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.”
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)
Print
Word
PDF
