Of fierce might and great energy king Jayadratha of sure aim, advancing in battle, forcibly cut off with his own excellent bow the bows of all those mighty car-warriors.  And the illustrious Duryodhana also with excited wrath and having wrath for his position, struck Yudhishthira and Bhimasena and the twins and Partha, with arrows resembling flames of fire.  Pierced with arrows by Kripa and Sala and Chitrasena, O lord, the Pandavas, inflamed with rage, resembled the gods pierced with arrows by the united Daityas (in days of old).  King Yudhishthira then, beholding Sikhandin flying away, having had his weapon cut off by Santanu’s son became filled with anger.  The high-souled Ajatasatru, angrily addressing Sikhandin in that battle, said these words, ’Thou saidst at that time, in the presence of thy sire, unto me—­Even I shall slay Bhishma of high vows with my shafts of the hue of the effulgent sun.  Truly do I say this.—­Even this was thy oath.  That oath of thine thou dost not fulfil inasmuch as thou dost not slay Devavrata in battle.  O hero, be not a person of unfulfilled vow.  Take care of thy virtue, race, and fame.  Behold Bhishma of terrible impetuosity scorching all my troops with his innumerable arrows of fierce energy and destroying everything in a moment like Death himself.  With thy bow cut off avoiding the battle, and vanquished by the royal son of Santanu, whither dost thou go, forsaking thy kinsmen and brothers?  This doth not become thee.  Beholding Bhishma of infinite prowess, and our army routed and flying away, thou art assuredly, O son of Drupada, frightened, since the colour of thy face is pale.  Unknown to thee, O hero, Dhananjaya hath engaged in the dreadful battle.  Celebrated over the whole world, why O hero, art thou afraid today of Bhishma.[423]’—­Hearing these words of king, Yudhishthira the just, that were harsh, though fraught with sound reason, the high-souled Sikhandin, regarding them as good counsel, speedily set himself about slaying Bhishma.[424] And while Sikhandin was proceeding to battle with great impetuosity for falling upon Bhishma, Salya began to resist him with terrible weapons that were difficult of being baffled.  The son of Drupada, however, O king, of prowess equal to that of Indra himself, beholding those weapons effulgent as the fire that blazeth forth at the hour of universal dissolution (thus) displayed, was not confounded in the least.  Checking those weapons by means of his own shafts, that mighty bowman, viz., Sikhandin, stayed there without moving.  And then he took up another weapon, viz., the fierce Varuna weapon for baffling (those fiery weapons of Salya).  Then the celestials staying in the firmament, and the kings of the earth also, all beheld Salya’s weapons baffled by that Varuna weapon of Sikhandin.  Meanwhile, the high-souled and heroic Bhishma, O king, in that battle, cut off the bow and the variegated standard also of Pandu’s son, king Yudhishthira of the Ajamida race.  Thereupon casting aside