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64.THE FIRST DAY'S BATTLE
DUHSASANA was leading the Kaurava
forces and Bhimasena did the same on the
Pandava side. The noise of battle rolled
and rent the air. The kettledrums,
trumpets, horns and conchs made the sky
ring with their clamor.
Horses neighed, charging elephants
trumpeted and the warriors uttered their
lion-roars. Arrows flew in the air like
burning meteors. Fathers and sons, uncles
and nephews slew one another forgetful of
old affection and ties of blood. It was a
mad and terrible carnage. In the forenoon
of the first day's battle the Pandava army
was badly shaken. Wherever Bhishma's
chariot went, it was like the dance of the
destroyer. Abhimanyu could not bear this
and he attacked the grandsire. When the
oldest and the youngest warriors thus met
in battle, the gods came to watch the
combat. Abhimanyu's flag, displaying the
golden karnikara tree brightly waved on
his chariot.
Kritavarma was hit by one of his arrows
and Salya was hit five times. Bhishma
himself was hit nine times by
Abhimanyu's shafts. Durmukha's
charioteer was struck by one of
Abhimanyu's sword-edge arrow and his
severed head rolled on the ground.
Another broke Kripa's bow. Abhimanyu's
feats brought down showers of flowers
from the gods who looked on. Bhishma
and the warrior supporting him exclaimed:
"Indeed, a worthy son to Dhananjaya!"
Then the Kaurava warriors made a
combined attack on the valiant youth. But
he stood against them all. He parried with
his own all the shafts discharged by
Bhishma.
One of his well-aimed arrows brought the
grandsire's palm tree flag down. Seeing
this, Bhimasena was overjoyed and made
a great lion-roar that further inspired the
valiant nephew. Great was the grandsire's
joy, seeing the valor of the young hero.
Unwillingly, he had to use his full
strength against the boy. Virata, his son
Uttara, Dhrishtadyumna, the son of
Drupada and Bhima came to relieve the
young hero and attacked the grandsire
who then turned his attentions on them
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