And the battle that took place there, in consequence of the meeting of those two warriors, was fierce in the extreme.  That grinder of foes Sikhandin, then rushed at the of Ganga.  Old Virata and Drupada, those mighty car-warriors, both excited with rage, rushed to battle with Bhishma, resisting the large host of the Kauravas as they went.  That best of car-warriors, viz., Aswatthaman, excited with rage, encountered both those warriors.  Then commenced a battle, O Bharata, between him and them.  Virata then, O chastiser of foes, struck, with broad-headed shafts, that mighty bowman and ornament of battle, viz., Drona’s son, as the latter advanced against them.  And Drupada also pierced him with three sharp shafts.  Then the preceptor’s soil, Aswatthaman, coming upon those mighty warriors thus striking him, viz., the brave Virata and Drupada both proceeding towards Bhishma, pierced them both with many shafts.  Wonderful was the conduct that we then beheld of those two old warriors, inasmuch as they checked all those fierce shafts shot by Drona’s son.  Like an infuriate elephant in the forest rushing against an infuriate compeer, Kripa, the son of Saradwat, proceeded against Sahadeva who was advancing upon Bhishma.  And Kripa, brave in battle, quickly struck that mighty car-warrior, viz., the son of Madri, with seventy shafts decked with gold.  The son of Madri, however, cut Kripa’s bow in twain by means of his shafts.  And cutting off his bow, Sahadeva then pierced Kripa with nine arrows.  Taking up then, in that battle, another bow capable of bearing a great strain Kripa, excited with rage and desirous of Bhishma’s life, cheerfully struck Madri’s son in that battle with ten shafts.  And so the son of Pandu, in return, desirous of Bhishma’s death, excited with rage, struck the wrathful Kripa in the chest (with many shafts).  And then occurred there a terrible and fierce battle.  That scorcher of foes, viz., Vikarna, desirous of saving the grandsire Bhishma, excited with rage in that battle, pierced Nakula with sixty arrows.  Nakula also, deeply pierced by thy intelligent son, pierced Vikarna in return with seven and seventy shafts.  There those two tigers among men, those two chastisers of foes, those two heroes, struck each other for the sake of Bhishma, like two bovine bulls in a fold.  Thy son Durmukha, endued with great prowess, proceeded, for the sake of Bhishma, against Ghatotkacha advancing to battle and slaughtering thy army as he came.  Hidimva’s son, however, O king, excited with rage, struck Durmukha, that chastiser of foes, in the chest a straight shaft.  The heroic Durmukha then, shouting cheerfully, pierced Bhimasena’s son on the field of battle with sixty shafts of keen points.  That mighty car-warrior, viz., the son of Hridika resisted Dhrishtadyumna, that foremost of car-warriors, who was advancing to battle from desire of Bhishma’s slaughter.  The son of Prishata, however, having pierced Kritavarman with five shafts made wholly of