So your father also broke the Pandava ranks in battle. The soldiers thus routed, and despondent and cheerless, slain, by hundreds and thousands, by Bhishma, were unable to gaze at the incomparable Bhishma, who was scorching the foe like the sun in the meridian. The Pandava troops then afflicted with terror, O monarch, (fearfully) looked at Bhishma who was achieving great feats with his superhuman prowess. Then, O Bharata, the Pandava troops thus crushed by Bhishma, could not find a protector, like kine sunk in slough, or like an ephemeral ant afflicted by a powerful creature.
तथा पाण्डवसैन्यानि बभञ्ज युधि ते पिता। हतविद्रुतसैन्यास्तु निरुत्साहा विचेतसः॥ निरीक्षितुं न शेकुस्ते भीष्ममप्रतिमं रणे। मध्यंगतमिवादित्यं प्रतपन्तं स्वतेजसा॥ ते वध्यमाना भीष्मेण शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः। कुर्वाणं समरे कर्माण्यतिमानुषविक्रमम्॥ वीक्षांचक्रुर्महाराज पाण्डवा भयपीडिताः। तथा पाण्डवसैन्यानि द्राव्यमाणानि भारत॥ त्रातारं नाध्यगच्छन्त गावः पङ्कगता इव। पिपीलिका इव क्षुण्णा दुर्बला बलिना रणे॥