Chapter 73
“The Grandsire said, ‘The questions thou hast asked me in respect ofkine, beginning with their gift, are such that there is none else in thethree worlds, O thou of a hundred sacrifices, who could put them!
“The Grandsire said, ‘The questions thou hast asked me in respect ofkine, beginning with their gift, are such that there is none else in thethree worlds, O thou of a hundred sacrifices, who could put them!
“Bhishma said. ‘Then, O mighty-armed king, Sikhandin’s mother representedunto her lord the truth about her daughter, Sikhandin. And she said,’Childless, O great king, as I was, from fear of my co-wives, whenSikhandini, my daughter, was born, I represented unto you that it was ason!
“Sanjaya said, ‘After his son (Bhurisravas) had been slain by Satyakiwhile the former was sitting in Praya, Somadatta, filled with rage, saidunto Satyaki these words,
“Vaisampayana said, ‘O king, after Vidura had gone to the abode of thePandavas, Dhritarashtra, O Bharata, of profound wisdom, repented of hisaction.
“Sanjaya said, ‘Seeing his driver fallen, Shalya, O king, quickly took uphis mace made wholly of iron and stood immovable as a bull.
“Yudhishthira said, ‘Thou hast, O scorcher of foes, described the courseof duties, the general conduct, the means of livelihood, with theirresults, of Brahmanas and Kshatriyas and Vaisyas and Sudras.
“Yudhishthira said, ‘Thou hast, O grandsire, discoursed to me the topicof gifts of kine in speaking of the Rishi Nachiketa Thou hast alsoimpliedly discoursed, O puissant one, on the efficacy and pre-eminence ofthat act.
“Bhishma said, ‘Hearing, O bull of Bharata’s race, those words ofSikhandini, afflicted by destiny, that Yaksha, said after reflecting inhis mind, these words, ‘Indeed, it was ordained to be so, and, O Kaurava,it was ordained for my grief!’
“Sanjaya said, ‘Beholding the sons of Drupada, as also those ofKuntibhoja, and Rakshasas too in thousands, slain by the son of Drona,Yudhishthira and Bhimasena, and Dhrishtadyumna, the son of Prishata, andYuyudhana, uniting together, set their hearts firmly on battle.
“Vaisampayana said, ‘Desirous of living in the forest, those bulls of theBharata race, the Pandavas, with their followers, setting out from thebanks of the Ganges went to the field of Kurukshetra.