भीष्म-वध पर्व — द्वन्द्व-युद्ध

Sanjaya said When the battle thus raged, when Susharma had turned away from the battle when the highsouled son of Pandu (Arjuna) had broken your ranks,

When your army resembling the mighty main had been greatly agitated, and when the son of Ganga had swiftly advanced towards Vijaya,

King Duryodhana, beholding the prowess of the son of Pritha in that battle hastily approaching all those kings thus addressed them all:

Also, addressing the heroic Susharma endued with great strength, and stationed at their head, Duryodhana said these words, amidst all the soldiers, impairing delight to them all.

This Bhishma, this son of Shantanu, this foremost of the Kurus, has resolved to fight with Dhananjaya, heedless of his very life and to the best of his abilities,

Do you all, putting forth all your energies in battle, and supported by your respective division, protect the grandsire of the Bharatas, as he rushes against the army of the enemy.

Saying 'Yea' all those divisions, let by foremost of kings, O mighty monarch moved near the grandsire.

Thereupon the son of Shantanu viz., Bhishma, while thus advancing suddenly encountered the mighty Arjuna of the Bharata race, coming towards himself.

Riding on his highly resplendent chariot that bore the standard marked with the emblem of the mighty ape to which were yoked mighty white steeds and that produced a clatter resembling the rumble of clouds. Beholding the diadem-decked Dhananjaya rush to battle, all your troops seized with panic, set up a dreadful uproar.

Beholding Krishna resembling another Aditya and holding the reins in his hands, look like the sun in the meridian, your soldiers were unable to fix their eyes on him.

So also the troops of the Pandavas were unable to gaze at Bhishma the son of Shantanu, borne by white steeds, holding a white bow, and loO king like the white planet (Shukra) rising in the skies.

He was also surrounded on all sides by the Trigartas of high-soul, along with their brothers, sons, and many other car-warrior.

Meanwhile the son of Bharadvaja in that conflict, pierced the king of the Matsyas with one winged arrow; and he cut down the bow and the standard of the latter with one shaft each.

Thereupon Virata the leader of a division leaving aside his served bow, hastily grasped another of tougher make and capable of bearing great stain.

As also, arrows of the shape of snakes of virulent poison, and resembling blazing serpents. In return, he pierced Drona with three shafts, his steeds with four,

His standard with one, and his charioteer with five. Virata also pierced the bow of Drona with one shaft. Thereupon the foremost of the regenerates, Drona, waxed irascible.

Thereafter with eight straight-knotted shaft, Drona slew Virata's steeds, and, O foremost of the Bharatas, his charioteer also with one shaft furnished with wings.

Thereat that foremost of car-warrior viz., Virata, jumping down from his chariot of which the driver and the steeds had been slain, swiftly ascended the car of Sankha.

Then, the father and the son (Virata and Sankha) riding on the same car, putting forth all their energies, endeavored to check the son of Bharadvaja with a mighty shower of arrows.

Thereupon that highly-powerful son of Bharadvaja, waxing worth, with great lightness (of hand) hurled, in that battle, a shaft resembling a snake of virulent venom, at Sankha.

That arrow, penetrating through Shankha's heart and drinking his life, blood, struck on the ground with its body rocked in the crimson fluid.

Pierced by the shaft of Bharadvaja's son, Sankha quickly dropped down from his car, loosing hold of his bow and arrows and before the very presence of his father.

Beholding his own son slain, Virata, fled out of fear, leaving Drona in battle who then looked like Death himself with yawning jaws.

Thereafter in that battle, the son of Bharadvaja resisted, by hundreds and by thousand the mighty army belonging to the sons of Pandu. Shikhandin also, O mighty sovereign encountering the son of Drona in the conflict, wounded him between the brows with three swift coursing long shafts.

With those three arrows stuck on his forehead, that foremost of men (Drona's son) appeared beautiful like the Meru mountain decked with three golden peaks towering high.

Thereupon waxing worth, within half the lime taken up by the wink, Ashvathama cut off in that combat Shikhandin's Shikhandin's charioteer, standard, horses and weapons covering them, O king, with innumerable arrows, then that foremost of car-warriors jumped down from the car of which, the steeds had been slain.

Grasping a whetted and effulgent sword and buckler. Then that afflicter of foes, namely Shikhandin, waxing wroth began to move about on the field of battle like a hawk.

As he (Shikhandin) whirled about on the field, O mighty monarch, Drona's son could not find any vulnerable point, and this seemed indeed very wonderful.

Then, O foremost of the Bharatas, Drona's son inflamed with rage, sped, in that battle many thousands of shafts (against Shikhandin).

Then that foremost of those possessed of prowess (Shikhandin) cut off with his sharpedged sword the dreadful shower of arrows that was falling fast upon him.

Thereafter the son of Drona cut off Shikhandin's glittering shield charming with a hundred moon, then in that battle he also shattered into pieces the latter's sword.

The O monarch he (Drona's son) pierced Shikhandin with myriad's of shafts furnished with wings. Thereat Shikhandin whirling the fragment of his sword splintered by the arrows (of Drauni), hurled it at the latter, like a blazing serpent. Beholding that fragment of the sword that then resembled the all destructive fire (at the end of a Yuga) come swiftly toward himself.

The son of Drona cut in off in the battle, displaying great lightness of hand then also he pierced Shikhandin with many shafts made wholly of iron.

Thus wounded sore with sharp arrows, Shikhandin quickly ascended, O monarch, the car of the high-souled Satyaki, that scion of the dynasty of Madhu.

Then Satyaki, inflamed with wrath in that conflict, covered, on all sides, the ruthless Rakshasas Alambusha, with his dreadful arrows.

Thereat, O Bharata, that foremost of the Rakshasas cut off Satyaki's bow with a crescent-shaped arrow in that combat, and pierced the latter with numerous arrows.

Spreading an illusion through his Rakshasas prowess, he covered Satyaki with an arrow downpour. Then we did behold the wonderful prowess of the grandson of Shini.

In as much as though pierced in that battle, with those sharp arrows, he did not flinch in the least. Then that descendant of the Vrishni race, placed on his bow string the Indra weapon,

Which that renowned scion of Madhus race had obtained from Vijaya himself. That weapon then reducing into ashes the Rakshasis illusion,

Poured a shower of dreadful shafts of Alambusha from all sides, like clouds in the rainy season covering the mountain top with (thick showers of rain).

Thus afflicted sore by that high souled scion of Madhu's race, the Rakshasa fled out of fear, leaving Satyaki (victorious) on the field.

Then having vanquished that foremost of the Rakshasas who could not be vanquished even by Indra himself the grandson of Shini uttered a loud roar, even before the very eyes of your warriors.

Then Satyaki of prowess incapable of being baffled, began to slaughter your warriors with many well-sharpened shafts; and afflicted with fear these latter began to break away.

Meanwhile, that mighty son of Drupada, namely, Dhrishtadyumna, O king, in that battle covered your son, the ruler of men, with innumerable straight, knotted shafts. This covered with the shot by Dhrishtadyumna, O Bharata.

Your son, that lord of men, neither wavered nor was agitated with fear, on the other hand, he quickly pierced Dhrishtadyumna with arrows in that conflict. Numbering sixty (first) and thirty (next). all this seemed highly wonderful. Thereupon the generalissimo of the Pandavas, waxing wroth, O Bharata, cut off Duryodhana's bow.

Also that mighty car-warrior slew the four steeds of the latter in battle, and quickly pierced his person with seven shafts of exceeding sharpness. arrows

Thereupon that mighty-armed Duryodhana endued with great strength jumping down from his car the steeds of which were slain, rushed on foot towards Prishata's son with sword uplifted.

At that moment the highly powerful Shakuni desirous of rescuing the king, approached the spot and placed the monarch on his car before the presence of all warriors.

Then vanquishing the Kuru king, Prishata's son that slayer of hostile heroes, began to slaughter your troops like the wielder of the thunder-bolt slaying the Asuras.

Then in that battle, Kritavarma afflicted the inighty car-warrior Bhima, virtually covering the latter (with arrows), like masses of clouds covering the sun.

Thereupon that scorcher of foes Bhimasena, waxing irascible and smiling the while, shot, in that combat, myriad's of shafts towards Kritavarma.

Wounded with those arrows that Atiratha of the Satvata race swelling with all prowess, quaked not, O mighty monarch but, on the other hand, pierced Bhima with many keen pointed arrows.

Thereat the highly powerful Bhimasena slaying Kritavarma's four steeds felled his charioteer and his well cleansed standard.

Then that slayer of hostile heroes (Bhima) pierced Kritavarma with arrows of diverse sorts; thus mangled and mutilated with arrows, the latter looked like a porcupine.

Thereafter leaving his chariot of which the steeds were slain, Kritavarma ascended the car of your brother-in-law Vrishka, O monarch, before the yes of your son.

Bhimasena also, inflamed with wrath rushed at your troops; and excited to the highest pitch of fury he began to slaughter them like the god of Death himself wiclding his mace in his hands.