Mahabharata, Epic of the Bharatas

Book VIII. Bhishma-Badha (Fall of Bhishma) – 90
Elephants by mahuts driven furiously each other tore,
Trumpeting with trunks uplifted on the serried soldiers bore!
Ceaseless plied the gallant troopers, with a stern unyielding might,
Pikes and axes, clubs and maces, swords and spears and lances bright,
Horsemen flew as forkéd lightning, heroes fought in shining mail,
Archers poured their feathered arrows like the bright and glistening hail!
Bhishma leader of the Kurus, as declined the dreadful day,
Through the shattered Pandav legions forced his all-resistless way,
Onward went his palm-tree standard through the hostile ranks of war,
Matsyas, Kasis, nor Panchalas faced the mighty Bhishma’s car!
[299] But the fiery son of Arjun, filled with shame and bitter wrath,
Turned his car and tawny coursers to obstruct the chieftain’s path,
Vainly fought the youthful warrior though his darts were pointed well,
And dissevered from his chariot Bhishma’s palm-tree standard fell,
Anger stirred the ancient Bhishma and he rose in all his might,
Abhimanyu pierced with arrows fell and fainted in the fight!
Then to save the son of Arjun, Matsya’s gallant princes came,
Brave Uttara, noble Sweta, youthful warriors known to fame,
Ah! too early fell the warriors in that sad and fatal strife,
Matsya’s dames and dark-eyed maidens wept the princes’ shortened life!
Slain by cruel fate untimely fell two brothers young and good,
Dauntless still the youngest brother, proud and gallant Sankha stood,
But the helmet-wearing Arjun came to stop the victor’s path,
And to save the fearless Sankha from the ancient Bhishma’s wrath,
Drupad too, Panchala’s monarch, swiftly rushed into the fray,
Strove to shield the broken Pandavs and to stop the victor’s way,
But as fire consumes the forest, wrathful Bhishma slew the foe,
None could face his sounding chariot and his ever-circled bow,
And the fainting Pandav warriors marked the foe, resistless, bold,
Shook like unprotected cattle tethered in the blighting cold!