exclamations of Oh and Alas arose on all sides,
and the whole universe, O Bharata, was filled with confusion and alarm,
such as may be witnessed if the sun himself were ever to fall down from
the firmament! Then all those ascetics together with the princess of
Kasi, quietly proceeded, O son of Kuru's race, with great anxiety towards
Rama. And embracing him, O Kaurava, they began to comfort him softly with
the touch of their hands, rendered cold by contact with water, and with
assurances of victory. Thus comforted, Rama rose up and fixing an arrow
to his bow he addressed me in an agitated voice, saying, 'Stay, O
Bhishma! Thou art already slain!' And let off by him, that arrow quickly
pierced my left side in that fierce encounter. And struck therewith, I
began to tremble like a tree shaken by the tempest. Slaying my horses
then in terrific combat, Rama, fighting with great coolness, covered me
with swarms of winged arrows, shot with remarkable lightness of hand. At
this, O mighty-armed one, I also began to shoot arrows with great
lightness of hand for obstructing Rama's arrowy shower. Then those arrows
shot by myself and Rama covering the welkin all around, stayed even there
(without falling down). And, thereupon, enveloped by clouds of arrows the
very sun could not shed its rays through them. And the very wind,
obstructed by those clouds, seemed to be unable to pass through them.
Then, in consequence of the obstructed motion of the wind, the rays of
the sun, and the clash of the arrows against one another, a conflagration
was caused in the welkin. And then those arrows blazed forth in
consequence of the fire generated by themselves, and fell on the earth,
consumed into ashes! Then Rama, O Kaurava, filled with rage, covered me
with hundreds and thousands and hundreds of thousands and hundreds of
millions arrows! And I also, O king, with my arrows resembling snakes of
virulent poison, cut into fragments all those arrows of Rama and caused
them to fall down on the earth like snakes cut into pieces. And it was
thus, O best of the Bharatas, that combat took place. When, however, the
shades of evening approached, my preceptor withdrew from the fight."'"

SECTION CLXXXIV

"'Bhishma said, "The next day, O bull of Bharata's race, frightful again
was the combat that took place between me and Rama when I encountered him
once more. That hero of virtuous soul, conversant with celestial
weapons,--the lord Rama, from day to day, be