horses then in terrific combat, Rama, fighting with great coolness, covered me with swarms of winged arrows, shot with remarkable lightness of hand.  At this, O mighty-armed one, I also began to shoot arrows with great lightness of hand for obstructing Rama’s arrowy shower.  Then those arrows shot by myself and Rama covering the welkin all around, stayed even there (without failing down).  And, thereupon, enveloped by clouds of arrows the very sun could not shed its rays through them.  And the very wind, obstructed by those clouds, seemed to be unable to pass through them.  Then, in consequence of the obstructed motion of the wind, the rays of the sun, and the clash of the arrows against one another, a conflagration was caused in the welkin.  And then those arrows blazed forth in consequence of the fire generated by themselves, and fell on the earth, consumed into ashes!  Then Rama, O Kaurava, filled with rage, covered me with hundreds and thousands and hundreds of thousands and hundreds of millions arrows!  And I also, O king, with my arrows resembling snakes of virulent poison, cut into fragments all those arrows of Rama and caused them to fall down on the earth like snakes cut into pieces.  And it was thus, O best of the Bharatas, that combat took place.  When, however, the shades of evening approached, my preceptor withdrew from the fight.’”

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