of winds blew along all directions.  And Rakshasas and evil spirits were seen there, uttering loud roars.  And strings, embroidered with gold, and costly banners, were seen to wave, moved by the wind.  And thousands of umbrellas and great cars with standards attached to them, were seen lying scattered about on the field.  Then Bhishma, O king, invoking a celestial weapon, rushed at the son of Kunti, in the very sight of all the bowmen.  Thereupon Sikhandin, clad in mail, rushed at Bhishma who was dashing towards Arjuna.  At this, Bhishma withdrew that weapon resembling fire (in effulgence and energy).  Meanwhile Kunti’s son owning white steeds slaughtered thy troops, confounding the grandsire.[484]”

SECTION CXIX

Sanjaya said, “When the combatants of both armies, strong in number, were thus disposed in battle array, all those unretreating heroes, O Bharata, set their heart upon the region of Brahma.[485] In course of the general engagement that followed, the same class of combatants did not fight with the same class of combatants.  Car-warriors fought not with car-warriors, or foot-soldiers with foot-soldiers, or horsemen with horsemen, or elephant-warriors with elephant-warriors.  On the other hand, O monarch, the combatants fought with one another like mad men.  Great and dreadful was the calamity that overtook both the armies.  In that fierce slaughter when elephants and men spread themselves on the field, all distinctions between them ceased, for they fought indiscriminately.

“Then Salya and Kripa, and Chitrasena, O Bharata, and Dussasana, and Vikarna, those heroes mounted on their bright cars, caused the Pandava host to tremble.  Slaughtered in battle by those high-souled warriors, the Pandava army began to reel in diverse ways, O king, like a boat on the waters tossed by the wind.  As the wintry cold cuts kine to the quick, so did Bhishma cut the sons of Pandu to the quick.  As regards thy army also, many elephants, looking like newly-risen clouds, were felled by the illustrious Partha.  And many foremost of warriors too were seen to be crushed by that hero.  And struck with arrows and long shafts in thousands, many huge elephants fell down, uttering frightful shrieks of pain.  And the field of battle looked beautiful, strewn with the bodies, still decked with ornaments of high-souled warriors deprived of life and with heads still decked with ear-rings.  And in that battle, O king, which was destructive of great heroes, when Bhishma and Dhananjaya the son of Pandu put forth their prowess, thy sons, O monarch, beholding the grandsire exert himself vigorously, approached him, with all their troops placed ahead.  Desirous of laying down their lives in battle and making heaven itself their goal, they approached the Pandavas in that battle, which was fraught with great carnage.  The brave Pandavas also, O king, bearing in mind the many injuries of diverse kinds inflicted upon them before by thee and thy son, O monarch, and casting off all fear, and eager to win the highest heavens, cheerfully fought with thy son and the other warriors of thy army.