Chapter 39

“Vaisampayana said, ‘Beholding that bull among men seated on the car inthe habit of a person of the third sex, driving toward the Sami tree,having taken (the flying) Uttara up, all the great car-warriors of theKurus with Bhishma and Drona at their head, became affrighted at heart,suspecting the comer to be Dhananjaya. And seeing them so dispirited andmarking also the many wonderful portents, that foremost of all wieldersof arms, the preceptor Drona, son of Bharadwaja, said, ‘Violent and hotare the winds that below, showering gravels in profusion. The sky also isovercast with a gloom of ashy hue. The clouds present the strange sightof being dry and waterless. Our weapons also of various kinds are comingout of their cases. The jackals are yelling hideously affrighted at theconflagrations on all sides.[41] The horses too are shedding tears, andour banners are trembling though moved by none. Such being theinauspicious indications seen, a great danger is at hand. Stay ye withvigilance, Protect ye your own selves and array the troops in order ofbattle. Stand ye, expecting a terrible slaughter, and guard ye well thekine. This mighty bowman, this foremost of all wielders of weapons, thishero that hath come in the habit of a person of the third sex, is the sonof Pritha. There is no doubt of this.’ Then addressing Bhishma, thepreceptor continued, ‘O offspring of the Ganges, apparelled as a woman,this is Kiriti called after a tree, the son of the enemy of themountains, and having on his banner the sign of devastator of the gardensof Lanka’s lord. Vanquishing us he will surely take away the kine today![42] This chastiser of foes is the valiant son of Pritha surnamedSavyasachin. He doth not desist from conflict even with the gods anddemons combined. Put to great hardship in the forest he cometh in wrath.Taught by even Indra himself, he is like unto Indra in battle. Therefore,ye Kauravas, I do not see any hero who can withstand him. It is said thatthe lord Mahadeva himself, disguised in the attire of a hunter, wasgratified by this son of Pritha in battle on the mountains of Himavat.’Hearing these words, Karna said, ‘You always censure us by speaking onthe virtues of Falguna, Arjuna, however, is not equal to even a fullsixteenth part of myself or Duryodhana!’ And Duryodhana said, ‘If this bePartha, O Radheya, then my purpose hath already been fulfilled, for then,O king, if traced out, the Pandavas shall have to wander for twelve yearsagain. Or, if this one be any other person in a eunuch’s garb, I willsoon prostrate him on the earth with keen-edged arrows.’

“Vaisampayana continued, ‘The son of Dhritarashtra, O chastiser of foes,having said this, Bhishma and Drona and Kripa and Drona’s son allapplauded his manliness!'”