battle!'"

"'Bhishma continued, "Hearing these words of mine. Rama addressed me,
laughingly saying, 'By good luck it is, O Bhishma, that thou desirest to
fight with me in battle! O thou of Kuru's race, even now I go with thee
to Kurukshetra! I will do what thou hast said! Come thither, O chastiser
of foes! Let thy mother, Jahnavi, O Bhishma, behold thee dead on that
plain, pierced with my shafts, and become the food of vultures, crows,
and other carnivorous birds! Let that goddess worshipped by Siddhas and
Charanas, that blessed daughter of Bhagiratha, in the form of a river,
who begat thy wicked self, weep today, O king, beholding thee slain by me
and lying miserable on that plain, however undeserving she may be of
seeing such a sight! Come, O Bhishma, and follow me, O proud wight,
always longing for battle! O thou of Kuru's race, take with thee, O bull
of Bharata's line, thy cars and all other equipments of battle!' Hearing
these words of Rama that subjugator of hostile towns, I worshipped him
with a bend of my head and answered him, saying,--'So be it!' Having said
all this, Rama then went to Kurukshetra from desire of combat, and I
also, entering our city, represented everything unto Satyavati. Then
causing propitiatory ceremonies to be performed (for my victory), and
being blessed also by my mother, and making the Brahmanas utter
benedictions on me, I mounted on a handsome car made of silver and unto
which, O thou of great glory, were yoked steeds white in hue. And every
part of that car was well-built, and it was exceedingly commodious and
covered on all sides with tiger-skin. And it was equipped with many great
weapons and furnished with all necessaries. And it was ridden by a
charioteer who was well-born and brave, who was versed in horse-lore,
careful in battle, and well-trained in his art, and who had seen many
encounters. And I was accoutred in a coat of mail, white in hue, and had
my bow in hand. And the bow I took was also white in hue. And thus
equipped, I set out, O best of Bharata's race! And an umbrella, white in
hue, was held over my head. And, O king, I was fanned with fans that also
were white in colour. And clad in white, with also a white head-gear, all
my adornments were white. And eulogised (with laudatory hymns) by
Brahmanas wishing me victory, I issued out of the city named after the
elephant, and proceeded to Kurukshetra, which, O bull of Bharata's race,
was to be the field of battle! And tho