dent like the sun and the moon when together in the
firmament after the last lunation of the dark fortnight has passed away.
And then Arjuna also, O king, excited with rage, showered arrows on thy
army like the clouds pouring rain in torrents. And the Kaurava army, thus
slaughtered in battle with the shafts of Partha, fled away, trembling in
grief and fear. And beholding the army flying away, the mighty Bhishma
and Drona, excited with rage and both desirous of Duryodhana's welfare
sought to check it. Then king Duryodhana himself, comforting the
combatants, checked that army, then flying away in all directions. And
thereupon all the mighty Kshatriya car-warriors stopped, each at the spot
where he saw thy son. And then others among the common soldiers,
beholding them stop, stopped of their own accord, O king, from shame and
desire of displaying their courage unto one another. And the impetuosity,
O king, of that army thus rallied to the fight resembled that of the
surging sea at the moment of the moon's rise. And king Duryodhana,
beholding that army of his rallied for the fight, quickly repaired to
Santanu's son Bhishma and said these words. 'O grandsire, listen to what
I say, O Bharata. When, O son of Kuru, thou art alive, and Drona, that
foremost of persons conversant with weapons, along with his son and with
all our other friends (is alive), and then that mighty bowman Kripa also
is alive, I do not regard it as at all creditable that my army should
thus fly away. I do not regard the Pandavas to be, by any means, a match
for thee or for Drona, in battle, or for Drona's son, or for Kripa.
Without doubt, O grandsire, the sons of Pandu are being favoured by thee,
inasmuch as thou forgivest, O hero, this slaughter of my army. Thou
shouldst have told me, O king, before this battle took place, that thou
wouldst not fight with the Pandavas. Hearing such words from thee, as
also from the preceptor, O Bharata, I would then have, with Karna,
reflected upon what course I should pursue. If I do not deserve to be
abandoned by you two in battle, then, O bulls among men, do ye fight
according to the measure of your prowess.' Hearing these words, Bhishma,
laughing repeatedly, and turning up his eyes in wrath, said to thy son,
'Many a time, O king, have I said unto thee words worthy of thy
acceptance and fraught with thy good. The Pandavas are incapable of being
vanquished in battle by the very gods with Vasava amongst them. That,
however