SECTION CLXXXIV
"Bhishma said, 'The next day, O bull of Bharata's race, frightful again
was the combat that wok place between me and Rama when I encountered him
once more. That hero of virtuous soul, conversant with celestial
weapons,--the lord Rama, from day to day, began to use diverse kinds of
celestial weapons. Regardless of life itself, which is so difficult of
being sacrificed, in that fierce combat, O Bharata, I baffled all those
weapons with such of mine as are capable of baffling them. And, O
Bharata, when diverse weapons were in this way neutralised and baffled by
means of counter-weapons, Rama, of mighty energy began to contend against
me in that battle, reckless of his own life. Seeing all his weapons
baffled, the high-souled son of Jamadagni then hurled at me a fierce
lance, blazing like a meteor, with flaming mouth, filling the whole
world, as it were, with its effulgence, and resembling the dart hurled by
Death himself! I, however, with my arrows cut into three fragments that
blazing dart rushing against me, and resembling in effulgence the sun
that rises at end of the Yuga! At this, breezes charged with fragrant
odours began to blow (around me). Beholding that dart of his cut off,
Rama, burning with anger, hurled a dozen other fierce darts. Their forms,
O Bharata, I am incapable of describing in consequence of their great
effulgence and speed. How, indeed, shall I describe their forms?
Beholding those diverse-looking darts approach me from all sides, like
long tongues of fire and blazing forth with fierce energy like the dozen
suns that arise at the time of the destruction of the universe, I was
filled with fear. Seeing an arrowy net advancing against me, I baffled it
with an arrowy downpour of mine, and then sent a dozen shafts by which I
consumed those fierce-looking dozen darts of Rama. Then, O king, the
high-souled son of Jamadagni showered on me numerous fierce-looking
darts, furnished with variegated handles decked with gold, possessed of
golden wings, and resembling flaming meteors! Baffling those fierce darts
by means of my shield and sword, and causing them in that combat to fall
down on the ground, I then, with clouds of excellent arrows, covered
Rama's excellent steeds and his charioteer. Then that high-souled smiter
of the lord of the Haihayas,[19] beholding those darts of mine equipped
with gold-decked handles and resembling snakes emerged out of their
holes, and filled with wrath at the sight, had recourse once more to
celestial weapons! Then swarms of fierce arrows, looking like flights of
locusts fell upon me and overwhelmed me, my steeds, my charioteer, and my
car! Indeed, O king, my car, horses, and charioteer, were covered all
over with those arrows! And the yoke, shaft, wheels, and the wheel-spokes
of my car, overwhelmed with that arrowy shower, at once broke. After that
arrowy shower, however, was over, I also covered my preceptor with a
thick shower of arrows. Thereupon, that mass of Brahmic merit, mangled
with that arrowy downpour, began to bleed copiously, and continuously.
Indeed, like Rama afflicted with my clouds of arrows, I too was densely
pierced with his arrows. When at last in the evening, the sun set behind
the western hills, our combat came to an end.'"
--------------------END OF PARVA 5 : UPA-PARVA 184 ---------------------
