, deprived of
riders, but unto which were yoked fleet steeds, dragged on all sides with
the speed of the wind. Full fourteen thousand great car-warriors of noble
parentage, prepared to lay down their lives, unretreating and brave, and
possessed of standards decked with gold, belonging to the Chedis, the
Kasis, and the Karushas, approaching Bhishma, that hero who resembled the
Destroyer himself with wide-open mouth, were despatched to the other
world, with their steeds, cars and elephants. There was not, O king, a
single great car-warrior among the Somakas, who, having approached
Bhishma in that battle, returned with life from that engagement.
Beholding Bhishma's prowess, people regarded all those warriors (who
approached him) as already despatched to the abode of the king of the
Dead. Indeed, no car-warrior ventured to approach Bhishma in battle,
except the heroic Arjuna having white steeds (yoked unto his car) and
owning Krishna for his charioteer, and Sikhandin, the prince of Panchala,
of immeasurable energy."

SECTION CXVIII

Sanjaya said,--"Sikhandin, O bull among men, approaching Bhishma in
battle, struck him in the centre of the chest with ten broad-headed
arrows The son of Ganga, however, O Bharata, only looked at Sikhandin
with wrath and as if consuming the Panchala prince with that look.
Remembering his femininity, O king, Bhishma, in the very sight of all,
struck him not. Sikhandin, however, understood it not. Then Arjuna, O
monarch, addressed Sikhandin, saying,--'Rush quickly and slay the
grandsire. What needst thou say, O hero? Slay the mighty car-warrior
Bhishma. I do not see any other warrior in Yudhishthira's army who is
competent to fight with Bhishma in battle, save thee, O tiger among men.
I say this truly.' Thus addressed by Partha, Sikhandin, O bull of
Bharata's race, quickly covered the grandsire with diverse kinds of
weapons. Disregarding those shafts, thy sire Devavrata began, with his
shafts, to check the angry Arjuna only in that battle. And that mighty
car-warrior, O sire, began also to despatch, with his shafts of keen
points, the whole army of the Pandavas to the other world. The Pandavas
also, O king, after the same manner, supported by their vast host, began
to overwhelm Bhishma like the clouds covering the maker of day. O bull of
Bharata's race, surrounded on all sides, that Bharata hero consumed many
brave warriors in that battle like a raging conflagration in the forest
(consuming