Chapter 85

“Sanjaya said, ‘After that fight had passed away, Drona, that foremost ofall wielders of weapons, began to array all his divisions for battle.Diverse sounds were heard, O monarch of angry heroes shouting in wrathand desirous of slaying one another. And some stretched their bows, andsome rubbed with their hands their bow-strings. And drawing deep breaths,many of them shouted, saying, Where is that Dhananjaya? And some began tothrow upwards (and again seize) their naked swords, unyielding,well-tempered, of the colour of the sky, possessed of great sharpness,and furnished with beautiful hilts. And brave warriors, desirous ofbattle, by thousands, were seen to perform the evolutions of swordmen andof bowmen, with skill acquired by practice. Some whirling their macesdecked with bells, smeared with sandal paste, and adorned with gold anddiamonds enquired after the sons of Pandu. Some intoxicated with thepride of strength, and possessed of massive arms, obstructed the welkinwith their spiked clubs that resembled (a forest of flag) staff raised inhonour of Indra. Others, brave warriors all, adorned with beautifulgarlands of flowers, desirous of battle, occupied diverse portions of thefield, armed with diverse weapons. ‘Where is Arjuna? Where is thatGovinda? Where is proud Bhima? Where also are those allies of their?’Even thus did they call upon them in battle. Then blowing his conch andhimself urging the horses to great speed, Drona moved about with greatcelerity, arraying his troops. After all those divisions that delight inbattle had taken up their stations, Bharadwaja’s son, O king, said thesewords unto Jayadratha. ‘Thyself, Somadatta’s son, the mighty car-warriorKarna, Aswatthaman, Salya, Vrishasena and Kripa, with a hundred thousandhorse, sixty thousand cars, four and ten thousand elephants with renttemples, one and twenty thousand foot-soldiers clad in mail take up yourstation behind me at the distance of twelve miles. There the very godswith Vasava at their head will not be able to attack thee, what need besaid, therefore, of the Pandavas? Take comfort, O ruler of the Sindhus.Thus addressed (by Drona), Jayadratha, the ruler of the Sindhus, becamecomforted. And he proceeded to the spot indicated by Drona, accompaniedby many Gandhara warriors, and surrounded by those great car-warriors,and with many foot-soldiers clad in mail, prepared to fight vigorouslyand armed with nooses. The steeds of Jayadratha, well-skilled in bearingof drawing were all, O monarch, decked with yalk-tails and ornaments ofgold. And seven thousand such steeds, and three thousand other steeds ofthe Sindhu breed were with him.’

“Thy son Durmarshana, desirous of doing battle, stationed himself at thehead of all the troops, accompanied by a thousand and five hundredinfuriated elephants and awful size clad in mail and of fierce deeds, andall ridden by well-trained elephant-riders. Thy two other sons, viz.,Duhsasana and Vikarna, took up their position amid the advance-divisionsof the army, for the accomplishment of the objects of Jayadratha. Thearray that Bharadwaja’s son formed, part Sakata and part a circle, wasfull forty-eight miles long and the width of its rear measured twentymiles. Drona himself formed that array with countless brave kings,stationed with it, and countless cars and steeds and elephants andfoot-soldiers. In the rear of that array was another impenetrable arrayof the form of lotus. And within that lotus was another dense arraycalled the needle. Having formed his mighty array thus, Drona took up hisstation. At the mouth of that needle, the great bowman Kritavarman tookup his stand. Next to Kritavarman, O sire, stood the ruler of theKamvojas and Jalasandha. Next to these, stood Duryodhana and Karna.Behind them hundreds and thousands of unreturning heroes were stationedin that Sakata for protecting its head. Behind them all, O monarch, andsurrounded by a vast force, was king Jayadratha stationed at one side ofthat needle-shaped array. At the entrance of the Sakata, O king, wasBharadwaja’s son. Behind Drona was the chief of the Bhojas, who protectedhim. Clad in white armour, with excellent head-gear, of broad chest andmighty arms, Drona stood, stretching his large bow, like the Destroyerhimself in wrath. Beholding Drona’s car which was graced with a beautifulstandard and had red sacrificial altar and a black deer-skin, theKauravas were filled with delight. Seeing that array formed by Drona,which resembled the ocean itself in agitation, the Siddhas and theCharanas were filled with wonder. And all creatures thought that arraywould devour the whole earth with her mountains and seas and forests, andabounding with diverse things. And king Duryodhana, beholding that mightyarray in the form of a Sakata, teeming with carts and men and steeds andelephants, roaring dreadful of wonderful form, and capable of riving thehearts of foes, began to rejoice.'”