that was made of gold, beautiful throughout and overlaid with a rich coverlet.  With hands joined, eyes bathed in tears, and voice chocked in grief, he then addressed Bhishma, saying, ’Taking thy protection, this battle, O slayer of foes, we ventured to vanquish the very gods and the Asuras with Indra at their head.  What shall I say, therefore, of the sons of Pandu, heroic though they be, with their kinsmen and friends?  Therefore, O son of Ganga, it behoveth thee, O lord, to show me mercy.  Slay the brave sons of Pandu like Mahendra slaying the Danavas.—­I will slay, O king, all the Somakas and the Panchalas and the Karushas along with the Kekayas, O Bharata-these were thy words to me.  Let these words become true.  Slay the assembled Parthas, and those mighty bowmen, viz., the Somakas.  Make thy words true, O Bharata.  If from kindness (for the Pandavas), O king, or from thy hatred of my unfortunate self, thou sparest the Pandavas, then permit Karna, that ornament of battle, to fight.  He will vanquish in battle the Parthas with all their friends and kinsmen.  The king, thy son Duryodhana having said this, shut his lips without saying anything more to Bhishma of terrible prowess.”

SECTION XCIX

Sanjaya said, “The high-souled Bhishma, deeply pierced with wordy daggers by thy son, became filled with great grief.  But he said not a single disagreeable word in reply.  Indeed, mangled by those wordy daggers and filled with grief and rage, he sighed like a snake and reflected (in silence) for a long while.  Raising his eyes then, and as if consuming, from wrath, the world with the celestials, the Asuras, and the Gandharvas, that foremost of persons conversant with the world, then addressed thy son and said unto him these tranquil words, ’Why, O Duryodhana, dost thou pierce me thus with thy wordy daggers?  I always endeavour to the utmost of my might to achieve, and do achieve, what is for thy good.  Indeed, from desire of doing what is agreeable to thee, I am prepared to cast away my life in battle.  The Pandavas are really invincible.  When the brave son of Pandu gratified Agni in the forest of Khandava, having vanquished Sakra himself in battle, even that is a sufficient indication.[462] When, O mighty-armed one, the same son of Pandu rescued thee while thou wert being led away a captive by the Gandharvas, even that is a sufficient indication.  On that occasion, O lord, thy brave uterine brothers had all fled, as also Radha’s son of the Suta caste.  That (rescue, therefore, by Arjuna) is a sufficient indication.  In Virata’s city, alone he fell upon all of us united together.  That is a sufficient indication.  Vanquishing in battle both Drona and myself excited with rage, he took away our robes.  That is a sufficient indication.  On that occasion, of old, of the seizure of kine, he vanquished that mighty bowman the son of Drona, and Saradwat also.  That is a sufficient indication.  Having vanquished