SECTION LXXI

Sanjaya said, “Beholding his brothers and the other kings engaged in battle with Bhishma, Dhananjaya, with weapons upraised, rushed against the son of Ganga.  Hearing the blare of Panchajanya and the twang of the bow Gandiva, and seeing also the standard of Pritha’s son, a great fear entered our hearts.  And the standard that we behold, O king, of the wielder of Gandiva bore the device of lion’s tail and looked like a blazing mountain in the welkin.  Beautiful and of celestial workmanship, it was variegated with diverse hues, and looking like a risen comet it could not be obstructed by trees.  And in that great battle, the warriors beheld Gandiva, the back of whose staff was decked with pure gold, and which looked beautiful like a flash of lightning in the midst of a mass of clouds in the firmament.  And while slaying the combatants of thy army, the shouts we heard uttered by Arjuna seemed to resemble the loud roars of Indra himself, and the slaps also of his palms were frightfully loud.  Like a roaring mass of clouds charged with lightning and aided by a raging tempest, Arjuna incessantly poured his arrowy showers on all sides, completely shrouding the ten points of the compass.  Dhananjaya then possessed of terrible weapons, quickly proceeded towards the son of Ganga.  Deprived of four senses in consequence of his weapons, we could not then distinguish the East from the West.  And thy warriors, then, O bull of Bharata’s race,—­their animals tired, steeds slain, and hearts depressed,—­thoroughly confounded[396] and huddling close to one another, sought Bhishma’s protection along with all thy sons.  And in that battle Bhishma the son of Santanu became their protector.  Struck with fear, car-warriors jumping down from their cars, cavalry soldiers jumping down from the backs of their steeds, and the foot-soldiers where they stood, all began to fall down on the earth.  Hearing the twang of Gandiva that resembled the roar of the thunder, all thy warriors were struck with fear and seemed, O Bharata, to melt away.  Then, O king, with many huge and fleet steeds of the Kamvoja breed, and surrounded by many thousand of Gopas with a large Gopayana force and supported by the Madras, the Sauviras, the Gandharas and the Trigartas, and surrounded by all the principal Kalingas, the king of the Kalingas, and king Jayadratha accompanied by all the kings and supported by a large force of diverse races with Dussasana at their head, and fourteen thousand principal horsemen, urged by thy son, surrounded the son of Suvala (for supporting him).  Then in that battle, all the Pandavas, united together, and riding on separate cars and animals, began, O bull of Bharata’s race, to slaughter thy troops.[397] And the dust raised by car-warriors and steeds and foot-soldiers, looking like a mass of clouds, made the field of battle exceedingly awful.  And with a large force consisting of elephants, steeds and cars, and armed with lances and bearded