t with the Pandavas, viz., their unslayableness, and the
femininity of Sikhandin. Formerly, when my sire wedded Kali, he pleased
(with me) gave me two boons, viz., that I should be incapable of being
slain in battle, and that my death should depend on my own choice. I
should, however, now wish my own death, this being the proper hour.'
Ascertaining this to be the resolve of Bhishma of immeasurable energy,
the Rishis and the Vasus stationed in the firmament, said, 'That which
hath been resolved by thee is approved by us also, O son! Act according
to thy resolution, O king. Withdraw thy heart from battle.' On the
conclusion, of those words, fragrant and auspicious breeze charged with
particles of water, began to blow along a natural direction.[486] And
celestial cymbals of loud sounds began to beat. And a flowery shower fell
upon Bhishma, O sire. The words spoken by the Rishis and the Vasus,
however, O king, were not heard by any one save Bhishma himself. I also
heard them, through the power conferred on me by the Muni. Great was the
grief, O monarch, that filled the hearts of the celestials at the thought
of Bhishma, that favourite of all the worlds, falling down from his car.
Having listened to these words of the celestials, Santanu's son Bhishma
of great ascetic merit rushed out at Vibhatsu, even though he was then
being pierced with sharp arrows capable of penetrating through every
armour. Then Sikhandin, O king, excited with rage, struck the grandsire
of the Bharatas in the chest with nine sharp arrows. The Kuru grandsire
Bhishma, however, though struck by him in battle, thus, trembled not, O
monarch, but remained unmoved like a mountain during an earthquake. Then
Vibhatsu, drawing his bow Gandiva with a laugh, pierced the son of Ganga
with five and twenty arrows. And once more, Dhananjaya, with great speed
and excited with wrath struck him in every vital part with hundreds of
arrows. Thus pierced by others, also with thousands of arrows, the mighty
car-warrior Bhishma pierced those others in return with great speed. And
as regards the arrows shot by those warriors, Bhishma, possessed of
prowess in battle that was incapable of being baffled, equally checked
them all with his own straight arrows. Those arrows, however, endued with
wings of gold and whetted on stone, which the mighty car-warrior
Sikhandin shot in that battle, scarcely caused Bhishma any pain. Then the
diadem-decked (Arjuna), excited with rage and placing