Chapter 12
“Sanjaya said, ‘Then those two vast armies, teeming with rejoicing menand steeds and elephants, resembling in splendour the celestial and theAsura hosts, meeting together,
“Sanjaya said, ‘Then those two vast armies, teeming with rejoicing menand steeds and elephants, resembling in splendour the celestial and theAsura hosts, meeting together,
Vaisampayana said, “Thus addressed by Arjuna of curly hair, the Kuru kingborn of Kunti remained speechless. Then the island-born (Vyasa) saidthese words.
Dhritarashtra said, “When the generalissimo Sweta, O son, was slain inbattle by the enemy, what did those mighty bowmen, the Panchalas with thePandavas, do?
“Markandeya said, The powerful Satyavan then, accompanied by his wife,plucked fruits and filled his wallet with them. And he then began to fellbranches of trees.
“Manu said, ‘From that eternal and undeteriorating One first sprangSpace; from space came Wind; from wind came Light; from light came Water;from water sprang the Universe; and from the universe, all things thatoccur in it.
“Sauti continued, ‘Ruru then asked, ‘O best of Dwijas, why was kingJanamejaya bent upon destroying the serpents?–And why and how were theysaved by the wise Astika? I am anxious to hear all this in detail.’
“Dhritarashtra said, ‘After having obtained the command of the army, andafter he had been addressed by the king himself in those sweet andbrotherly words, and after he had ordered the troops to be arrayed at thehour of sunrise, tell me, O Sanjaya, what did Vikartana’s son Karna do?’
Vaisampayana said, “Once more the great sage Krishna-Dwaipayana saidthese words unto Ajatasatru, the son of Kunti
Sanjaya said, “When the troops, O bull of Bharata’s race, were withdrawnon the first day, and when Duryodhana was filled with delight upon(beholding) Bhishma excited with wrath in battle, king Yudhisthira thejust, speedily repaired unto Janardana, accompanied by all his brothersand all the kings (on his side).
“Markandeya said, ‘At length, O king, after a long time had passed away,the hour that had been appointed for the death of Satyavan arrived. Andas the words that had been spoken by Narada were ever present in the mindof Savitri, she had counted the days as they passed.