And, kings in thousands came in contact with thy sire, thus coursing over the field in a superhuman way, and fell upon that fire represented by the enraged Bhishma like flights of senseless insects (upon a blazing fire) for their own destruction.  Not a single shaft of that light-handed warrior was futile, falling upon the bodies of men, elephants, and steeds, in consequence of the numbers (opposed to him).  With a single straight shaft shot in that battle, he despatched a single elephant like hill riven by the thunderbolt.  Two or three elephant-riders at a time, cased in mail and standing together, thy sire pierced with one shaft of sharp point.  Whoever approached Bhishma, that tiger among men, in battle, seen for a moment was, next beheld to fall down on the ground.  And that vast host of king Yudhishthira the just, thus slaughtered by Bhishma of incomparable prowess, gave way in a thousand directions.  And afflicted with that arrowy shower, the vast army began to tremble in the very presence of Vasudeva and the high-souled Partha.  And although the heroic leaders of the Pandava army made great efforts, yet they could not check the flight of (even) the great car-warriors of their side afflicted with the shafts of Bhishma.  The prowess, in consequence of which that vast army was routed, was equal to that of the chief of the gods himself.  And that army was so completely routed, O great king, that no two persons could be seen together.  And cars and elephants and steeds were pierced all over, and standards and shafts of cars were strewn over the field.  And the army of the sons of Pandu uttered cries of oh and alas, and became deprived of senses.  And the sire struck the son and the son struck the sire; and friend challenged the dearest of friends to battle as if under the influence of fate.  And others amongst the combatants of Pandu’s son were seen, O Bharata, to run away, throwing aside their coats of mail, and with dishevelled hair.  And the army of the sons of Pandu, indulging in loud wails, including the very leaders of their best of car-warriors, was seen to be as confounded as a very herd of kine.  The delighter of the Yadavas then, beholding that army thus routed, said unto Partha, stopping that best of cars (which he guided), these words, ’The hour is now come, O Partha, which was desired by thee.  Strike Bhishma, O tiger among men, else, thou wilt lose the senses.  O hero, formerly, in the conclave of kings, thou hadst said,—­’I will slay all the warriors of Dhritarashtra’s sons, headed by Bhishma and Drona—­all in fact, who will fight with me in battle’.  O son of Kunti, O chastiser of foes, make those words of thine true.  Behold, O Vibhatsu, this army of thine is being routed on all sides.  Behold, the kings in Yudhishthira’s host are all flying away, seeing Bhishma in battle, who looketh like the Destroyer himself with wide-open mouth.  Afflicted with fear, they are making themselves scarce like the weaker animals at sight of the lion.  Thus