AMBOPAKHYANA PARVA: Chapter 183

The combat between Bhishma and Rama

भीष्म उवाच समागतस्य रामेण पुनरेवातिदारुणम्। अन्येधुस्तुमुलं युद्धं तदा भरतसत्तम॥
Bhishma said O best among the Bharatas, the next day a hard and terrible fight took place with Rama who had come back.

ततो दिव्यास्त्रविच्छूरो दिव्यान्यस्त्राण्यनेकशः। अयोजयत् स धर्मात्मा दिवसे दिवसे विभुः॥
On that occasion did that virtuous souled hero, conversant with celestial weapons, hurl at me, day by day, many celestial weapons.

तान्यहं तत्प्रतीघातैरस्त्रैरस्त्राणि भारत। व्यधमं तुमुले युद्धे प्राणांस्त्यक्त्वा सुदुस्त्यजान्॥
Those weapons I met by weapons capable of meeting them, o Bharata, in that terrific struggle, casting off hopes of life which is so hard to sacrifice.

अस्त्रैरस्त्रेषु बहुधा हतेष्वेव च भारत। अक्रुध्यत महातेजास्त्यक्तप्राणः स संयुगे॥
When in this way many weapons were neutralized and baffled by other weapons, O Bharata, Rama, of great energy, fought in that battle with me, casting off hopes of life.

ततः शक्तिं प्राहिणोद् घोरूपामस्त्रे रुद्ध जामदग्न्यो महात्मा। कालोत्सृष्टां प्रज्वलितामिवोल्का संदीप्तानां तेजसा व्याप्य लोकम्॥
Seeing his weapons thus baffled then did the great-souled son of Jamadagni hurl at me the fire weapon called Shakti with its extremely ablaze and shining like a meteor which came to have been shot by Death himself and which pervaded the earth with its effulgence.

ततोऽहं तामिषुभिर्दीप्यमानां समायान्तीमन्तकालार्कदीप्ताम्। छित्त्वा त्रिधा पातयामास भूमौ ततो ववौ पवनः पुण्यगन्धिः॥
I too cut asunder that blazing weapon which was coming against me like the blazing sun at the time of the destruction of the universe and felled it to the earth cut up into three pieces by my felled it to the earth cut of into three pieces by my arrows: then did sweetsmelling breeze blow about me.

तस्यां छिन्नायां क्रोधदीप्तोऽथ रामः शक्ती?राः प्राहिणोद् द्वादशान्याः। तासां रूपं भारत नोत शक्यं तेजस्वित्वाल्लाघवाच्चैव वक्तुम्॥
That one being cut asunder, Rama excited with wrath, hurled twelve other fierce weapons at me. Their appearance, O Bharata, I cannot describe owing to their effulgence and speed.

किं त्वेवाहं विह्वलः सम्प्रदृश्य दिग्भ्यः सर्वास्ता महोल्का इवाग्नेः। नानारूपास्तेजसोग्रेण दीप्ता यथाऽऽदित्या द्वादश लोकसंक्षये॥
How indeed can I do so? I was struck with fear at seeing all those arrows flying towards me from diverse directions and assuming diverse forms and blazing with effulgence as the twelve suns that rise at the time of the destruction of the universe.

ततो जालं बाणमयं विवृत्तं संदृश्य भित्त्वा शरजालेन राजन्। द्वादशेषून् प्राहिणवं रणेऽहं ततः शक्तीरप्यधमं घोररूपाः॥
Seeing myself surrounded by a net of arrows, I neutralized them by another net of arrows from myself, O king and then in that battle, I shot twelve arrows by which I neutralized even those terrible looking arrows.

ततो राजञ्जामदग्न्यो महात्मा शक्ती?रा व्याक्षिपद्धेमदण्डाः। विचित्रिताः काञ्चनपट्टनद्धा यथा महोल्का ज्वलितास्तथा ताः॥
Then did the great souled of Jamadagni, O king, hurl at me fierce arrows having golden handles which were variegated and furnished with golden wings. They were blazing like great meteors.

ताश्चाप्युचाश्चमर्णा वारयित्वा खड्ड्रेनाजौ पातयित्वा नेरन्द्र। बाणैर्दिव्यैर्जामदग्न्यस्य संख्ये दिव्यानश्वानभ्यवर्ष ससूतान्॥
These too, O chief among men, I caused to fall to the ground with the heel of my sword and shield and then shot forth celestial arrows at the celestial horses of Rama and his charioteer in that battle.

निर्मुक्तानां पन्नागानां सरूपा दृष्ट्वा शक्तीहेमचित्रा निकृत्ताः। प्रादुश्चक्रे दिव्यमस्त्रं महात्मा क्रोधाविष्टो हैहयेशप्रमाथी॥
son Seeing those arrows, decked with gold, flying at him like serpents let loose from their holes, the great-souled smiter of the lord of the Haihayas became excited with wrath and again brought forth celestial weapons.

ततः श्रेण्यः शलभानामिवोग्राः समापेतुर्विशिखाना प्रदीप्ताः। समाचिनोच्चापि भृशं शरीरं हयान् सूतं सरथं चैव मह्यम्॥
Then did a cluster of blazing and fierce arrows looking like a swarm of locusts completely overwhelm my body and my horses and chariot.

रथः शरैर्मे निचितः सर्वतोऽभूत् तथा वाहाः सारथिश्चैव राजन्। युगं रथेषां च तथैव चक्रे तथैवाक्षः शरकृत्तोऽथ भग्नः॥
By those arrows were my chariot, and all the horses and the charioteer completely covered. The yoke, shaft, wheels and wheel spoken were all broken by the force of that downpour of arrows.

ततस्तस्मिन् बाणवर्षे व्यतीते शरौघेण प्रत्यवर्षं गुरुं तम्। स विक्षतो मार्गणैर्ब्रह्मराशिदेहादसक्तं मुमुचे भूरि रक्तम्॥
That down pour of arrows having been finished, I too showered arrows on my preceptor. The mass of Brahmic merit pierced with the shower of arrows began to give forth copious discharges of blood.

स्तथैवाहं सुभृशं गाढविद्धः। ततो युद्धं व्यरमच्चापरावे भानावस्तं प्रति याते महीध्रम्॥
But in the same measure as Rama was overwhelmed with my arrows, was I also pierced hard with his. When the sun set in the afternoon behind the hills in the west, our combat came to an end.