and Bhimasena himself, all wrought up with wrath, assaulted the Kauravas.

Thus were the Kauravas slain in battle by the Pandavas divided in two divisions, so also, O monarch, the Pandavas were slaughtered by the Kauravas in that fight.

Then that foremost of car-warriors namely Drona, excited with rage, rushed against the 'Somakas and the Srinjayas, dispatching them to the mansion of death.

Then the high-souled Srinjaya, set up a loud and distressful cry when, o king they were thus being slaughtered in battle by that great bowman the son of Bharadvaja.

Innumerable Kshatriya warriors, smitten by Drona were seen to conclusive like persons suffering from agonising ailments.

They gleaned and moaned and cries and uttered cries of agony in consequence of which a confused noise was heard, resembling that produced by men struck with famine.

On the other hand, the highly puissant Bhimasena, waxing worth, caused a dreadful carnage among the Kaurava ranks like another god of Death himself.

In that fierce fight, as the troops slew one another, a terrible river started up into existence on the field of battle, of which the waves and currents were formed of blood.

That great battle, O mighty monarch, between the Kurus and the Pandavas, was indeed very dreadful in its aspect; and it considerably swelled the population of Death's domain.

Thereafter Bhima inflamed with rage, fell with impetuosity upon the elephant-division of the Kurus, and many were the beasts that he sent to the regions of Death.

There, in that battle, O Bharata, many were the elephants that pierced with Nacharas by Bhima, fell and were confounded and shrieked and careered in all directions.

Huge elephants, with their trucks cut off, and their bodies mangled, fell down on the earth, O sire, screaming like cranes.

Nakula and Sahadeva, both together, charged the cavalry-division. Those horses decked with golden chains and caparisons of the same metal.

Were scen to be slain by hundreds and by thousands; and O monarch, the earth was strewn over with falling horses.

The earth looked awful, O foremost of men, being covered over with horses of diverse appearance, some of which, again were breathing hard, some meaning and some deprived of their lives.

The earth also, O Bharata, appeared lawfully beautiful being over strewn with kings slain by Arjuna in the encounter.

With shattered chariots, and torn flags and umbrellas of great effulgence, with rent Chamaras and fans, and with mighty weapons splintered into pierces,

With garlands and necklaces of gold, with heads graced with ear-rings, with bracelets, with head-gears fallen off from the heads, and with streamers,

With well-made car-bottoms, and O king, with reins and riggings-covered with all these things, the earth appeared as beautiful as she appears during the spring being strewn over with blossoms.

Such also was the carnage caused in the Pandava host, О Bharata, when the son of Shantanu, and Drona that foremost of carwarriors were enraged;

As also when Ashvathama, and Kripa and Kritavarma (were wrought up with rage). So also your troops under went destruction when the other side was inflamed with wrath.