of slaying Bhishma in battle, will exert himself to the best of his might.  My arrows are coming out (of the quiver, of their own accord).  My bow seems to yawn.  My weapon seems unwilling to obey my behests, and my heart also is cheerless.  Animals and birds are uttering fearful and incessant cries.  Vultures seem to disappear beneath the feet of the Bharata troops.  The Sun himself seems to have lost hue.  The quarters are all ablaze.  The Earth seems to shriek, inspire fear, and tremble everywhere.  Kankas, and vultures, and cranes are frequently crying.  Jackals are uttering inauspicious and fierce yells foreboding great danger.  Large meteors seem to fall from the centre of the solar disc.  The constellation called Parigha, with a trunkless form, appeareth around the Sun.  The solar and the lunar discs have become awful, foreboding great danger to Kshatriyas about the mangling of their bodies.  The idols of the Kuru king in his temples tremble and laugh and dance and weep.  The illustrious Moon riseth with his horns downward.  The bodies of the kings belonging to the Kuru army all seem to be pale, and though clad in mail, are shorn of splendour.  The loud blare of Panchajanya and the twang of Gandiva are heard on all sides of both the armies.  Without doubt, Arjuna, relying upon his great weapons and avoiding other warriors will advance upon the grandsire.  The pores of my body are contracting, and my heart also is depressed, thinking, O mighty-armed one, of the encounter between Bhishma and Arjuna.  Keeping on his fore the Panchala prince of sinful soul and conversant with deceit, Partha is proceeding towards Bhishma for battle.  Bhishma said before that he would not slay Sikhandin.  By the Creator had that one been made female, though through chance he subsequently became a male person.  That mighty son of Yajnasena is also an inauspicious omen (by himself).  The son of the Ocean-going (Ganga) will not strike that person of inauspicious self.  Thinking of this, viz., that Arjuna, excited with wrath, is about to fall upon the aged Kuru grandsire, my heart is exceedingly depressed.  The wrath of Yudhishthira, an encounter between Bhishma and Arjuna in battle, and an endeavour like this (of the shooting of weapons) by myself,—­these (three) are certainly fraught with great harm to creatures.  Arjuna is endued with great energy; he is powerful, brave, accomplished in weapons, and possessed of valour that is very active.  Capable of shooting his arrows to a great distance and shooting them with force, he is, besides, acquainted with omens, Endued with great might and intelligence, and above fatigue, that foremost of warriors is incapable of defeat by the very gods with Vasava at their head.  The son of Pandu possesses terrible weapons and is ever victorious in battle.  Avoiding his path, go thou to battle (for Bhishma’s victory) O thou of rigid vows.[478] Today in this dreadful battle thou wilt behold a great carnage.  The beautiful and costly coats of mail,