Chapter 50

“Dhritarashtra said, ‘What did that Pandava king, the son of Dharma, say,O Sanjaya, after hearing that a large force hath been assembled here forgladdening us? How also is Yudhishthira acting, in view of the comingstrife, O Suta, who amongst his brothers and sons are looking up to hisface, desirous of receiving his orders? Provoked as he is by thedeceptions of my wicked sons, who, again, are dissuading that king ofvirtuous behaviour and conversant with virtue, saying,–Have peace?’

“Sanjaya said, ‘All the Panchalas, along with the other sons of Pandu,are looking up to Yudhishthira’s face, blessed be thou, and he too isrestraining them all. Multitudes of cars belonging to the Pandavas andthe Panchalas are coming in separate bodies for gladdening Yudhishthira,the son of Kunti, ready to march to the field of battle. As the skybrightens up at the advent of the rising sun, so the Panchalas arerejoicing at their union with Kunti’s son of blazing splendour, risenlike a flood of light. The Panchalas, the Kekayas, and the Matsyas, alongwith the very herdsmen that attend on their kine and sheep, are rejoicingand gladdening Yudhishthira, the son of Pandu. Brahmana and Kshatriyagirls and the very daughters of the Vaisyas, in large number, are comingin playful mood for beholding Partha accounted in coat of mail.’

“Dhritarashtra said, ‘Tell us, O Sanjaya, of the forces ofDhrishtadyumna, as also of the Somakas, and of all others, with which thePandavas intend to fight with us.’

“Vaisampayana continued, ‘Thus interrogated, in the midst of the Kurusand in their very hall, the son of Gavalgana’ became thoughtful for amoment and seemed to draw repeatedly deep and long sights; and suddenlyhe fell down in a swoon without any apparent reason. Then in thatassembly of kings, Vidura said loudly, ‘Sanjaya, O great king, hathfallen down on the ground senseless, and cannot utter a word, bereft ofsense and his intellect clouded.’

“Dhritarashtra said, ‘Without doubt, Sanjaya, having seen those mightycar-warriors, the sons of Kunti, hath his mind filled with great anxietyin consequence of those tigers among men.’

“Vaisampayana continued, ‘Having recovered consciousness, and beingcomforted, Sanjaya addressed king Dhritarashtra in the midst of thatconcourse of Kurus in that hall, saying, ‘Indeed, O king of kings, I sawthose great warriors, the sons of Kunti, thinned in body, in consequenceof the restraint in which they had lived in the place of the king of theMatsyas. Hear, O King, with whom the Pandavas will contend against you.With that hero Dhrishtadyumna as their ally, they will fight against you.With that personage of virtuous soul, who never forsaketh truth throughanger or fear, temptation, or for the sake of wealth, of disputation; andwho is, O King, a very authority in matters of religion, himself beingthe best of those that practise virtue;–with him, who hath never made anenemy, the sons of Pandu will fight against you.’ He unto whom no one onearth is equal in might of arms, and who, wielding his bow had broughtall kings under subjection, and who, vanquishing of old all the people ofKasi and Anga and Magadha, as also the Kalingas;–with that Bhimasenawill the sons of Pandu fight against, you. Indeed, he through whose mightthe four sons of Pandu quickly could alight on the earth, having issuedforth from the (burning) house of lac that son of Kunti, Vrikodara, whobecame the means of their rescue from the cannibal Hidimva; that son ofKunti, Vrikodara, who became their refuge when the daughter of Yajnasenawas being carried away by Jayadratha; indeed, with that Bhima. whorescued the assembled Pandavas from the conflagration at Varanavata; evenwith him (as their ally) will they fight against you. He, who for thegratification of Krishna slew the Krodhavasas, having penetrated therugged and terrible mountains of Gandhamadana, he to whose arms hath beenimparted the might of ten thousand elephants; with that Bhimasena (astheir ally) the Pandavas will fight against you. That hero, who, for thegratification of Agni, with Krishna only for his second, bravelyvanquished of yore Purandara in fight; he who gratified by combat thatGod of gods, the trident-bearing lord of Uma–Mahadeva himself having themountains for his abode; that foremost of warriors who subjugated all thekings of the earth–with that Vijaya (as their ally) the Pandavas willencounter you in battle. That wonderful warrior Nakula, who vanquishedthe whole of the western world teeming with Mlechchas, is present in thePandava camp. With that handsome hero, that unrivalled bowman, that sonof Madri, O Kauravya, the Pandavas will fight against you. He whovanquished in battle the warriors of Kasi, Anga, and Kalinga,–with thatSahadeva will the Pandavas encounter you in battle. He, who in energyhath for his equals only four men on earth, viz., Aswatthaman andDhrishtaketu and Rukmi and Pradyumna,–with that Sahadeva, youngest inyears, that hero among men, that gladdener of Madri’s heart, with him, OKing, will you have a destructive battle. She, who, while living of yoreas the daughter of the king of Kasi, had practised the austerestpenances; she, who, O bull of the Bharata race, desiring even in asubsequent life to compass the destruction of Bhishma, took her birth asthe daughter of Panchala, and accidentally became afterwards a male; who,O tiger among men, is conversant with the merits and demerits of bothsexes; that invincible prince of the Panchala who encountered theKalingas in battle, with what Sikhandin skilled in every weapon, will thePandavas fight against you. She whom a Yaksha for Bhishma’s destructionmetamorphosed into a male, with that formidable bowman will the Pandavasfight against you. With those mighty bowmen, all, brothers those fiveKekaya princes, with those heroes clad in mail will the Pandavas fightagainst you. With that warrior of long arms: endued with great activityin the use of weapons, possessed of intelligence and prowess incapable ofbeing baffled, with that Yuyudhana, the lion of the Vrishni race, willyou have to fight. He, who had been the refuge of the high-souledPandavas for a time, with that Virata, will ye have an encounter inbattle. The lord of Kasi, that mighty car-warrior who ruleth in Varanasihath become an ally of theirs; with him the Pandavas will fight againstyou. The high-souled sons of Draupadi, tender in years but invincible inbattle, and unapproachable like snakes of virulent poison, with them,will the Pandavas fight against you. He, that in energy is like untoKrishna and in self-restraint unto Yudhishthira, with that Abhimanyu,will the Pandavas fight against you. That war-like son of Sisupala,Dhrishtaketu of great fame, who in energy is beyond comparison and whowhen angry is incapable of being withstood in battle, with that king ofthe Chedis who has joined the Pandavas at the head of an Akshauhini ofhis own, will the sons of Pandu fight against you. He that is the refugeof the Pandavas, even as Vasava is of the celestials, with that Vasudeva,the Pandavas will fight against you. He also, O bull of Bharata race,Sarabha the brother of the king of the Chedis, who again is united withKarakarsa, with both these, the Pandavas will fight against you.Sahadeva, the son of Jarasandha, and Jayatsena, both unrivalled heroes inbattle, are resolved upon fighting for the Pandavas. And Drupada too,possessed of great might, and followed by a large force, and reckless ofhis life, is resolved to fight for the Pandavas. Relying upon these andother kings by hundreds, of both the eastern and northern countries, kingYudhishthira the just, is prepared for battle.'”