prowess that are irresistible.’  Hearing these words of thy son, the valiant Salya proceeded with a large body of cars to the spot where Yudhishthira was.  Thereupon, the son of Pandu began to resist in battle that large host of Salya rushing impetuously towards him with the force of a mighty wave.  And that mighty car-warrior, viz., king Yudhishthira the just, in that battle quickly pierced the ruler of the Madras in the centre of the chest with ten shafts.  And Nakula and Sahadeva struck him with seven straight shafts.  The ruler of the Madras then struck each of them with three arrows.  And once more he pierced Yudhishthira with sixty sharp-pointed arrows.  And excited with wrath he struck each of the sons of Madri also with two shafts.  Then that vanquisher of foes, the mighty-armed Bhima, beholding the king, in that great battle, staying within reach of Salya’s car as if within the very jaws of Death, quickly proceeded to Yudhishthira’s side.  Then when the Sun, having passed the meridian, was sinking, there commenced a fierce and terrible battle (on that part of the field).

SECTION CVII

Sanjaya said, “Then thy sire, excited with wrath, began to strike the Parthas and their troops all round, with excellent shafts of great sharpness.  And he pierced Bhima with twelve shafts, and Satyaki with nine.  And having pierced Nakula with three shafts, he pierced Sahadeva with seven.  And he pierced Yudhishthira in the arms and the chest with twelve shafts.  And piercing Dhrishtadyumna also, that mighty warrior uttered a loud roar.  Him Nakula pierced (in return) with twelve shafts, and Satyaki with three.  And Dhrishtadyumna pierced him with seventy shafts, and Bhimasena with seven.  And Yudhishthira pierced the grandsire in return with twelve shafts.  Drona (on the other hand), having pierced Satyaki, pierced Bhimasena next.  And he pierced each of them with five sharp shafts, each of which resembled the rod of Death.  Each of those two, however, pierced Drona, that bull among Brahmanas, in return, with three straight shafts.  The Sauviras, the Kitavas, the Easterners, the Westerners, the Northerners, the Malavas, the Abhishahas, the Surasenas, the Sivis, and the Vasatis, did not avoid Bhishma in battle although they were incessantly slaughtered by him with sharp shafts.  And similarly kings coming from diverse countries and armed with diverse weapons, approached the Pandavas (without seeking to avoid them in battle).  And the Pandavas, O king, surrounded the grandsire on all sides.  Surrounded on all sides, yet unvanquished by that large body of cars, Bhishma blazed up like a fire in the midst of a forest, and consumed his foes.  His car was his fire-chamber; his bow constituted the (flames of that fire); swords, darts, and maces, constituted the fuel; his shafts were the sparks (of that fire); and Bhishma was himself the fire that consumed the foremost of Kshatriyas.  Indeed, with shafts