भीष्म उवाच ततो रात्रो व्यतीतायं प्रतिबुद्धोऽस्मि भारत। ततः संचिन्त्य वै स्वप्नमवापं हर्षमुत्तमम्॥
Bhishma said When they had passed away, I awoke. O Bharata; I was filled with great joy as I thought of the dream.
ततः समभवद् युद्धं मम तस्य च भारत। तुमुलं सर्वभूतानां लोमहर्षणमद्भुतम्॥
Then begin that mighty battle between him and me, O Bharata, which was wonderful and which made the hairs of all creatures stand on end.
ततो बाणमयं वर्ष ववर्ष मयि भार्गवः। न्यवारयमहं तच्च शरजालेन भारत॥
Then Bhargava rained on me a shower of arrows, which I baffled by a (like) shower of arrows, O Bharata.
ततः परमसंक्रुद्धः पुनरेव महातपाः। ह्यस्तनेन च कोपेन शक्ति वै प्राहिणोन्मयि॥
Thereupon he, of great asceticism, was greatly incensed and remembering what had happened the day before, he hurled, with anger, a dart at me,
इन्द्राशनिसमस्पर्शी यमदण्डसमप्रभाम्। ज्वलन्तीमग्निवत् संख्ये लेलिहानां समन्ततः॥
Which was as hard as Indra's thunderbolt, was equal in effulgence, to the mace of Yama, (god of death) blazing like a flaming fire and licking as it were with its tongue, all quarters of the battle-field.
पर्वतः॥ ततो भरतशार्दूल घिष्ण्यमाकाशगं यथा। स मामभ्यवधीत् तूर्णं जत्रुदेशे कुरूद्वह॥
Then, O best among Kurus, it struck me on my shoulder, even then, O perpetuator of Kuru's race, like a lightning ranging in the sky.
अथास्रमस्रवद् घोरं गिरेगैरिकधातुवत्। रामेण सुमहाबाहो क्षतस्य क्षतजेक्षण॥
Thus wondered by Rama, O red-eyed one of mighty arms, blood flowed freely like streams of red earth from a mountain.
ततोऽहं जामदग्न्याय भृशं क्रोधसमन्वितः। चिक्षेप मृत्युसंकाशं बाणं सर्पविषोपमम्॥
Greatly incensed , I darted, at the son of Jamadagni, a deadly shaft, comparable to the poison of a serpent only.
स तेनाभिहतो वीरो ललाटे द्विजसत्तमः। अशोभत महाराज सशृङ्ग इव
That hero, the best of the twice-born, struck by it on the forehead, shone beautiful as a mountain with its peak.
स संरब्धः समावृत्य शरं कालान्तकोपमम्। संदधे बलवत् कृष्य घोरं शत्रुनिबर्हणम्॥
Filled with great wrath he turned round, and drawing his bow with great strength aimed at me a terrible shaft, resembling death himself and capable of grinding all enemies.
स वक्षसि पपातोग्रः शरो व्याल इव श्वसन्। महीं राजंस्ततश्चाहमगमं रुधिराविलः॥
That fierce shaft struck me on the breast hissing (through the air) like a serpent, and I fell down to the earth, O king, covered with blood.
सम्प्राप्य तु पुनः संज्ञां जामदग्न्याय धीमते। प्राहिण्वं विमलां शक्तिं ज्वलन्तीमशनीमिव॥
Regaining my consciousness, I hurled at that intelligent son of Jamadagni a dart, bright and blazing as the lighting flesh.
सा तस्य द्विजमुख्यस्य निपपात भुजान्तरे। विह्वलश्चाभवद् राजन् वेपथुश्चैनमाविशत्॥
That dart fell on the chest of that best of Brahmanas. And, O king, having fainted (from pain) he began to tremble all over.
तत एनं परिष्वज्य सखा विप्रो महातपाः। अकृतव्रणः शुभैर्वाक्यैराश्वासयदनेकधा॥
Then his friend, that twice-born and great ascetic named Akritavrana, embraced him again and again and soothed him with words of auspicious import.
समाश्वस्तस्ततो रामः क्रोधामर्षसमन्वितः। प्रादुश्चक्रे तदा ब्राह्म परमास्त्रं महाव्रतः॥
Thus comforted, Rama was filled with anger and vindictiveness, and that keeper of all observances brought forth a mighty weapon of Brahma.
ततस्तत्प्रतिघातार्थं ब्राह्ममेवास्त्रमुत्तमम्। मया प्रयुक्तं जज्वाल युगान्तमिव दर्शयत्॥
Then, for the purpose of baffling also, I aimed the same excellent weapon of Brahma, which blazed forth, appearing like what happens at the end of the Yuga (at the final destruction).
तयोर्ब्रह्मास्त्रयोरासीदन्तरा वै समागमः। असंप्राप्यैव रामं च मां च भारतसत्तम॥
Then those two Brahmic weapons met each other in mid-air, without being able to reach either Rama or myself, 0 best of Bharata's race.
ततो व्योम्नि प्रादुरभूत् तेज एव हि केवलम्। भूतानि चैव सर्वाणि जग्मुराति विशाम्पते॥
Thereupon, in mid-welkin, only a flame blazed forth, and 0 lord of earth, all creatures becomes greatly afflicted,
ऋषयश्च सगन्धर्वा देवताश्चैव भारत। संतापं परमं जग्मुरस्त्रतेजोऽभिपीडिताः॥
The Rishis, and the gods together with the Gandharvas, 0 Bharata, became greatly afflicted, struck by the blazing effulgence.
ततश्चचाल पृथिवी सपर्वतवनद्रुमा। संतप्तानि च भूतानि विषादं जग्मुरुत्तमम्॥
Then the earth, with the mountains, forests and trees, began to tremble, and all creatures, becoming heated, became highly afflicted.
प्रजज्वाल नमो राजन् धूमायन्ते दिशो दश। न स्थातुमन्तरिक्षे च शेकुराकाशगास्तदा॥
The firmament, О king, began to burn the ten points of the compass were filled with smoke. At that moment, those creatures that range the sky could not stay there.
ततो हाहाकृते लोके सदेवासुरराक्षसे। इदमन्तरमित्येवं मोक्तुकामोऽस्मि भारत॥
While during this time all creatures, with the gods, the Asuras and Rakshasas began uttering exclamations of woe, O Bharata, “This is the time,” thought I and become desirous of shooting,
प्रस्वापमस्त्रं त्वरितो वचनाद् ब्रह्मवादिनाम्। विचित्रं च तदस्त्रं मे मनसि प्रत्यभात् तदा॥
That weapon Prasvapa speedily, according to the words of command of the speakers of Brahma. And the Mantras also for using that weapon suddenly came to my mind.