“Then that delighter of the Yadavas, beholding the Pandava army breaking, reined the excellent car (that he guided), and addressing Vibhatsu the son of Pritha, said,—­That hour is come, O Partha, which thou hadst hoped for.  Strike now, O tiger among men, or thou wilt be deprived of thy senses.  Formerly, O hero, thou saidst, O Partha, in that conclave of kings in Virata’s city, in the presence also of Sanjaya, these words:—­’I will slay all the warriors of Dhritarashtra’s son, all of them with their followers, including, Bhishma and Drona, that would fight with me in battle—­O son of Kunti, O chastiser of foes, make those words of thine true.  Remembering the duty of a Kshatriya, fight, without any anxiety.’  Thus addressed by Vasudeva, Arjuna hung down his head and looked askance at him.  And Vibhatsu replied very unwillingly, saying, ’To acquire sovereignty with hell in the end, having slain those who should not be slain, or the woes of an exile in the woods,—­(these are the alternatives).  Which of these should I achieve?  Urge the steeds, O Hrishikesa, I will do thy bidding.  I will overthrow the Kuru grandsire Bhishma, that invincible warrior.’—­Thus asked, Madhava urged those steeds of a silvery hue, to the spot where Bhishma, incapable of being looked at like the Sun himself, was staying.  Then that large host of Yudhishthira rallied and came again to the fight, beholding the mighty-armed Partha proceeding for an encounter with Bhishma.  Then Bhishma that foremost one among the Kurus, repeatedly roared like a lion.  And he soon covered Dhananjaya’s car with a shower of arrows.  Within a trice that car of his with its steeds and charioteer, became entirely invisible in consequence of that thick shower of arrows.  Vasudeva, however, without fear, mustering patience, and endued with great activity, urged those steeds mangled with Bhishma’s shafts.  Then Partha, taking up his celestial bow of twang loud as the roar of the clouds, caused Bhishma’s bow to drop from his hands, cutting it (into fragments) by means of his sharp shafts.  Then thy sire, the Kuru hero, whose bow had thus been cut off, stringed another large bow within the twinkling of the eye.  Arjuna, however, excited with wrath, cut that bow also of his.  The son of Santanu applauded that lightness of hand displayed by Arjuna, saying, ’Well done, Well done, O mighty-armed one.  Well done, O son of Kunti.’—­Having addressed him thus, Bhishma took up another beautiful bow in that battle, and shot many arrows at Partha’s car.  And Vasudeva showed great skill in the management of steeds, for, displaying the circling motion he baffled all those arrows (of Bhishma).  Mangled with the arrows of Bhishma, those two tigers among men looked beautiful like two angry bulls marked with scratches of horns.  Then that slayer of hostile heroes, viz., the mighty-armed Vasudeva of Madhu’s race beholding that Partha was fighting mildly and that Bhishma was incessantly scattering his arrowy showers in battle,