e honour and the armour
of all the Dhartarashtra warriors. The very gods, striving vigorously,
cannot vanquish the illustrious and mighty Bhishma. What need be said,
therefore, of the Parthas who are mortals? Therefore, ye warriors, fly
not away from the field, getting Phalguni for a foe. I myself, striving
vigorously, will today fight with the Pandavas, uniting with all of you,
ye lords of earth, exerting yourselves actively.' Hearing these words, O
monarch, of thy son with bow in hand, many mighty combatants, excited
with rage, belonging to the Videhas, the Kalingas, and the diverse tribes
of the Daserkas, fell upon Phalguni. And many combatants also, belonging
to the Nishadas, the Sauviras, the Valhikas, the Daradas, the Westerners,
the Northerners, the Malavas, the Abhighatas, the Surasenas, the Sivis,
the Vasatis, the Salwas, the Sakas, the Trigartas, the Amvashthas, and
the Kekayas, similarly fell upon Partha, like flights of insects upon a
fire. The mighty Dhananjaya, otherwise called Vibhatsu, then, O monarch,
calling to mind diverse celestial weapons and aiming them at those great
car-warriors at the heads of their respective divisions,[483] quickly
consumed them all, by means of those weapons of great force, like fire
consuming a flight of insects. And while that firm bowman was (by means
of his celestial weapons) creating thousands upon thousands of arrows,
his Gandiva looked highly resplendent in the welkin. Then those
Kshatriyas, O monarch, afflicted with those arrows with their tall
standards torn and overthrown, could not even together, approach the
ape-bannered (Partha). Car-warriors fell down with their standards, and
horsemen with their horses, and elephant-riders with their elephants,
attacked by Kiritin with his shafts. And the earth was soon covered all
on all sides with the retreating troops of those kings, routed in
consequence of the shafts shot from Arjuna's arms. Partha then, O
monarch, having routed the Kaurava army, sped many arrows at Dussasana.
Those arrows with iron heads, piercing thy son Dussasana through, all
entered the earth like snakes through ant-hills. Arjuna then slew
Dussasana's steeds and then felled his charioteer. And the lord Arjuna,
with twenty shafts, deprived Vivinsati of his car, and struck him five
straight shafts. And piercing Kripa and Vikarna and Salya with many
arrows made wholly of iron, Kunti's son owning white steeds deprived all
of them of their cars. Thus deprived