Bhishma said Achala and Vrishaka are two Rathas on your side who are hard to vanquish; both the brothers, united together, will destroy your enemies.

These two best among men are mighty, inveterate in their hatred and smiters (of enemies); they are the foremost among the Gandharis, young, handsome and endued with great strength.

But this one who is ever your dear friend, who vaunts of bravery in battle and who encourages you, O king in your dispute with the Pandavas,

This man vain and mean, Karna, the son of Vikartana, who is your adviser guide and friend, and who has been placed in too elevated a position by you,

This Karna is neither a Rathi nor an Atiratha in battle. Though ever generous he has been deprived of his celestial earrings. All this is owing to the curse of Rama (his preceptor) and the words of a Brahmana.

Owing to his being without his natural coat of mail he a Ratha in my opinion; and having once come across Falguna he will not escape him with life.

Then did Drona, the foremost among all wielders, of say as a rejoinder: "It is so; what you say is never false.

In each battle is he boastful and in each he is seen to be backward. Karna is kind and also becomes confounded; he is therefore in my opinion, to half a Ratha."

Hearing this, the son of Radha, expanding his eyes in wrath, said to Bhishma piercing him with his hook of words.

"O grandfather, at your pleasure, do you pierce me by your arrows of words; at every step do you thus treat me out of your aversion for me, though I have committed no sin.

I tolerate all his however for the sake of Duryodhana,; you deem me to be behind others (in fight) and a coward.

In my opinion you too are only half a Ratha, there is no doubt about this. O son of Ganga, I do not speak an untruth when I say that you are an enemy of the entire universe.

You are ever devoted to what is to the injury of the Kurus, But the king knows it not. Who else is there who would seek to sap the energy of these kings that are equal and create discord among them,

As you desire to do owing to your hatred towards these that endued with accomplishments. Neither age, nor wealth, nor friends,

are Can entitle a Kshatriya to be included in the category of Maharathas, O Kaurava. It is well-know a Kshatriya is superior by virtue of his strength and that the twice-born are superior by virtue of their learning.

It is also well-known that Vaishyas are superior by virtue of their wealth and that Sudras are superiors by virtue of their years. Speak for yourself then, as you please, your list of Rathas and Atirathas.

Actuated by desire and hatred and acting from ignorance you have enumerated the heroes. O Duryodhana of long arms, it is for you to judge properly. May you fare well.

Abandon this wicked Bhishma of unrighteous nature for, O ruler of men, discord once being in your own army it will be difficult to bring union again.

This remark applies to your main army, judge then about the subsidiary forces which have been raised from several sources.

This discord has entered among warriors, already, 0 Bharata; in our very presence he saps our energies.

How vast is the difference between the task of estimating the might of Rathas and Bhishma of little intellect. I will meet the armies of the Pandavas.

Standing against me who are infallible they will be routed in ten directions, the Pandavas with the Panchalas, like bulls meeting with a tiger.

How vast is the difference between real fight, the clash of weapons, good advice, uttered in sweet sounding words on one side and Bhishma who is past the prime of life, of wicked soul and who is urged by fate.

Alone he even boasts to fight with the entire universe, and endued with false vision he does not regard any other man as a human being.

Certainly, it has been laid down in our holy books that the words of the aged should be listened to, but it does not apply to those who are very old for they are held to be boys.

Alone I shall slay the army of the sons of Pandu in a fair fight. The fame however of this will go to Bhishma, O best among kings.

By you, O ruler of men, has Bhishma been appointed the commander and all fame goes to the leader and never to an individual soldier.

O king, never shall I fight as long as the son of Ganga is alive. When Bhishma is killed I shall fight with all the car-warriors."

Bhishma said The great burden (the impending fight) vast as the ocean is ready to fall on me, a calamity which I had foreseen for a series of years,

Now is come that time, that fight the result of which makes our hairs stand on end. It is not my concern to create dispute among ourselves. It is for this that you now live, O you born of a Suta.

For though I am now aged and you but young I shall rend asunder your desire for battle and that of your own life, O you born of a Suta.

The weapons hurled at me by Rama the son of Jamadagni did not pain me, What can you do to me then?

Good men do not approve of this praise of one's own might. I speak thus (on this occasion) for I have lost my temper O vile one; the stain of your family.

In the election of a bridegroom by the daughters of Kashiraja, I, after defeating all the rulers of the earth united together, took away those girls by force.

Thousands of such kings, well known names too, along with their armies, were stopped in the battle by me alone.

Having come across yourself, an illustrated man, the Kurus have come upon a great disaster; try to mete out destruction and be a man.

In the battle, fight with son of Pritha, whom you are now challenging and I sha'l see how you escape out of that fight, O you of exceedingly wicked intelligence."

Then did the royal son of Dhritarashtra, endued with fame say to him, Look to me, O son of Ganga; the task which has devolved on you is great.

Think with your entire heart of my interests; both of you will do great deeds for me.

Again do I desire to hear about the best of the car-warriors of the enemy, those who are Atirathas in that side and those that can lead numbers of chariots.

O son of Kuru, I desire to hear of the strength and weakness of the enemies for the fight is to take place at the dawn of night.”