भीष्म-वध पर्व — घोर संग्राम और संहार

Sanjaya said Then, O foremost of men, Shikhandin having encountered Bhishma in battle, pierced the latter on his breast with ten broad-headed shafts of great sharpness.

Then the son of Ganga looked at Shikhandin with his eyes blazing in rage, and O Bharata, he seemed to burn the latter by his glance only.

But, O king, remembering his femininity, Bhishma did not wound him before the eyes of all in that battle. The latter however comprehended it not.

Therefore, O monarch, Arjuna said to Shikhandin, “swiftly rush at the grandsire and slay him.

What is that you want to speak, O hero? Slay the mighty car-warrior Bhishma, I do not see a man in the whole army of Yudhishthira,

Who is able to fight with Bhishma in battle, except yourself, O best of men? This I say to you forsooth."

Thus spoken to by Pritha's son, O foremost of the Bharatas, Shikhandin speedily covered the grandsire with arrows of various description;

But disregarding those arrows, your sire Devavrata, wrought up with wrath engaged to fight with Arjuna by means of his shafts.

That mighty car-warrior also dispatched the forces of the Pandavas to the other world, O sire, with his sharp-pointed shafts.

On the other hand, O king, the sons of Pandu, supported by mighty divisions covered Bhishma over, like clouds covering the orb of the day.

Then, O foremost of the Bharata, that chief of the Bharatas thus surrounded on all sides, began to consume those heroes in battle like a raging conflagration burning the woods.

Then we beheld the wonderful prowess of your son as much as he simultaneously fought with Arjuna and protected the grandsire.

Then all people were gratified with the feat achieved by your high-minded son Dushasana wielding his bow;

For then he, single-handed, fought with the Pandavas including Arjuna himself; he then fought so fiercely that the Pandavas were unable to resist him.

In that battle car-warriors were deprived of their cars by Dushasana; mighty horse-men and highly powerful elephant-riders,

Mangled with his shafts, fell down on the surface of the earth. Huge-tusked elephants afflicted with arrow-wounds in all directions.

Just as fire fed with fuel fiercely blazes forth with terrible flames, so did your son consume the troops of the Pandavas.

ran None of the heroic car-warriors of the Pandava host, O Bharata, was then able to vanquish, nay to encounter, that warrior of gigantic stature, except Arjuna the son of the great Indra, having white steeds and owning Krishna for his charioteer. Then, o king, the ever-victorious Arjuna defeating Dushasana in battle, rushed against Bhishma even before the very eyes of the people assembled there. Though vanquished, your son then depending greatly upon the strength of Bhishma's arms,

Furiously fought with the Pandavas comforting his own troops at the same time. Arjuna also, O king, engaged in battle appeared very beautiful.

Shikhandin also, O monarch, pierced the grandsire in battle with sharp arrows, of which the touch resembled that of the bolt of heaven and which were mortal like the virulent venom of snakes.

These shafts, O ruler of men, did not cause any the slightest pain to your father, and then the son of Ganga received those arrows with a smile.

Just as a man burning with thirst eagerly welcomes a shower of rain, so did also the son of Ganga receive the shower of arrows discharged by Shikhandin.

Then, O mighty monarch, the Kshatriyas beheld Bhishma look terrible as he consumed the ranks of the high-souled Pandavas.

Then your son commanded, O sire, all your troops saying. “Assail from all sides the heroic Phalguna.

The valiant Bhishma conversant with all duties will protect us in battle.” Then those troops of yours dismissing all fears fought on with the Pandavas.

(Again did Duryodhana say) “Yonder is Bhishma, with his tall standard marked with the device of a golden palmyra, striving for saving the honour and armours of all the Dhritarashtra warriors.

Even the celestial striving vigorously cannot overcome the mighty and high-souled Bhishma in battle, what to speak of the sons of Pritha who are mere mortals.

Therefore, O warriors, do you not run away getting Phalguna as an adversary in battle. I myself, putting forth my best energies, shall day battle against the Pandavas,

United with all these rulers of earth, all exerting their best in battle.” Hearing those words of your son wielding the bow,

All the valiant and highly powerful warriors wrought up with rage, belonging to the clans of the Videhas, the Kalingas, the Daserakas, and many other tribes,

Fell upon Arjuna in battle. The Nishadas, the Souviras, the Balhika's, the Daradas, the Westerners, the Northerners and the Malavas, Abhishahs, the Shurasenas, the Shibis, the Vasatis, the Shalavas, the Shakas, the Trigartas, the Ambasthas with the Kaikeyas,

Then rushed upon the son of Pritha like a flight of insects rushing at the flames of a fire. Then, O mighty monarch, that highly powerful hero Dhananjaya, always dreaded in battle, invO king celestial weapons, fixed them on his bowstring, and aiming them at those hundreds of enemy's divisions of car-warriors swiftly consumed them all, by means of those powerful dares of great velocity, like fire burning down a fight of insects. Then the bow Gandiva of that resolute bowman appeared resplendent as he shot myriad's upon myriad's of arrows from it.

Then, O mighty monarch, those Kaurava warriors with their tall standards splintered into pieces, ventured nor, even in a body, experienced against Arjuna owning the standard marked with the device of an ape. S011 Afflicted with shafts by the diadem-decked Arjuna, car-warriors fell with their standards, horse-riders with their horses and elephantriders with their elephants. Then the earth become soon covered with divisions of kings flying in all directions in consequence of the shafts shot by the arms of Arjuna. Then having completely crushed the enemy's ranks, the son of Pritha,

Sped numerous shafts at your Dushasana. Those iron-tipped arrows, having pierced Dushasana.

Penetrated the earth like so many snakes entering their holes in ant-bills. Then Arjuna slew the steeds and charioteer of the latter.

Then that valiant hero deprived Vivingshati of his car with twenty shafts and wounded the latter with shafts of straight knots.

Then the son of Kunti, owning white steeds, having pierced Kripa, Vikarna, and Shalya with many iron arrows, deprived them of their cars.

Thus deprived of their chariots, O sire, Kripa, Shalya, Dushasana, Vikarma and Vivingshati,

All fled away from the field of battle being completely worsted by Savyasachin. Then, O foremost of the Bharatas, having vanquished the mighty car-warriors at the forenoon,

Partha then blazed forth in battle like fire without even one curl of smoke. He then, in consequence of his pouring arrows showers, looked like the sun scattering his myriad rays in all directions.

He felled also, O mighty monarch, many rulers of the earth all mighty car-warriors, having compelled them to turn their faces away from the field of battle.

Then, O Bharata, between the armies of the Kurus and the Pandavas, he crushed a mighty river of bloody current to flow.

Large bodies of elephants, steeds and carwarriors were slain by car-warriors; and many were the car-warriors slain by elephants and many the horse-men slain by foot-soldiers.

In all directions then fell many heads and bodies cut in the middle, of car-warriors, horsemen and elephant-riders.

The field of battle, O king, became strewn with fallen and falling bodies of many royal car-warriors even then decked with bracelets and graced with ear-rings.

The field was also covered over with many bodies mangled by car-wheels and trampled upon by by elephants. Foot-soldiers, and horsemen with their chargers fled away in all directions.

Elephants and car-warriors left in all directions. Many were the gore of elephants, horses and car-warriors, appeared beautiful like the autumnal sky covered with specks of red cloud.

Dogs, crows, vultures, wolves, and jackels and other beasts set up loud yields, at the sight of food that was then before them.

Then, when Rakshasas and evil spirits were seen to roar there, various kinds of winds began to blow in all directions.

Strings of gold and precious standards were seen suddenly to be fluttered by the wind, and began to tremble,

Thousands of white umbrellas and many mighty car-warriors with their standards, were seen strewn on the surface of the earth.

Many huge elephants with the flags unfurled on their back started running in all the four directions because of severe pain caused to them by hard blows of arrows. O king! A number of Kshatriyas with gada, sakti and bows in their hands were seen fell down on the earth everywhere.

Thereupon, O mighty monarch, Bhishma having invoked into existence a celestial weapon rushed at the son of Kunti even before the very eyes of all bowmen.

Then clad in mail Shikhandin confronted him rushing in battle. Whereupon Bhishma withdrew that dare resembling fire itself.

Meanwhile Kunti's son owning white steeds having confounded the grandsire began to slaughter your forces.