SECTION CLXXXIV

"Bhishma said, 'The next day, O bull of Bharata's race, frightful again was the combat that wok place between me and Rama when I encountered him once more. That hero of virtuous soul, conversant with celestial weapons,--the lord Rama, from day to day, began to use diverse kinds of celestial weapons. Regardless of life itself, which is so difficult of being sacrificed, in that fierce combat, O Bharata, I baffled all those weapons with such of mine as are capable of baffling them. And, O Bharata, when diverse weapons were in this way neutralised and baffled by means of counter-weapons, Rama, of mighty energy began to contend against me in that battle, reckless of his own life. Seeing all his weapons baffled, the high-souled son of Jamadagni then hurled at me a fierce lance, blazing like a meteor, with flaming mouth, filling the whole world, as it were, with its effulgence, and resembling the dart hurled by Death himself! I, however, with my arrows cut into three fragments that blazing dart rushing against me, and resembling in effulgence the sun that rises at end of the Yuga! At this, breezes charged with fragrant odours began to blow (around me). Beholding that dart of his cut off, Rama, burning with anger, hurled a dozen other fierce darts. Their forms, O Bharata, I am incapable of describing in consequence of their great effulgence and speed. How, indeed, shall I describe their forms? Beholding those diverse-looking darts approach me from all sides, like long tongues of fire and blazing forth with fierce energy

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like the dozen suns that arise at the time of the destruction of the universe, I was filled with fear. Seeing an arrowy net advancing against me, I baffled it with an arrowy downpour of mine, and then sent a dozen shafts by which I consumed those fierce-looking dozen darts of Rama. Then, O king, the high-souled son of Jamadagni showered on me numerous fierce-looking darts, furnished with variegated handles decked with gold, possessed of golden wings, and resembling flaming meteors! Baffling those fierce darts by means of my shield and sword, and causing them in that combat to fall down on the ground, I then, with clouds of excellent arrows, covered Rama's excellent steeds and his charioteer. Then that high-souled smiter of the lord of the Haihayas, 1 beholding those darts of mine equipped with gold-decked handles and resembling snakes emerged out of their holes, and filled with wrath at the sight, had recourse once more to celestial weapons! Then swarms of fierce arrows, looking like flights of locusts fell upon me and overwhelmed me, my steeds, my charioteer, and my car! Indeed, O king, my car, horses, and charioteer, were covered all over with those arrows! And the yoke, shaft, wheels, and the wheel-spokes of my car, overwhelmed with that arrowy shower, at once broke. After that arrowy shower, however, was over, I also covered my preceptor with a thick shower of arrows. Thereupon, that mass of Brahmic merit, mangled with that arrowy downpour, began to bleed copiously, and continuously. Indeed, like Rama afflicted with my clouds of arrows, I too was densely pierced with his arrows. When at last in the evening, the sun set behind the western hills, our combat came to an end.'"

Footnotes

354:1 The thousand-handed Arjuna, called also Kartaviryarjuna, the vanquisher of Ravana, the chief of Haihaya clan of Kshatriyas having his capital at Mahishmati on the banks of the Narmada (Nerbuda), was slain by Rama.