Chapter 52
“Dhritarashtra said, ‘He whom we have never heard to speak a falsehood,he who hath Dhananjaya to fight for him, may have the sovereignty of eventhe three worlds.
“Dhritarashtra said, ‘He whom we have never heard to speak a falsehood,he who hath Dhananjaya to fight for him, may have the sovereignty of eventhe three worlds.
“Vaisampayana continued, ‘Upon the Kuru king and Bhima, the foremost ofall endued with strength, having entered the arena, the spectators weredivided into two parties in consequence of the partiality swaying theiraffections. Some cried, ‘Behold the heroic king of theKurus!’–some–‘Behold Bhima!’–And on account of these cries, there was,all on a sudden, a loud uproar.
“Arjuna said, ‘Then with rocks of the proportions of trees, therecommenced a mighty shower of crags; and this exercised me exceedingly.
“Vaisampayana said, “Beholding the king, who had become so, of frightfulmien, wearing a long beard smeared with the blood of human beings, theBrahmana Utanka, O king, did not become agitated.
“Bhishma said. ‘The son of Satyavati having obtained this high boon fromthe great God, was one day employed in rubbing his sticks for making afire.
“Dhritarashtra said, ‘Endued with great prowess and eager for victory,even as the sons themselves of Pandu are, so are their followers, who areall resolved to sacrifice their lives and determined to win victory.
“Vaisampayana continued, ‘When the spectators, with eyes expanded withwonder, made way for that subjugator of hostile cities, Karna, that herowith his natural mail and face brightened with ear-rings, took up his bowand girded on his sword, and then entered the spacious lists, like awalking cliff.
“Arjuna continued, ‘Then, O Bharata, vehemently rushed at me in battle ina body the Nivata-Kavachas, equipped with arms.
“Vaisampayana said, ‘Utanka, coming back to king Saudasa who was alwayswell-disposed towards all his friends, solicited him for some sign (toconvince Madayanti of the fact of his being really commissioned by theking). That foremost one of Ikshwaku’s race then gave him a sign.’
“Bhishma said, ‘Thinking of Emancipation, Suka approached his sire andpossessed as he was of humility and desirous of achieving his highestgood, he saluted his great preceptor and said,–Thou art well versed inthe religion of Emancipation.