AMBOPAKHYANA PARVA: Chapter 182

The combat between Bhishma and Rama

भीष्म उवाच आत्मनस्तु ततः सूतो हयानां च विशाम्पते। मम चापनयामास शल्यान् कुशलसम्मतः॥
Bhishma said Then did the charioteer, o lord of the universe, who was regarded as being skillful in such matters, draw forth the arrows from his own body and those of the horses as well as that of myself.

स्नातापवृत्तैस्तुरगैर्लब्धतोयैरविह्वलैः। प्रभाते चोदिते सूर्ये ततो युद्धमवर्तत॥
In the morning, the sun having risen the fight commenced again, the horses (of both parties) having been bathed and allowed to roll on the ground, and given water and thereby refreshed,

दृष्ट्वा मां तूर्णमायान्तं दंशितं स्यन्दने स्थितम्। अकरोद् रथमत्यर्थं रामः सज्ज प्रतापवान्॥
Seeing me coming quickly with my coat of mail on and seated on my chariot Rama, of great luster, got ready his car very carefully.

ततोऽहं राममायान्तं दृष्ट्वा समरकाक्षिणम्। धनुः श्रेष्ठं समुत्सृज्य सहसाऽवतरं स्थात्॥
I too, seeing Rama, who was desirous of fight, approaching, keeping aside that best of bows, at once dismounted from my chariot.

अभिवाद्य तथैवाहं रथमारुह्य भारत। युयुत्सुर्जामदग्न्यस्य प्रमुखे वीतभी: स्थितः॥
Having bowed down to him I got on it again and desirous of fight stood before Jamadgna, past the reach of fear.

ततोऽहं शरवर्षेण महता समवाकिरम्। स च मां शरवर्षेण वर्षन्तं समवाकिरत्॥
Then did I, all on a sudden, cover him with a great shower of arrows: and he too covered me with shower of arrows.

संक्रुद्धो जामदग्न्यस्तु पुनरेव सुतेजितान्। सम्प्रेषीन्मे शरान् घोरान् दीप्तास्यानुरगानिवा॥
The son of Jamadagni worked up with wrath, again shot forth on me fearful and sharp arrows having months blazing like those of serpents.

ततोऽहं निशितैर्भल्लैः शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः। अच्छिदं सहसा राजन्नन्तरिक्षे पुनः पुनः॥
Then did I at once again and again cut them asunder, O king, by my hundred and thousands of arrows, when they were still in the air.

ततस्त्वस्त्राणि दिव्यानि जामदग्न्यः प्रतापवान्। मयि प्रयोजयामास तान्यहं प्रत्यषेधयम्॥
Then did the illustrious son of Jamadagni shoot at me celestial weapons but I thwarted them off, O you of long arms.

अस्त्रैरेव महाबाहो चिकीर्षनधिकां क्रियाम्। ततो दिवि महान् नादः प्रादुरासीत् समन्ततः॥
In fact, O you of long arms, I performed mightier tasks by my weapons on which there was a loud commotion all about, oking.

ततोऽहमस्त्रं वायव्यं जामदग्न्ये प्रयुक्तवान्। प्रत्याजघ्ने च तद् रामो गुह्यकास्त्रेण भारत॥
Then did I shoot at the son of Jamadagni the weapons called Vayavya but Rama, O Bharata, warded if off by the weapon called Guhyaka.

ततोऽहमस्त्रमाग्नेयमनुमन्त्र्य प्रयुक्तवान्। वारुणेनैव तद् रामो वारयामास मे विभुः॥
Then did I after repeating suitable incantations shoot the weapon called Agneya ine was but Rama thwarted that weapon called Agneya but Rama thwarted that weapon of mine by one called Varuna, O lord.

एवमस्त्राणि दिव्यानि रामस्याहमवारयम्। रामश्च मम तेजस्वी दिव्यास्त्रविदरिंदमः॥
In this way did I ward off the heavenly weapons of Rama and the energetic Rama too, that chastiser of enemies, conversant with celestial weapons, thwarted off the weapons of mine.

ततो मां सव्यतो राजन् रामः कुर्वन् द्विजोत्तमः। उरस्यविध्यत् संक्रुद्धो जामदग्न्यः प्रतापवान्॥
There did that best among the twice-born, Rama, the son of Jamadagni, suddenly turning to the right, pierce me in my breast.

ततोऽहं भरतश्रेष्ठ संन्यषीदं रथोत्तमे। ततो मां कश्मलाविष्टं सूतस्तूर्णमुदावहत्॥
Then did I foremost among the Bharatas, faint on that best of cars. My charioteer quickly removed who deprived of consciousness.

ग्लायन्तं भरतश्रेष्ठ रामबाणप्रपीडितम्। ततो मामपयातं वै भृशं विद्धमचेतसम्॥
O chief among the Bharatas, seeing me afflicted and struck with the arrows of Rama and removed, being deprived of consciousness,

रामस्यानुचरा हृष्टाः सर्वे दृष्ट्वा विचुक्रुशुः। अकृतव्रणप्रभृतयः काशिकन्या च भारत॥
All the followers of Rama, Akri avrana and others and the daughter of the king of the Kashis all set up a loud shout.

ततस्तु लब्धसंज्ञोऽहं ज्ञात्रा सूतमथाब्रुवम्। याहि सूत यतो राम; सज्जोऽहं गतवेदनः॥
My consciousness (after a time) having come back I said to my charioteer "O charioteer go where Rama is, I am prepared (for battle) for I have now no pains.”

ततो मामवहत् सूतो हयैः परमशोभितैः। नृत्यद्भिरिव कौरव्य मारुतप्रतिमैर्गतौ॥
Then did the charioteer bear me by means of exceedingly beautiful horses which went on dancing as it were, O scion of the Kuru race, and which were of the speed similar of that of the wind.

ततोऽहं राममासाद्य बाणवर्षेच कौरव। अवाकिरं सुसंरब्धः संरब्धं च जिगीषया॥
Having then come near Rama and being wrathful I shot forth a shower of arrows, O Kaurava, with the desire of gaining victory over that wrathful one.

तानापतत एवासौ रामो बाणानजिह्मगान्। बाणैरेवाच्छिनत् तूर्णमेकैकं त्रिभिराहवे।॥
But that Rama cut asunder those arrows which went along in straight lines, when they were in still in the air, by shooting three arrows for each of mine.

ततस्ते सूदिताः सर्वे मम बाणाः सुसंशिताः। रामबाणैर्द्विधा छिन्नाः शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः॥
Then were all of them (Rama's followers) rejoiced at seeing my well furnished arrows cut asunder in two by hundreds and thousands.

ततः पुनः शरं दीप्तं सुप्रभं कालसम्मितम्। असृजं जामदग्न्याय रामायाहं जिघांसया॥
Then did I shoot at Rama, the son of Jamadgna with the desire of killing him, blazing arrows of good appearance, guided by death itself.

तेन त्वभिहतो गाढं बाणवेगवशं गतः। मुमोह समरे रामो भूमौ च निपपात ह॥
Struck with its force and owing to its impetus, Rama fainted in the field and fell on the ground.

ततो हाहाकृतं सर्वं रामे भूतलमाश्रिते। जगद् भारत संविग्नं यथार्कपतने भवेत्॥
Rama falling on the ground all began to cry out Alas, Alas, as might be the case, O Bharata, if the sun were to fall on the earth.

तत एनं समुद्विग्नाः सर्व एवाभिदुद्रुवुः। तपोधनास्ते सहसा काश्या च कुरुनन्दन॥
Then did all those ascetics and the princess of Kashi,Odelighter of the race of Kuru, being filled with anxiety, began to comfort him,

तत एनं परिष्वज्य शनैराश्वासयंस्तदा। पाणिभिर्जलशीतैश्च जयाशीभिच कौरव॥
By embracing him and slowly passing over the palms of their hands rendered cold by water and by blessings of victory, OKaurava.

ततः स विह्वलं वाक्यं राम उत्थाय चाब्रवीत्। तिष्ठ भीष्म हतोऽसीति बाणं संधाय कार्मुके।॥
Then did Rama, rising up, give vent to these wrathful words:-"Stay, O Bhishma, you are already killed" fixing an arrow to his bow.

स मुक्तो न्यपतत् तूर्णं सव्ये पार्श्वे महाहवे। येनाहं भृशमुद्विग्नो व्याघूर्णित इव दुमः॥
In that great battle that arrow, shot by him, quickly fell on my right side owing to which I was as much agitated as a tree is shaken by a gale.

हत्वा हयांस्ततो रामः शीघ्रास्त्रेण महाहवे। अवाकिरन्मां विस्रब्धो बाणैस्तैोमवाहिभिः॥
Then did Rama, after killing my horses in that great battle, cover me up with clusters of arrows shot with lightness of hand and with such precision that each could carry away with it a single hair of my body,

ततोऽहमपि शीघ्रास्त्रं समरप्रतिवारणम्। अवासृज महाबाहो तेऽन्तराधिष्ठिता: शराः॥
Then did I too shoot my weapons with lightness of hand so as toward off his arrows, O you of long arms, and those arrows (of mine and of Rama) stayed in the air (without falling down.)

रामस्य मम चैवाशु व्योमावृत्य समन्ततः। न स्म सूर्यः प्रतपति शरजालसमावृतः॥
The arrows shot by Rama and myself completely covered the sky so that even the sun, covered by a net of arrows, could not give forth its heat.

मातरिश्वा ततस्तस्मिन् मेघरुद्ध इवाभवत्। ततो वायोः प्रकम्पाच्च सूर्यस्य च गभस्तिभिः॥
The very wind then shut up in that net could not pass through it. Then owing to the wind being shut up, and the sun too not being able to impart its rays,

अभिघातप्रभावाच्च पावकः समजायत। शराः स्वसमुत्थेन प्रदीप्ताचित्रभानुना॥ ते
And from the clashing of weapons there sprang up a fire and those arrows were ablaze owing to the fire brought into existence by them.

भूमौ सर्वे तदा राजन् भस्मभूताः प्रपेदिरे। तदा शतसहस्राणि प्रयुतान्यर्बुदानि च॥
At the time, O king, every body on earth, was reduced to ashes. At that time, hundreds and thousands, and tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands,

अयुतान्यथ खर्वाणि निखर्वाणि च कौरव। रामः शराणां संक्रुद्धो मयि तूर्णं न्यपातयत्॥
And millions and hundreds of millions of Rama's arrows were shot by that wrathful one, all in quick succession.

ततोऽहं तानपि रणे शरैराशीविषोपमैः। संछिद्य भूमौ नृपते पातयेयं नगानिव॥
In that battle, I too, by my arrows resembling poisonous snakes, cutting asunder those arrows, made them fill up the earth like snakes cut up in fragments, O ruler of men.

एवं तदभवद् युद्धं तदा भरतसत्तम। संध्याकाले व्यतीते तु व्यपायात् स च मे गुरुः॥
Such was the wonderful fight that took place at the time, O best among the Bharatas. Evening having passed away my preceptor also retired.