nce more pierced that monarch, O monarch, with
four and sixty shafts. Sudakshina, however, desirous of Bhishma's life,
pierced Abhimanyu in that battle with five arrows and his charioteer with
nine. And the battle that took place there, in consequence of the meeting
of those two warriors, was fierce in the extreme. That grinder of foes
Sikhandin, then rushed at the son of Ganga. Old Virata and Drupada, those
mighty car-warriors, both excited with rage, rushed to battle with
Bhishma, resisting the large host of the Kauravas as they went. That best
of car-warriors, viz., Aswatthaman, excited with rage, encountered both
those warriors. Then commenced a battle, O Bharata, between him and them.
Virata then, O chastiser of foes, struck, with broad-headed shafts, that
mighty bowman and ornament of battle, viz., Drona's son, as the latter
advanced against them. And Drupada also pierced him with three sharp
shafts. Then the preceptor's son, Aswatthaman, coming upon those mighty
warriors thus striking him, viz., the brave Virata and Drupada both
proceeding towards Bhishma, pierced them both with many shafts. Wonderful
was the conduct that we then beheld of those two old warriors, inasmuch
as they checked all those fierce shafts shot by Drona's son. Like an
infuriate elephant in the forest rushing against an infuriate compeer,
Kripa, the son of Saradwat, proceeded against Sahadeva who was advancing
upon Bhishma. And Kripa, brave in battle, quickly struck that mighty
car-warrior, viz., the son of Madri, with seventy shafts decked with
gold. The son of Madri, however, cut Kripa's bow in twain by means of his
shafts. And cutting off his bow, Sahadeva then pierced Kripa with nine
arrows. Taking up then, in that battle, another bow capable of bearing a
great strain Kripa, excited with rage and desirous of Bhishma's life,
cheerfully struck Madri's son in that battle with ten shafts. And so the
son of Pandu, in return, desirous of Bhishma's death, excited with rage,
struck the wrathful Kripa in the chest (with many shafts). And then
occurred there a terrible and fierce battle. That scorcher of foes, viz.,
Vikarna, desirous of saving the grandsire Bhishma, excited with rage in
that battle, pierced Nakula with sixty arrows. Nakula also, deeply
pierced by thy intelligent son, pierced Vikarna in return with seven and
seventy shafts. There those two tigers among men, those two chastisers of
foes, those two heroes, struck each other for the sake