Chapter 36
“Saunaka said, ‘O child, thou hast named many of the serpents gifted withgreat energy and incapable of being easily overcome. What did they doafter hearing of that curse?’
“Saunaka said, ‘O child, thou hast named many of the serpents gifted withgreat energy and incapable of being easily overcome. What did they doafter hearing of that curse?’
“Sanjaya said, ‘Then Drona, causing a great confusion in the Pandavahost, careered through it, like a conflagration consuming (a forest of)trees.
“Janamejaya said, ‘How did the grandsire of the Bharatas, who lay on abed of arrows, cast off his body and what kind of Yoga did he adopt?’
Vaisampayana said, “Meanwhile, the king of Sindhu was giving orders tothose princes, saying, ‘Halt, strike, march, quick’, and like.
“Yudhishthira said, ‘What, indeed, is good for a man that is sunk in diredistress, when loss of friends or loss of kingdom, O monarch hasoccurred? In this world, O bull of Bharata’s race, thou art the foremostof our instructors. I ask thee this. It behoveth thee to tell me what Iask.’
Dhritarashtra said, “Our army is possessed of many excellencies,consisting of diverse forces, its efficiency is great.
” Vaisampayana said, ‘Upon the retirement of the chief of the Kurus intothe forest, the Pandavas, O king, afflicted besides by grief on accountof their mother, became very cheerless.
“Sauti said, ‘That best of snakes, viz., Vasuki, hearing the curse of hismother, reflected how to render it abortive. He held a consultation withall his brothers, Airavata and others, intent upon doing what they deemedbest for themselves.’
“Dhritarashtra said, ‘Thou hast, O Sanjaya, described to me manyexcellent single combats. Hearing about them, I envy those that haveeyes.
Vaisampayana said, “Then Hrishikesa and king Yudhishthira, and all thosepersons headed by Kripa, and the four Pandavas, riding on those carslooking like fortified cities and decked with standards and banners,speedily proceeded to Kurukshetra with the aid of their fleet steeds.