SECTION LXIII

“Vaisampayana said, ’Then while a great havoc was being made among the Kurus, Santanu’s son, Bhishma, and grandsire of the Bharatas rushed at Arjuna, taking up an excellent bow adorned with gold, and many arrows also of keen points and capable of piercing into the very vitals of the foe and afflicting him sorely.  And in consequence of a white umbrella being held over his head, that tiger among men looked beautiful like unto a hill at sunrise.  And the son of Ganga, blowing his conch cheered the sons of Dhritarashtra, and wheeling along his right came upon Vibhatsu and impeded his course.  And that slayer of hostile heroes, the son of Kunti, beholding him approach, received him with a glad heart, like a hill receiving a rain-charged cloud.  And Bhishma, endued with great energy, pierced Partha’s flag-staff with eight arrows.  The arrows reaching the flag-staff of Pandu’s son, struck the blazing ape and those creatures also stationed in the banner-top.  And then the son of Pandu, with a mighty javelin of sharp-edge cut of Bhishma’s umbrella which instantly fell on the ground.  And then the light-handed son of Kunti struck his adversary’s flag-staff also with many shafts, and then his steeds and then the couple of drivers that protected Bhishma’s flanks.  And unable to bear this, Bhishma though cognisant of the Pandava’s might, covered Dhananjaya with a powerful celestial weapon.  And the son of Pandu, of immeasurable soul, hurling in return a celestial weapon at Bhishma, received that from Bhishma like a hill receiving a deep mass of clouds.  And the encounter that took place between Partha and Bhishma, was fierce and the Kaurava warriors with their troops stood as lookers on.  And in the conflict between Bhishma and the son of Pandu, shafts striking against shafts shone in the air like fireflies in the season of rains.  And, O king, in consequence of Partha’s shooting arrows with both his right and left hands, the bent Gandiva seemed like a continuous circle of fire.  And the son of Kunti then covered Bhishma with hundreds of sharp and keen-edged arrows, like a cloud covering the mountain-breast with its heavy downpour.  And Bhishma baffled with the own arrows that arrowy shower, like the bank resisting the swelling sea, and covered the son of Pandu in return.  And those warriors, cut into a thousand pieces in battle, fell fast in the vicinity of Falguna’s car.  And then there was a downpour, from the car of Pandu’s son, of arrows furnished with golden wing, and raining through the sky like a flight of locusts.  And Bhishma again repelled that arrowy shower with hundreds of whetted shafts shot by him.  And then the Kauravas exclaimed.—­Excellent!  Excellent!—­Indeed, Bhishma hath performed an exceedingly difficult feat inasmuch as he hath fought with Arjuna.  Dhananjaya is mighty and youthful, and dexterous and swift of hand.  Who else, save Bhishma, the son of Santanu, or Krishna, the son of