Chapter 51

Sanjaya said, “Beholding the mighty and terrible array called Kraunchaformed by Pandu’s son of immeasurable energy, thy son, approaching thepreceptor, and Kripa, and Salya, O sire, and Somadatta’s son, andVikarna, and Aswatthaman also, and all his brothers too, headed byDussasana, O Bharata, and other immeasurable heroes assembled there forbattle, said these timely words, gladdening them all, ‘Armed with variouskinds of weapons, ye all are conversant with the meaning of thescriptures. Ye mighty car-warriors, each of you is singly capable ofslaying in battle the sons of Pandu with their troops. How much morethen, when ye are united together. Our host, therefore, which isprotected by Bhishma, is immeasurable, while that host of theirs, whichis protected by Bhima, is measurable.[359] Let the Samsthanas, theSurasenas, the Venikas, the Kukkuras, the Rechakas, the Trigartas, theMadrakas, the Yavanas, with Satrunjayas, and Dussasana, and thatexcellent hero Vikarna, and Nanda and Upanandaka, and Chitrasena, alongwith the Manibhadrakas, protect Bhishma with their (respective)troops,’–Then Bhishma and Drona and thy sons, O sire, formed a mightyarray for resisting that of the Parthas. And Bhishma, surrounded by alarge body of troops, advanced, leading a mighty army, like the chief ofthe celestials himself. And that mighty bowman, the son of Bharadwaja,endued with great energy, followed him with the Kuntalas, the Dasarnas,and the Magadhas, O king, and with the Vidarbhas, the Melakas, theKarnas, and the Pravaranas also. And the Gandharas, the Sindhusauviras,the Sivis and the Vasatis with all their combatants also, (followed)Bhishma, that ornament of battle, and Sakuni, with all his troopsprotected the son of Bharadwaja. And then king Duryodhana, united withall his brothers, with the Aswalakas, the Vikarnas, the Vamanas, theKosalas, the Daradas, the Vrikas, as also the Kshudrakas and the Malavasadvanced cheerfully against the Pandava host. And Bhurisravas, and Sala,and Salya, and Bhagadatta, O sire, and Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti,protected the left flank. And Somadatta, and Susarman, and Sudakshina,the ruler of the Kamvojas and Satayus, and Srutayus, were on the rightflank. And Aswatthaman, and Kripa, and Kritavarman of Satwata’s race,with a very large division of the troops, were, stationed at the rear ofthe army. And behind them were the rulers of many provinces, and Ketumat,and Vasudana, and the powerful son of the king of Kasi. Then all thetroops on thy side cheerfully waiting for battle, O Bharata, blew theirconches with great pleasure, and set up leonine roars. And hearing theshouts of those (combatants) filled with delight the venerable Kurugrandsire, endued with great prowess, uttering a leonine roar, blew hisconch. Thereupon, conches and drums and diverse kinds of Pesis andcymbals, were sounded at once by others, and the noise made became a louduproar. And Madhava and Arjuna, both stationed on a great car unto whichwere yoked white steeds, blew their excellent conches decked with goldand jewels. And Hrishikesa blew the conch called Panchajanya, andDhananjaya (that called) Devadatta. And Vrikodara of terrible deeds blewthe huge conch called Paundra. And Kunti’s son king Yudhishthira blew theconch called Anantavijaya, while Nakula and Sahadeva (those conchescalled) Sughosa and Manipushpaka.[360] And the ruler of Kasi, and Saivya,and Sikhandin the mighty car-warrior, and Dhrishtadyumna, and Virata, andthe mighty car-warrior Satyaki, and that great bowman the king of thePanchalas, and the five sons of Draupadi, all blew their large conchesand set up leonine roars. And that great uproar uttered there by thoseheroes, loudly reverberated through both the earth and the welkin. Thus,O great king, the Kurus and the Pandavas, both filled with delight,advanced against each other for battling again, and scorching each otherthus.”