Conches, drums, cymbals, cow-horns and blared. Elephants warriors a dimmed sun blazing horizon. Bad signs showers of bones with jackals, vultures crows and dogs, blazing meteors fall as seen as Day 9 dawns. - Dutt. Mahabharata. Bhishma Vadha. Chapter 100
troops fall to Abhimanyu’s bow like insects falling into a blazing fire, a golden bow with flashes of lightning on rain clouds, arrows like bees from a blossoming tree. - Dutt. chp. 101
The maya of Rakshasas. moon and five planets, a mass of rain cloud fried by sun rays, a hill crested by fire, shafts with golden wings - Dutt. chp. 101
Drona releases a blinding Vayavya weapon to clear the battlefield. - Dutt. chp. 103
Bhishma blazing forth like a conflagration of wood. Bhishma’s chariot was a fire chamber, his bow his flames, his swords, arrows and maces were fuel. - Dutt. BV. chp. 107
Arjuna’s chariot wheels through warriors fight under a thick cloud of dust shrouding the sun, a flight of swans, lances and shafts, horses and chariots, broken wheels, arrows, fallen elephants, broken armor, battle axes, maces, arms, bows, swords, heads, broken standards. - Dutt. chp. 107
Arjuna restrains Krishna from attacking Bhishma. - Dutt
Warriors camp under inauspicious celestial signs.
The Pandavas visit Bhishma’s tent in camp at night. Bhishma tells the Pandavas the story of Amba, sister to Ambika and Ambalika, who were mothers of Dhritarashtra and Pandu, respectively. So Ambalika was the Pandavas’ grandmother. Bhishma ruined Amba’s life, then Amba died miserably. Bhishma believes Amba came back as Shikhandi for revenge. Bhishma feels he has what’s coming after destroying so many lives in his career. ‘I’m tired. Now is my time,’ Bhishma said to the Pandavas, ‘I’ve got to fall.’
