Section LVII

"Dhritarashtra said,

'Whom hast you, O Sanjaya, seen to have, from affection, arrived there, and who will, on behalf of the Pandavas, fight my son’s forces?'

"Sanjaya said,

'I have seen Krishna, the foremost of the Andhakas and the Vrishnis, arrived there, and Chekitana, as also Satyaki, otherwise called Yuyudhana.

And those two mighty car-warriors, proud of their strength and famed over all the world, have joined the Pandavas, each with a separate Akshauhini of troops.

And Drupada, the king of the Pancalas, surrounded by his ten heroic sons—Satyajit and others—headed by Dhrishtadyumna, and well-protected by Sikhandin, and having furnished his soldiers with every necessary thing, has come there with a full Akshauhini, desirous of honouring Yudhishthira.

And that lord of earth, Virata, with his two sons Sankha and Uttara, as also with those heroes Suryadatta and others—headed by Madiraksha and surrounded by one Akshauhini of troops, has thus accompanied by brothers and sons, joined the son of Pritha.

And the son of Jarasandha, the king of Magadha, and Dhrishtaketu, the king of the Chedis, have separately come there, each accompanied by an Akshauhini of troops.

And the five brothers of Kekaya, all having purple flags, have joined the Pandavas, surrounded by an Akshauhini of troops. Then numbering to this extent, have I seen assembled there, and these, on behalf of the Pandavas, will encounter the Dhartarashtra host. That great car-warrior, Dhrishtadyumna, who is acquainted with human, celestial, Gandharva and Asura arrays of battle, leads that host. O king, Bhishma, the son of Santanu, has been assigned to Sikhandin as his share; and Virata with all his Matsya warriors will support Sikhandin. The mighty king of the Madras has been assigned to the eldest son of Pandu as his share, though some are of opinion that those two are not well-matched. Duryodhana with his sons and his ninety-nine brothers, as also the rulers of the east and the south, have been assigned to Bhimasena as his share. Karna, the son of Vikartana, and Jayadratha the king of the Sindhus, have been assigned to Arjuna as his share.

And those heroes also on the earth who are incapable of being withstood and who are proud of their might, have been accepted by Arjuna as his share.

And those mighty bowmen, the five royal brothers of Kekaya, will put forth their strength in battle, accepting the Kekaya warriors (on Dhritarashtra’s side) as antagonists.

And in their share are included the Malavas also, and the Salvakas, as also, the two famous warriors of the Trigarta host who have sworn to conquer or die.

And all the sons of Duryodhana and Dussasana, as also king Vrihadvala, have been assigned to Subhadra’s son as his share.

And those great bowmen, the sons of Draupadi, having cars furnished with gold-embroidered banners, all headed by Dhrishtadyumna, will, O Bharata, advance against Drona.

And Chekitana on his car desires to encounter Somadatta in single combat with him, while Satyaki is anxious to battle against the Bhoja chief, Kritavarman.

And the heroic son of Madri, Sahadeva, who sets up terrible roars in battle, has intended to take as his share your brother-in-law, the son of Suvala.

And Nakula also, the son of Madravati, has intended to take as his share the deceitful Uluka and the tribes of the Sarasvatas. As for all the other kings of the earth, O Monarch, who will go to battle, the sons of Pandu have, by naming them, distributed them in their own respective shares. Thus has the Pandava host been distributed into divisions. Do you now, without delay, with your sons, act as you think best.'

"Dhritarashtra said,

'Alas, all my foolish sons, addicted to deceitful dice, are already dead when it is the mighty Bhima with whom they desire to encounter in the field of battle. All the kings of the earth too, consecrated by Death himself for sacrifice, will rush to the Gandiva, like so many moths into fire. Methinks my host is already put to flight by those illustrious warriors formerly injured by me. Who, indeed, shall follow to battle my warriors, whose ranks will be broken by the sons of Pandu in the encounter? All of them are mighty car-warriors, possessed of great bravery, of famous achievements, endued with great prowess, equal unto the fiery sun in energy, and all victorious in battle.

Those that have Yudhishthira for their leader, the slayer of Madhu for their protector, the heroic Savyasachin and Vrikodara for their warriors, and Nakula, and Sahadeva, and Dhrishtadyumna, the son of Prishata, and Satyaki, and Drupada, and Dhrishtaketu with his son, and Uttamaujas, and the unconquerable Yudhamanyu of the Pancalas, and Sikhandin, and Kshatradeva, and Uttara, the son of Virata, and Kasayas, the Chedis, the Matsyas, the Srinjayas, Vabhru the son of Virata, the Pancalas, and the Prabhadrakas, for fighting for them, those, indeed, from whom Indra himself cannot, if they are unwilling, snatch this earth,—those heroes, cool and steady, in fight, who can split the very mountains—alas, it is with them that are endued with every virtue and possessed of superhuman prowess that this wicked son of mine, O Sanjaya, desires to fight, disregarding me even though I am crying myself hoarse!'

"Duryodhana said,

'Both the Pandavas and ourselves are of the same race; both they and we tread upon the same earth, why dost you think that victory will declare itself for only the Pandavas? Bhishma, Drona, Kripa, the unconquerable Karna, Jayadratha, Somadatta, and Asvatthaman-all mighty bowmen and endued with great energy,—are incapable of being vanquished by Indra himself united with the celestials. What sayst you then, O father of the Pandavas? Ali these noble and heroic kings of the earth, bearing weapons, O father, are quite capable, for my sake, of withstanding the Pandavas, while the latter are not capable of even gazing at my troops. I am powerful enough to encounter in battle the Pandavas with their sons. O Bharata, all those rulers of the earth, who are anxious for my welfare, will certainly seize all the Pandavas like a herd of young deer by means of net. I tell you, in consequence of our crowds of cars and snares of arrows, the Pancalas and the Pandavas will all be routed.'

"Dhritarashtra said,

'O Sanjaya, this my son speaks like a mad man, for he is incapable of vanquishing in battle Yudhishthira the just. This Bhishma truly knows the might of the famous, powerful, virtuous, and high-souled Pandavas and their sons, for he does not wish a battle with those illustrious ones. But tell me again O Sanjaya, of their movements. Tell me, who are inciting those illustrious and mighty bowmen endued with great activity, like priests enkindling (Homa) fires with libations of clarified butter?'

"Sanjaya said,

'O Bharata, Dhrishtadyumna is always urging the Pandavas to war, saying,

'Fight you, best among the Bharatas. Do not entertain the least fear. All those rulers of the earth, who, courted by Dhritarashtra’s son, will become in that fierce encounter target of showers of weapons,—indeed, I alone will encounter all those angry kings assembled together with their relatives, like a whale seizing little fishes from the water. Bhishma and Drona and Kripa and Karna and Drona’s son and Salya and Suyodhana,—them all I withstand, like the bank resisting the swelling sea.'

Unto him saying thus, the virtuous king Yudhishthira said,

'The Pancalas and the Pandavas wholly depend upon your prowess and steadiness. Rescue us safely from the war. I know, O mighty-armed one, that you are firm in the duties of the Kshatriya order. You are, indeed, quite competent to smite alone the Kauravas. When the latter, eager for fight, will stand before us, what you, O repressor of foes, will arrange, will certainly be for our good. Even this is the opinion of those acquainted with the scriptures, that the hero, who, displaying his prowess, relies those that after the rout run away from the battle-field, seeking for protection, is to be bought with a thousand. You, O bull among men, art brave, mighty, and powerful. Without doubt, you are that deliverer of those that are over-powered with fear on the field of battle.'

And when the righteous Yudhishthira the son of Kunti said this, Dhrishtadyumna fearlessly addressed me in these words,

'Go you, O Suta, without delay, and say unto all those that have come to fight for Duryodhana, say unto the Kurus of the Pratipa dynasty with the Vahlikas, the son of Saradvata and Karna and Drona, and Drona’s son, and Jayadratha, and Dussasana, and Vikarna and king Duryodhana, and Bhishma,—Do not suffer yourselves to be slain by Arjuna, who is protected by the celestials. Before that happens, let some good man approach Yudhishthira and entreat that son of Pandu, that best of men, to accept the kingdom (surrendered by them) without delay. There is no warrior on the earth like unto Savyasachin, son of Pandu, of prowess incapable of being baffled. The celestial car of the holder of Gandiva is protected by the very gods. He is incapable of being vanquished by human beings. Do not, therefore, bend your mind to war!'"