Encountering the single warrior (Sweta), that slayer of foes, Bhishma, was the only one (amongst us) who was cheerful and whole.  Devoted to the welfare of Duryodhana, he began to consume the Pandava (warrior).  Reckless of his very life which is difficult of being cast off, and abandoning all fear he slaughtered, O king, the Pandava army in that fierce conflict.[344] And beholding the generalissimo (Sweta) smiting the (Dhartarashtra) divisions, thy father Bhishma, called also Devavrata, impetuously rushed against him.  Thereupon, Sweta covered Bhishma with an extensive net-work of arrows.  And Bhishma also covered Sweta with a flight of arrows.  And roaring like a couple of bulls, they rushed, like two infuriate elephants of gigantic size or two raging tigers, against each other.  Baffling each other’s weapons by means of their weapons, those bulls among men, viz., Bhishma and Sweta fought with each other, desirous of taking each other’s life.  In one single day Bhishma, infuriate with anger, could consume the Pandava army with his arrows, if Sweta did not protect it.  Beholding the grandsire then turned off by Sweta, the Pandavas were filled with joy, while thy son became cheerless.  Duryodhana then, with wrath excited and surrounded by many kings, rushed with his troops against the Pandava host in battle.  Then Sweta, abandoning the son of Ganga, slaughtered thy son’s host with great impetuosity like the wind (uprooting) trees with violence.  And the son of Virata, senseless with wrath, having routed thy army, advanced (once more), O king, to the place where Bhishma was stationed.  And those two high-souled and mighty warriors then, both blazing with their arrows, battled with each other like Vritra and Vasava (of old), desirous, O king, of slaying each other.  Drawing (his) bow to the fullest stretch, Sweta pierced Bhishma with seven arrows.  The valourous (Bhishma) then, putting forth his prowess, quickly checked his foe’s valour, like an infuriate elephant checking an infuriate compeer.  And Sweta then, that delighter of Kshatriyas struck Bhishma, and Bhishma the son of Santanu also pierced him in return with ten arrows.  And though pierced by him (thus), that mighty warrior stood still like a mountain.  And Sweta again pierced Santanu’s son with five and twenty straight arrows, at which all wondered.  Then smiling and licking with his tongue the corners of his mouth, Sweta in that combat cut off Bhishma’s bow into ten fragments with ten arrows.  Then aiming a plumed arrow made wholly of iron, (Sweta) crushed the palmyra on the top of the standard of the high-souled (Bhishma).  And beholding the standard of Bhishma cut down, thy sons thought that Bhishma was slain, having succumbed to Sweta.  And the Pandavas also filled with delight, blew their conches all around.  And beholding the palmyra standard of the high-souled Bhishma laid low, Duryodhana, from wrath, urged his own army to the battle.  And they all began very carefully to protect Bhishma who ’was in great distress.