hes
called) Sughosa and Manipushpaka.[360] And the ruler of Kasi, and Saivya,
and Sikhandin the mighty car-warrior, and Dhrishtadyumna, and Virata, and
the mighty car-warrior Satyaki, and that great bowman the king of the
Panchalas, and the five sons of Draupadi, all blew their large conches
and set up leonine roars. And that great uproar uttered there by those
heroes, loudly reverberated through both the earth and the welkin. Thus,
O great king, the Kurus and the Pandavas, both filled with delight,
advanced against each other for battling again, and scorching each other
thus."

SECTION LII

Dhritarashtra said, "When mine and the hostile hosts were thus formed
into battle array, how did the foremost of smiters begin to strike?"

Sanjaya said, "When all the divisions were thus arrayed, the combatants
waited, each cased in mail, and with their beautiful standards all
upraised. And beholding the (Kuru) host that resembled the limitless
ocean, thy son Duryodhana, O king, stationed within it, said unto all the
combatants on thy side, 'Cased in mail (as ye are), begin ye the fight'.
The combatants then, entertaining cruel intentions, and abandoning their
very lives, all rushed against the Pandavas, with standards upraised. The
battle that took place then was fierce and made the hair stand on end.
And the cars and elephants all got mixed together. And shafts with
beautiful feathers, and endued with great energy and sharp points, shot
by car-warriors fell upon elephants and horses. And when the battle began
in this way, the venerable Kuru grandsire, the mighty-armed Bhishma of
terrible prowess, cased in mail, taking up his bow, and approaching them,
showered an arrowy downpour on the heroic son of Subhadra, and the mighty
car-warrior Arjuna, and the ruler of the Kekayas and Virata, and
Dhrishtadyumna of Prishata's race, as also upon the Chedi and the Matsya
warriors. And that mighty array (of the Pandavas) wavered at the onset of
that hero. And terrific was the encounter that took place between all the
combatants. And horse-men and car-warriors and foremost of steeds fell
fast. And the car-divisions of the Pandavas began to fly away. Then that
tiger among men, Arjuna, beholding that mighty car-warrior Bhishma,
angrily said unto him of Vrishni's race, 'Proceed to the place where the
grandsire is. O thou of Vrishni's race, it is evident that this Bhishma,
with wrath excited, will annihilate for Duryodhana's benefit my host.