“Bhishma said, ‘After the night had passed away, I awoke, O Bharata, andthinking of my dream I was filled with great joy. Then, O Bharata, thecombat began between him and me–a combat that was fierce and unrivalledand that made the hairs of all creatures stand on their ends.
“Sanjaya said, ‘After the ruler of the Sindhus had been slain by Partha,Krishna, repairing unto the king, viz., Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma,worshipped the latter with a gladdened heart.
“Vasudeva said, O lord of earth, if I had been present at Dwaraka, then,O king, this evil would not have befallen thee!
“Sanjaya said, ‘After the (Kuru) army had been rallied, Shalva, the rulerof the Mlecchas, filled with rage, rushed against the large force of thePandavas, riding on a gigantic elephant, with secretions issuing from theusual limbs, looking like a hill, swelling with pride, resembling
“Yudhishthira said, ‘Tell me, O grandsire, how kings desirous of victoryshould, O bull of Bharata’s race, lead their troops to battle even byoffending slightly against the rules of righteousness!’
“Vasishtha said, ‘The kine that had been created in a former agepractised the austerest penances for a hundred thousand years with thedesire of attaining to a position of great pre-eminence.
“Bhishma said, ‘When I had formed this resolution, O king, a din oftumultuous voices arose in the sky. And it said,–O son of Kuru’s race,do not let off the Praswapa weapon!–Notwithstanding this, I still aimedthat weapon at Bhrigu’s descendant.
“Sanjaya said, Upon the fall, O king, of the ruler of the Sindhus, thyson Suyodhana, his face bedewed with tears, and himself filled with griefand breathing hot sighs like a snake whose fangs have been broken, thatoffender against the whole world, viz., thy son, experienced bitteraffliction.
“Sanjaya said, ‘Upon the fall of that great king and mighty car-warrior,that invincible hero (Shalya) in battle, thy troops as also thy sonsalmost all turned away from the fight. Indeed, upon the slaughter of thathero by the illustrious
“Sanjaya said, ‘After the slaughter of Shalya, O king, the followers ofthe Madra king, numbering seventeen hundred heroic car-warriors,proceeded for battle with great energy.
