SECTION CXVI
Dhritarashtra said, "How, O Sanjaya, did Santanu's son Bhishma of mighty
energy fight on the tenth day of battle, with the Pandavas and the
Srinjayas? How also did the Kurus resist the Pandavas in battle? Describe
to me the great battle fought by Bhishma, that ornament of battle."
Sanjaya said, "I will presently describe to thee, O Bharata, how the
Kauravas fought with the Pandavas, and how that battle took place. Day
after day many mighty car-warriors of your army, excited with wrath, were
despatched to the other world by the diadem-decked (Arjuna) with his
great weapons. The ever-victorious Kuru warrior Bhishma also, agreeably
to his vow, always caused a great carnage among the Partha army. O
chastiser of foes, beholding Bhishma, fighting at the head of the Kurus,
and Arjuna also fighting at the head of the Panchalas, we could not say
truly on which side the victory would declare itself. On the tenth day of
battle, when Bhishma and Arjuna encountered each other, awful was the
carnage that took place. On that day, O scorcher of foes, Santanu's son,
Bhishma, conversant with high and mighty weapons, repeatedly slew
thousands upon thousands of warriors. Many, O Bharata, whose names and
families were not known, but who, endued with great bravery, were
unretreating from battle, were on that day slain by Bhishma. Scorching
the Pandava army for ten days, Bhishma of virtuous soul, gave up all
desire of protecting his life. Wishing his own slaughter presently at the
head of his troops,--No more shall I slay large numbers of foremost of
warriors.--thought your mighty-armed sire Devavrata. And seeing
Yudhishthira near him, O king, he addressed him, saying, 'O Yudhishthira,
O you of great wisdom, O you that are acquainted with every branch of
learning, listen to these righteous and heaven-leading words, O sire,
that I say. O Bharata, I no longer desire to protect, O sire, this body
of mine. I have passed much time in slaying large numbers of men in
battle. If you wishest to do what is agreeable to me, strive to slay me,
placing Partha with the Panchalas and the Srinjayas at your van'.
Ascertaining this to be his intention, king Yudhishthira of true sight
proceeded to battle with the Srinjayas (for his support). Then
Dhrishtadyumna, O king, and Pandu's son Yudhishthira, having heard those
words of Bhishma urged their array on. And Yudhishthira said, 'Advance!
Fight! Vanquish Bhishma in battle. Ye all will be protected by that
conqueror of foes, viz., Jishnu of unbaffled aim. And this great bowman,
this generalissimo (of our forces), viz., the son of Prishata, as also
Bhima, will assuredly protect you. Ye Srinjayas, entertain no fear today
of Bhishma in battle. Without doubt, we will vanquish Bhishma today,
placing Sikhandin in our van'. Having, on the tenth day of battle, made
such a vow, the Pandavas, resolved to (conquer or) go to heaven,
advanced, blinded by rage, with Sikhandin and Dhananjaya the son of Pandu
to the fore. And they made the most vigorous efforts for the overthrow of
Bhishma. Then diverse kings, of great might, urged by your son, and
accompanied by Drona and his son and a large force, and the mighty
Dussasana at the head of all his uterine brothers, proceeded towards
Bhishma staying in the midst of that battle. Then those brave warriors of
thy army, placing Bhishma of high vows in their van, battled with the
Parthas headed by Sikhandin. Supported by the Chedis and the Panchalas,
the ape-bannered Arjuna, placing Sikhandin ahead, proceeded towards
Bhishma, the son of Santanu. And the grandson of Sini battled with
Drona's son, and Dhrishtaketu with the descendant of Puru, and Yudhamanyu
with your son Duryodhana at the head of his followers. And Virata, at the
head of his forces, encountered Jayadratha supported by his own troops.
And Vardhakshatra's heir, O chastiser of foes, encountered your son
Chitrasena armed with excellent bow and arrows.[479] And Yudhishthira
proceeded against the mighty bowman Salya at the head of his troops. And
Bhimasena, well-protected, proceeded against the elephant-division (of
the Kaurava army). And Dhrishtadyumna, the prince of Panchala, excited
with fury and accompanied by his brothers, proceeded against Drona, that
foremost of all wielders of weapons, invincible, and irresistible. That
chastiser of foes, viz., prince Vrihadvala, bearing on his standard the
device of the lion, proceeded against Subhadra's son whose standard bore
the device of the Karnikara flower. Thy sons, accompanied by many kings,
proceeded against Sikhandin and Dhananjaya the son of Pritha, from desire
of slaughtering both of them. When the combatants of both armies rushed
against each other with awful prowess, the earth shook (under their
tread). Beholding Santanu's son in battle, the divisions of your army and
of the foe, O Bharata, became mingled with one another. Tremendous was
the din, O Bharata, that arose there of those warriors burning with rage
and rushing against each other. And it was heard on all sides, O king.
With the blare of conchs and the leonine shouts of the soldiers, the
uproar became awful. The splendour, equal to that of either the Sun or
the Moon, of bracelets and diadems of all the heroic kings, became
dimmed. And the dust that rose looked like a cloud, the flash of bright
weapons constituting its lightning. And the twang of bows, the whiz of
arrows, the blare of conchs, the loud beat of drums, and the rattle of
cars, of both the armies, constituted the fierce roar of those clouds.
And the welkin, over the field of battle, in consequence of the bearded
darts, the javelins, the swords and showers of arrows of both armies, was
darkened. And car-warriors, and horsemen felled horsemen, in that
dreadful battle. And elephants killed elephants, and foot-soldiers slew
foot-soldiers. And the battle that took place there for Bhishma's sake,
between the Kurus and the Pandavas, O tiger among men, was fierce in the
extreme, like that between two hawks for a piece of flesh. Engaged in
battle, that encounter between those combatants desirous of slaughtering
and vanquishing one another, was extremely dreadful."
--------------------END OF PARVA 6 : UPA-PARVA 116 ---------------------
