ons. And many warriors, O
best of the Bharatas, belonging to both thy army and that of the foe,
deeply pierced with shafts jumped up and fell down. And in that encounter
between Bhima and Bhishma, heaps of arms and heads, as also of bows and
maces and spiked clubs and hands and thighs, of legs and ornaments and
bracelets, were seen lying over the field. And here and there over the
field, O king, were seen large bodies of unretreating elephants and
steeds and cars. And the Kshatriya warriors, urged on by fate, slew one
another with maces, swords, lances, and straight shafts. And others
endued with great heroism and accomplished in fight, encountered one
another with their bare arms that resembled spiked clubs made of iron.
And other heroic warriors of thy army, engaged with the combatants of the
Pandava host, fought on slaying one another with clenched fists and
knees, and slaps and blows, O king. And with the fallen and falling
warriors and those weltering in agony on the ground, the field of battle
everywhere became, O king, terrible to behold, and car-warriors, deprived
of the cars and grasping excellent swords, rushed at one another,
desirous of slaughter. Then king Duryodhana, surrounded by a large
division of Kalingas, and placing Bhishma ahead, rushed towards the
Pandavas. And so the Pandava combatants also, supporting Vrikodara, and
owning fleet animals, rushed, excited with rage, against Bhishma."

SECTION LXXI

Sanjaya said, "Beholding his brothers and the other kings engaged in
battle with Bhishma, Dhananjaya, with weapons upraised, rushed against
the son of Ganga. Hearing the blare of Panchajanya and the twang of the
bow Gandiva, and seeing also the standard of Pritha's son, a great fear
entered our hearts. And the standard that we beheld, O king, of the
wielder of Gandiva bore the device of lion's tail and looked like a
blazing mountain in the welkin. Beautiful and of celestial workmanship,
it was variegated with diverse hues, and looking like a risen comet it
could not be obstructed by trees. And in that great battle, the warriors
beheld Gandiva, the back of whose staff was decked with pure gold, and
which looked beautiful like a flash of lightning in the midst of a mass
of clouds in the firmament. And while slaying the combatants of thy army,
the shouts we heard uttered by Arjuna seemed to resemble the loud roars
of Indra himself, and the slaps also of his palms were frightfully loud.
Like a roaring m