in great pain, afflicted by
arrows and smarting under their wounds, remained perfectly silent. And
other heroic car-warriors, deprived, in the encounter, of their own cars
and thrown down and wounded by huge elephants, asked to be taken up on
the cars of others. And many, O king, looked beautiful in their wounds
like blossoming Kinsukas. And in all the divisions were heard terrific
cries, countless in number. And in that awful combat destructive of
heroes, the sire slew the son, the son slew the sire, the sister's son
slew the maternal uncle, the maternal uncle slew the sister's son, friend
slew friend, and relatives slew kinsmen. Even thus the slaughter took
place in that encounter of the Kurus with the Pandavas. And in that
frightful and terrible battle in which no consideration was shown (by
anybody for anybody), the divisions of the Pandavas, approaching Bhishma,
began to waver. And, O bull of Bharata's race, the mighty-armed Bhishma,
O king, with his standard which was made of silver and graced with the
device of the palmyra with five stars, setting upon his great car, shone
like the lunar orb under the peak of Meru."

SECTION XLVII

Sanjaya said,--"After the great part of the forenoon of that awful day
had worn out, in that terrific engagement, O king, that was (so)
destructive of foremost of men[333], Durmukha and Kritavarman, and Kripa,
and Salya, and Vivinsati, urged by thy son, approached Bhishma and began
to protect him. And protected by those five mighty car-warriors, O bull
of Bharata's race, that great car-warrior penetrated the Pandava host.
And the palmyra standard of Bhishma was seen to glide continually, O
Bharata, through the Chedis, the Kasis, the Karushas, and the Panchalas.
And that hero, with broad-headed shafts of great swiftness which were
again perfectly straight, cut off the heads (of foes) and their cars with
yokes and standards. And, O bull of Bharata's race, Bhishma seemed to
dance on his car as it coursed along its track. And some elephants,
struck (by him) in their vital parts, shrieked in agony. Then Abhimanyu
in great wrath, stationed on his car unto which were yoked excellent
steeds of a tawny hue, rushed towards Bhishma's car. And with his
standard adorned with pure gold and resembling a Karnikara tree, he
approached Bhishma and those (five) foremost of car-warriors. And
striking with a keen-edged shaft the standard of the palmyra-bannered
(warrior), that hero engaged in battle