06.082
Core and Pancharatra: Encounter between Yudhisthira and Bhishma; Dhṛṣṭadyumna and Sātyaki with Avanti brothers, Drona with Panchalas. The day comes to an end.
Sanjaya said:
Your son Vikarna, having approached the noble Citraseṇa, helped him onto the chariot after he had lost his own.
In the midst of the intense and chaotic battle, Bhishma, the son of Shantanu, swiftly advanced towards Yudhishthira.
Then the Sṛñjayas, along with their chariots, elephants, and horses, trembled, believing that Yudhiṣṭhira had come close to the jaws of death.
Yudhishthira, along with his brothers, approached Bhishma, the revered elder and great warrior, who was the son of Shantanu.
Then, in the battle, the Pandava released thousands of arrows, covering Bhishma as a cloud covers the sun.
The son of Ganga skillfully intercepted the volleys of arrows, O Bhārata, first by hundreds and then by thousands.
Similarly, O sir, the arrows released by Bhishma filled the sky, resembling flocks of birds.
In the blink of an eye, Bhishma, the son of Shantanu, rendered the son of Kunti invisible in the battlefield by covering him with a barrage of arrows, piece by piece.
Then, in his anger, King Yudhishthira, the noble Kaurava, sent forth an arrow that resembled a serpent.
Before it could reach, O king, Bhishma, the great chariot-warrior, cut off his bow with a razor-sharp arrow in the battle.
In the battle, Bhishma, after cutting the arrow that was as powerful as time itself, killed the golden-adorned horses of the Kaurava king.
Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma, left his chariot with the horses slain and quickly climbed onto Nakula's chariot, who is known for his great soul.
Then, in the battle, the two Yamas, who were very angry, approached and Bhishma, the conqueror of enemy cities, covered them with arrows.
Upon seeing the two afflicted by Bhishma's arrows, O great king, they then went into deep contemplation with the desire to kill Bhishma.
Then Yudhishthira urged all the king's obedient followers, saying that Bhishma, the son of Shantanu, had been slain.
Upon hearing Pārtha's words, all the kings encircled the grandfather with a mighty array of chariots.
Your father Devavrata, surrounded on all sides, skillfully wielded his bow, O king, bringing down the great charioteers.
The sons of Pṛthā observed the Kaurava moving in the battlefield, akin to a lion cub entering a herd of deer in the forest.
O great king, upon seeing the heroes being threatened in battle and frightened by arrows, they trembled like herds of deer before a lion.
In the battle, the warriors witnessed the movement of the lion of Bharata, akin to a fire aided by the wind, consuming a forest.
In the battle, Bhishma skillfully struck down the heads of the charioteers, just as a skilled person would pluck ripe fruits from palm trees.
O great king, as the heads fell to the ground, there arose a tumultuous sound, akin to the crashing of stones.
In the midst of that fierce and terrible ongoing battle, there was great confusion among all the armies.
In the divided formations, the warriors summoned each other individually and prepared themselves for battle.
Shikhandi approached Bhishma, the grandfather of the Bharatas, and charged at him with great speed, shouting, "Stop, stop."
Ignoring Shikhandi due to his past as a woman, Bhishma, filled with rage, advanced towards the Srinjayas in the battle.
The Sṛñjayas, upon seeing the great chariot-warrior Bhīṣma, became cheerful and began to make various kinds of lion-roars mixed with the sounds of conch-shells.
Then the battle began with chariots and elephants interlocked, as the sun took another direction, O lord.
Then Dhṛṣṭadyumna, the son of Pāñcāla, and Sātyaki, the great chariot-warrior, fiercely attacked the army with a barrage of spears and javelins, O king, and struck down your men in battle with numerous weapons.
O best of men, your warriors, even while being slain in battle, did not abandon the fight, having resolved their noble minds to the war. With great enthusiasm, the great warriors slew the enemy in battle.
There was a great outcry among your noble warriors as they were being slain in battle by the valiant son of Prishata, O king.
Upon hearing the dreadful sound from your side, the great warriors Vindha and Anuvindha, the brothers from Avanti, approached Parshata.
The two great charioteers, after slaying his horses, swiftly enveloped Pārṣata in a barrage of arrows.
Then, the mighty son of Panchala quickly jumped off his chariot and ascended the great-souled Satyaki's chariot.
Then King Yudhishthira, with his massive army, confronted the furious Avanti brothers in the battlefield, who were known as the scorchers of foes.
In the same manner, your son, O gracious one, with all his efforts, stood by Vindānuvinda, the two princes of Avanti, surrounding them.
Arjuna, the bull among Kshatriyas, was enraged and fought the warriors in battle like Vajrapani against the demons.
In the battle, the enraged Drona, acting out of affection for his son, attacked all the Panchalas with the ferocity of a fire consuming a heap of cotton.
Led by Duryodhana, your sons, O lord, surrounded Bhishma in the battle and fought alongside the Pandavas.
As the sun was setting, King Duryodhana urged all his men to hurry, addressing them as "O Bhārata."
For those engaged in battle and performing arduous tasks, when the sun climbs the mountain and begins to set, it no longer shines.
At the onset of night, a dreadful river with waves of blood began to flow, filled with packs of jackals.
A terrifying sound emerged from both auspicious and inauspicious beings, as well as from roaring entities, creating a scene filled with the dreadful battle of ghostly hosts.
Demons, goblins, and other flesh-eaters appeared everywhere in hundreds and thousands.
Then Arjuna, after defeating Suśarman and the other kings along with their followers amidst the army, returned to his camp.
Yudhishthira, the Kuru prince, accompanied by his brothers, returned to his camp at night, surrounded by his army.
Bhimasena, after defeating the chariots led by Duryodhana in the battle, returned to his own camp, O king.
Duryodhana, the king, after surrounding Bhishma in the great battle, quickly went towards his camp.
Drona, Ashwatthama (son of Drona), Kripa, Shalya, Kritavarma, and Satyaki surrounded the entire army and proceeded towards the camp.
In the same manner, Satyaki and Dhrishtadyumna, the son of Prishata, surrounded the warriors in the battle and proceeded towards the camp, O King.
Thus, O great king, your men, along with the Pandavas, returned together at night, O subduer of enemies.
Then, the Pandavas and the Kauravas went to their respective camps and settled there, honoring each other, O great king.
The heroes, after securing themselves and properly positioning the troops, removed the arrows and bathed with various waters.
After performing auspicious rites, all the glorious ones were praised by the bards and played amidst the sounds of music and instruments.
For a brief moment, everything seemed heavenly. The great warriors did not engage in any war stories there.
The army, along with the exhausted people, fell asleep there, O king. The place, abundant with elephants and horses, became a sight to behold.
