THE GREAT KURUKSHETRA WAR - TENTH DAY

On the tenth day of the war, the Pandavas put Sikhandhi against Bhisma. The great warrior fell from his chariot bombarded by Arjuna's arrows. His body did not touch the ground as it was held aloft by the arrows protruding from his body.

The Pandavas were ready for the battle well before dawn on the tenth day of the war. Sikhandi was accorded the pride of place and he stood at the centre. On his right side was Arjuna, Bhima was on his left side. Behind them was Abhimanyu, Chekitana and Satyaki. Yudhisthira was at the rear flanked on both sides by Dhrishtadyumna and Virata. Bhishma stood at the centre of the Kaurava forces, flanked on both the sides by Drona and Kripa. Duryodhana was in the middle together with Kritavarma and Bhagadatta. The rest occupied the rear.

As usual, exactly at sunrise, the two armies charged against each other with fury. There was terrible carnage on both sides. The Pandava forces fought with extraordinary fervor. Sikhandi opposed Bhishma and attacked him enthusiastically. He hit Bhishma with shafts and said, "Stop, why do you bypass me. You are a great warrior, famed in life and legend. We are told that you conquered the great Rama of the axe. But I will defeat you today." Bhishma replied, " Sikhandi, when you aim your arrows at me, I cannot help laughing; I do not get angry, I enjoy the fun; I am not provoked to fight" Sikhandi was offended and replied, "Why all these silly excuses? Fight if you can." So saying, he hit Bhishma five times. Arjuna was surprised at the audacity of Sikhandi and wondered, within himself musing, "Perhaps coming events cast their shadows before. Sikhandi never before exhibited so much enthusiasm. He is today very eager or a frontal encounter with Bhishma. This is a good augury." Arjuna said to Sikhandi, "My hearty congratulations to you attacking Bhishma so boldly. But people will laugh at us if we do not match action with the words we uttered."

Bhishma turned away from Sikhandi. Duryodhana met him and said, "Great Warrior, yesterday you excelled yourself. Today we must bag victory again." Bhishma replied, "I am old; I feel weary. I promised to kill ten thousand soldiers of the enemy camp. I feel I have redeemed my promise as well as my debt to you. You are all young and the future belongs to you. Anyway, today I will fight as well. This is my promise. Either the Pandavas should be defeated decisively or I should die." Duryodhana rejoiced at the words of Bhishma, without grasping the implications, between the lines. Bhishma roared like a lion and attacked the Pandava forces killing countless soldiers. He advanced on the Panchala forces like smokeless fire. Arjuna exhorted Sikhandi, "You must be true to your word today. Bhishma has attacked your father and brother. It is time for you to attack. I will follow behind you and will protect you from all eventualities."


Dhrishtadyumna ordered a wholesale counter on Bhishma. The Matsyas and the Kekayas, the Pandayas and the Panchalas attacked Bhishma in the ferocious onslaught, blowing the bugles and conches. Satyaki and Chekitana, Dhrishtaketu and Kekaya enclosed Bhishma. On the Kaurava side, Bhurisrava and Bahlika, Kritavarma and Kripa joined Bhishma, together with Duhsasana and his brothers. Duhsasana attacked Sikhandi. Arjuna hit Duhsasana with a powerful shaft and he swooned on his chariot. The Pandavas, in order to divert the attention from Bhishma attacked the Kaurava warriors individually. Thus Satyaki and Bhagadatta, Alambasa and Ghatotkacha, Abhimanyu and Sudakshina, Virata and Asvatthama, Sahadeva and Kripa, Bhimasena and Bhurisrava. Chekitana and Chitrasena, Yudhisthira and Drona were locked in single combats. Duhsasana regained consciousness and attacked Sikhandi, but Arjuna intervened and fought with Duhsasana, who after giving a stiff fight fled from the battlefield.

Drona sensed the strategy of the Pandavas and directed Asvatthama to join Bhishma. He said, "Today I find extraordinary glow in the faces of the Pandavas. Even the twins are today very exuberant. There is a concerted drive against Bhishma. Today I am not in my form. My hand is reeling and my whole body is aching. I want you to go and guard Bhishma. In Yudhisthira’s face, ardent anguish is replaced by aggressive anger today. Smiles are twinkling in Sri Krishna’s eyes. This seems to be a fateful day for the Kauravas." Bhishma fought bravely, killing elephants and wrecking the chariots, defeating the warriors and driving away cumulative attackers till the midnoon. Yudhisthira instructed Dhrishtadyumna not to relent but to increase the tempo of the attack. When Asvatthama arrived at the spot, Abhimanyu engaged him in a fierce duel. Bhagadatta also came to the scene, but Arjuna shot incessant shafts against his elephants Supratika which fled taking a right about turn. Bhagadatta attacked the Panchala army, going to another sector of the battlefield.

Sikhandi came to the forefront and hit Bhishma five times. Bhishma was enraged and wanted to retaliate but controlled his anger and mused within himself, "How long should I be a party to this cruel carnage? I have redeemed my debt to the King, I gave word of honour to the Pandavas yesternight in the presence of Sri Krishna. I blessed them with victory. It is time for me to renounce all this violence and seek peace." While a cyclone was raging in the mind of Bhishma, who looked exhausted, Satanika the brother of Virata attacked him suddenly. Bhishma was offended and reacted like a wounded serpent. He wrecked Satanika’s chariot, killed the charioteer and the horses and cut off his head shooting several shafts in quick succession. Sikhandi again hit Bhishma with five shafts; but they could not pierce his armour.

Sri Krishna said to Arjuna, "Why this dilly dallying? Sooner or later, you must hit grandsire in accordance with your professed word. Better you discharge your duty sooner than later." Immediately Arjuna encouraged Sikhandi to shoot at Bhishma and Arjuna too shot powerful shafts under the cover of Sikhandi. Bhishma put his bow down on the chariot and was preparing to get down. Sikhandi and Arjuna shot showers of shafts at Bhishma. Dhrishtadyumna and other warriors, the Panchala soldiers shot several arrows at him. Bhishma’s whole body was covered with shafts.

Bhishma told Duhsasana, "You see, these are the arrows shot by Arjuna and certainly not by Sikhandi, who is a novice. I am quite conversant with the shafts of the ambidexter, their pace and pitch, strength and swiftness and I can easily distinguish them from those of Sikhandi." So saying, Bhishma fell from his chariot leaning on the arrows which formed into a bed of spikes for the brave warrior. Immediately , all the warriors of both the camps gathered around Bhishma to pay their tribute of honour to the greatest soldier of the times, observing a de facto truce. Dharmaputra ordered that his troops should not indulge in rejoicing; and blowing of conches and bugles, etc., was prohibited. All the warriors stood at attention in lines around Bhishma, in solemn silence. Duhsasana went to Drona at the instance of Duryodhana and conveyed to him the news of Bhishma’s fall. Drona swooned for a while and after regaining full consciousness came to Bhishma. Bhishma thanked all the warriors who came to him to pay their last respects. He said, "The bed of arrows is the worthiest for a warrior. I have it, but I need a pillow."

At once Duryodhana sent his brother Duhsasana to fetch good pillows made of the softest silk and cotton. But Bhishma declined them with thanks and looked at Arjuna who immediately shot four arrows to the ground, providing a pillow of arrows to the grand sire. Bhishma asked for fresh water. He said, "I am weary and exhausted, and I am thirsty." When fresh water was brought to him by Duryodhana in a golden jug, he declined it and again looked at Arjuna who shot an arrow deep down into the bowels of the earth chanting prayers. A fresh fountain sprang up, to the surprise of the spectators, water falling into the mouth of the grand sire. Bhishma thanked Arjuna and said to him, "Sages have told me that you are the reincarnation of the divine sage Nara, the great friend of Narayana, who is born on earth as Sri Krishna." He turned to Duryodhana and said, "I advise you to make peace with the Pandavas even now. Then my martyrdom will not be in vain." Duryodhana was silent. At sunset, the warriors departed taking leave of Bhishma. Bhishma told the departing warriors, "The sun is in the southern hemisphere and I will live till it crosses the winter solstice and turns north. Meanwhile, warriors who may be alive may meet me."

The Pandavas and the Kauravas stayed on till the nightfall. Meanwhile, physicians and surgeons arrived at the instance of Duryodhana and offered to render medical aid and surgical treatment. Bhishma refused all medical attention and sent them away bestowing precious presents on them. Duryodhana made all arrangements according to the protocol of the times for guarding Bhishma round the clock. Watchmen were posted along with the civilian officers to attend on Bhihsma. Musicians and dancers, scholars and savants were arranged in groups for his recreation and rest. Suitable lighting arrangements were made.

After the nightfall, Bhishma asked the Kauravas and the Pandavas to go their encampments. Duryodhana and his brothers repaired to their residences with tears in their eyes, plodding their way with the help of flaming torches. Yudhisthira and his brothers bowed to Bhishma’s feet and returned to their camps followed by Sri Krishna. After they reached their camp, Sri Krishna congratulated Yudhisthira saying, "Dharmaputra, you have conquered Bhishma, the invicble hero of our times. Righteous hero, you have proved that in the long run, right is mightier than might." Yudhisthira replied, "You are the real architect of our victory and we are your devotees."