TION LXIII

Vaisampayana said, "Then while a great havoc was being made among the
Kurus, Santanu's son, Bhishma, and grandsire of the Bharatas rushed at
Arjuna, taking up an excellent bow adorned with gold, and many arrows
also of keen points and capable of piercing into the very vitals of the
foe and afflicting him sorely. And in consequence of a white umbrella
being held over his head, that tiger among men looked beautiful like
unto a hill at sunrise. And the son of Ganga, blowing his conch cheered
the sons of Dhritarashtra, and wheeling along his right came upon
Vibhatsu and impeded his course. And that slayer of hostile heroes, the
son of Kunti, beholding him approach, received him with a glad heart,
like a hill receiving a rain-charged cloud. And Bhishma, endued with
great energy, pierced Partha's flag-staff with eight arrows. The arrows
reaching the flag-staff of Pandu's son, struck the blazing ape and those
creatures also stationed in the banner-top. And then the son of Pandu,
with a mighty javelin of sharp edge cut of Bhishma's umbrella which
instantly fell on the ground. And then the light-handed son of Kunti
struck his adversary's flag-staff also with many shafts, and then his
steeds and then the couple of drivers that protected Bhishma's flanks.
And unable to bear this, Bhishma though cognisant of the Pandava's
might, covered Dhananjaya with a powerful celestial weapon. And the son
of Pandu, of immeasurable soul, hurling in return a celestial weapon at
Bhishma, received that from Bhishma like a hill receiving a deep mass of
clouds. And the encounter that took place between Partha and Bhishma,
was fierce and the Kaurava warriors with their troops stood as lookers
on. And in the conflict between Bhishma and the son of Pandu, shafts
striking against shafts shone in the air like fireflies in the season of
rains. And, O king, in consequence of Partha's shooting arrows with both
his right and left hands, the bent _Gandiva_ seemed like a continuous
circle of fire. And the son of Kunti then covered Bhishma with hundreds
of sharp and keen-edged arrows, like a cloud covering the
mountain-breast with its heavy downpour. And Bhishma baffled with his
own arrows that arrowy shower, like the bank resisting the swelling sea,
and covered the son of Pandu in return. And those warriors, cut into a
thousand pieces in battle, fell fast in the vicinity of Phalguna's car.
And then there was a downpour, from the car of Pandu's son, o