of friction, in the tusks of battling elephants.  And combatants on the backs of elephants, struck with lances, were seen all around to fall down like blocks (loosened) from crests of hills.[429] And brave foot-soldiers, battling with their bare arms or with lances, and striking one another, looked exceedingly beautiful.  And the warriors of the Kaurava and the Pandava hosts, coming upon one another in that conflict, despatched one another with diverse kinds of shafts to the abode of Yama.  Then Bhishma, the son of Santanu, filling (the air) with the rattle of his car, and depriving the foe of his senses by the twang of his bow, rushed against the Pandavas in battle.  The car-warriors of the Pandavas, too, headed by Dhrishtadyumna, uttering fierce shouts, rushed at him, firmly resolved on fight.  Then commenced, O Bharata, a battle between the infantry, car-warriors, and elephants, of theirs and thine, in which the combatants became all entangled with one another.”

SECTION LXXXIX

Sanjaya said, “The Pandavas were incapable of even looking at Bhishma excited with rage in battle and scorching every side like the Sun himself shedding scorching heat.  Then all the (Pandava) troops, at the command of Dharma’s son, rushed at the son of Ganga who was grinding (everything) with his whetted arrows, Bhishma, however, who delighted in battle felled the mightiest of bowmen amongst the Srinjayas and the Panchalas, with his shafts.  Though thus slaughtered by Bhishma, the Panchalas along with the Somakas still rushed impetuously at him, forsaking the fear of death.  The heroic Bhishma, the son of Santanu, however, in that battle, cut off, O king, the arms and heads of their car-warriors.  Thy sire, Devavrata deprived their car-warriors of cars.  And the heads of cavalry soldiers on their chargers fell fast.  And we beheld, O king, huge elephants looking like hills, deprived of their riders, and paralysed with Bhishma’s weapons, lying all around.  Amongst the Pandavas, O king, there was no other man save that foremost of car-warriors, the mighty Bhimasena, (who could resist Bhishma).  Indeed, Bhima alone, approaching Bhishma, encountered him in battle.  Then in that encounter between Bhima and Bhishma, a fierce and terrible uproar arose among all the troops (of the Kauravas).  The Pandavas then, filled with joy, uttered leonine shouts.  During that destructive carnage, king Duryodhana, surrounded by his uterine brothers, protected Bhishma in that battle.  Then that foremost of car-warriors, viz., Bhima, slew Bhishma’s charioteer.  Thereupon the steeds no longer controlled, ran away from the field with car.  Then that slayer of foes, viz., Bhima with a sharp arrow having a horse-shoe head, cut off the head of Sunabha. (Thus) slain, the latter fell down on the earth.  When that son of thine, that mighty car-warrior and great bowman was slain, seven of his heroic brothers, O sire, could not (quietly)