Vaisampayana said, "Then while a great havoc was being made among the
Kurus, Santanu's son, Bhishma, and grandsire of the Bharatas rushed at
Arjuna, taking up an excellent bow adorned with gold, and many arrows
also of keen points and capable of piercing into the very vitals of the
foe and afflicting him sorely. And in consequence of a white umbrella
being held over his head, that tiger among men looked beautiful like
unto a hill at sunrise. And the son of Ganga, blowing his conch cheered
the sons of Dhritarashtra, and wheeling along his right came upon
Vibhatsu and impeded his course. And that slayer of hostile heroes, the
son of Kunti, beholding him approach, received him with a glad heart,
like a hill receiving a rain-charged cloud. And Bhishma, endued with
great energy, pierced Partha's flag-staff with eight arrows. The arrows
reaching the flag-staff of Pandu's son, struck the blazing ape and those
creatures also stationed in the banner-top. And then the son of Pandu,
with a mighty javelin of sharp edge cut of Bhishma's umbrella which
instantly fell on the ground. And then the light-handed son of Kunti
struck his adversary's flag-staff also with many shafts, and then his
steeds and then the couple of drivers that protected Bhishma's flanks.
And unable to bear this, Bhishma though cognisant of the Pandava's
might, covered Dhananjaya with a powerful celestial weapon. And the son
of Pandu, of immeasurable soul, hurling in return a celestial weapon at
Bhishma, received that from Bhishma like a hill receiving a deep mass of
clouds. And the encounter that took place between Partha and Bhishma,
was fierce and the Kaurava warriors with their troops stood as lookers
on. And in the conflict between Bhishma and the son of Pandu, shafts
striking against shafts shone in the air like fireflies in the season of
rains. And, O king, in consequence of Partha's shooting arrows with both
his right and left hands, the bent _Gandiva_ seemed like a continuous
circle of fire. And the son of Kunti then covered Bhishma with hundreds
of sharp and keen-edged arrows, like a cloud covering the
mountain-breast with its heavy downpour. And Bhishma baffled with his
own arrows that arrowy shower, like the bank resisting the swelling sea,
and covered the son of Pandu in return. And those warriors, cut into a
thousand pieces in battle, fell fast in the vicinity of Phalguna's car.
And then there was a downpour, from the car of Pandu's son, of arrows
furnished with golden wing, and raining through the sky like a flight of
locusts. And Bhishma again repelled that arrowy shower with hundreds of
whetted shafts shot by him. And then the Kauravas exclaimed.--
'Excellent! Excellent!--Indeed, Bhishma hath performed an exceedingly
difficult feat inasmuch as he hath fought with Arjuna. Dhananjaya is
mighty and youthful, and dexterous and swift of hand. Who else, save
Bhishma, the son of Santanu, or Krishna, the son of Devaki, or the
mighty son of Bharadwaja, the foremost of preceptors, is able to bear
the impetus of Partha in battle?' And repelling weapons with weapons,
those two bulls of the Bharata race, both endued with great might,
fought on playfully and infatuated the eyes of all created beings. And
those illustrious warriors ranged on the field of battle, using the
celestials weapons obtained from _Prajapati_ and _Indra_, and _Agni_ and
the fierce _Rudra_, and _Kuvera_, and _Varuna_, and _Yama_, and _Vayu_.
And all beings were greatly surprised, upon beholding those warriors
engaged in combat. And they all exclaimed,--_Bravo Partha of long arms!
Bravo Bhishma! Indeed, this application of celestial weapons that is
being witnessed in the combat between Bhishma and Partha_ is rare among
human beings."
Vaisampayana continued, "Thus raged that conflict with weapons between
those warriors conversant with all weapons. And when that conflict of
celestial weapons ceased, then commenced a conflict with arrows. And
Jishnu approaching his opponent, cut off with an arrow sharp like a
razor the gold-decked bow of Bhishma. Within the twinkling of the eye,
however, Bhishma, that mighty-armed and great car-warrior, took up
another bow and stringed it. And inflamed with wrath, he showered upon
Dhananjaya a cloud of arrows. And Arjuna, too, endued with great energy,
rained upon Bhishma innumerable sharp-pointed and keen-edged arrows. And
Bhishma also shot clouds of arrows upon Pandu's son. And conversant with
celestial weapons and engaged in shooting and each other, arrows of keen
points, no distinction, O king, could then be perceived between those
illustrious warriors. And that mighty car-warrior, Kunti's son, covered
with a diadem, and the heroic son of Santanu, obscured the ten
directions with their arrows. And the Pandava covered Bhishma, and
Bhishma also covered the Pandava, with clouds of shafts. And, O king,
wonderful was this combat that took place in this world of men. And the
heroic warriors that protected Bhishma's car, slain by the son of Pandu,
fell prostrate, O monarch, beside the car of Kunti's son. And the
feathery arrows of Swetavahana, shot from the _Gandiva_, fell in all
directions as if with the object of making a wholesale slaughter of the
foe. And issuing forth from his car those blazing arrows furnished with
golden wings looked like rows of swans in the sky. And all the
celestials with Indra, stationed in the firmament, gazed with wonder
upon another celestial weapon hurled with great force by that wonderful
archer Arjuna. And beholding that wonderful weapon of great beauty, the
mighty _Gandiva_, Chitrasena, highly pleased, addressed the lord of
celestials, saying, 'Behold these arrows shot by Partha coursing through
the sky in one continuous line. Wonderful is the dexterity of Jishnu in
evolving this celestial weapon! Human beings are incapable of shooting
such a weapon, for it does not exist among men. How wonderful again is
this concourse of mighty weapons existing from days of old! No interval
can be perceived between his taking up the arrows, fixing them on the
bow-string, and letting them off by stretching the _Gandiva_. The
soldiers are incapable of even looking at the son of Pandu, who is like
unto the midday sun blazing in the sky. So also none ventures to look at
Bhishma, the son of Ganga. Both are famous for their achievements, and
both are of fierce prowess. Both are equal in feats of heroism, and both
are difficult of being vanquished in battle.'
"Thus addressed by the _Gandharva_ about that combat between Partha and
Bhishma, the lord of the celestials, O Bharata, paid proper respect unto
both by a shower of celestial flowers. Meanwhile, Bhishma, the son of
Santanu, assailed Arjuna on the left side, while that drawer of the bow
with either hands was on the point of piercing him. And at this,
Vibhatsu, laughing aloud, cut off with an arrow of keen edge and
furnished with vulturine wings, the bow of Bhishma, that hero of solar
effulgence. And then Dhananjaya, the son of Kunti, pierced Bhishma in
the breast with ten shafts although the latter was contending with all
his prowess. And sorely afflicted with pain Ganga's son of mighty arms
and irresistible in battle, stood for a long time leaning on the pole of
his car. And beholding him deprived of consciousness the driver of his
car-steeds, calling to mind the instructions about protecting the
warriors when in a swoon, led him away for safety."