SECTION CLII
"Vaisampayana said, 'When Krishna had said this, all the monarchs there
were filled with joy. And the shout sent forth by those delighted kings
was tremendous. And the troops began to move about with great speed,
saying, 'Draw up, Draw up.' And the neighing of steeds and roars of
elephants and the clatter of car-wheels and the blare of conchs and the
sound of drums, heard everywhere, produced a tremendous din. And teeming
with cars and foot-soldiers and steeds and elephants, that invincible
host of the marching Pandavas moving hither and thither, donning their
coats of mail, and uttering their war-cries, looked like the impetuous
current of the Ganga when at its full, agitated with fierce eddies and
waves. And in the van of that host marched Bhimasena, and the two sons of
Madri encased in their coats of mail, and Subhadra's son and the five
sons of Draupadi and Dhrishtadyumna of Prishata's race. And the
Prabhadrakas and the Panchalas marched behind Bhimasena. And the din made
by the marching hosts, filled with joy, was like unto the roars of the
deep when the tide is highest on the day of the new moon. Indeed, the
tumult was such that it seemed to reach the very heavens. And capable of
breaking hostile ranks, those warriors cased in armour marched thus,
filled with joy. And Kunti's son, king Yudhishthira, amongst them
marched, taking with him the cars and other vehicles for transport, the
food-stores and fodder, the tents, carriages, and draught-cattle, the
cash-chests, the machines and weapons, the surgeons and physicians, the
invalids, and all the emaciated and weak soldiers, and all the attendants
and camp-followers. And truthful Draupadi, the princess of Panchala,
accompanied by the ladies of the household, and surrounded by servants
and maids, remained at Upaplavya. And causing their treasure and ladies
to be guarded by bodies of soldiers, some of whom were placed as
permanent lines of circumvallation and some ordered to move about at a
distance from this line, the Pandavas set out with their mighty host. And
having made presents of kine and gold to the Brahmanas, who walked around
them and uttered blessings, the sons of Pandu commenced the march on
their cars decked with jewels. And the princes of Kekaya, and
Dhrishtaketu, and the son of the king of the Kasis, and Srenimat, and
Vasudana, and the invincible Sikhandin, all hale and hearty, cased in
armour and armed with weapons and decked with ornaments, marched behind
Yudhishthira, keeping him in their centre. And in the rear, were Virata,
Yajnasena's son of the Somaka race (Dhrishtadyumna), Susarman,
Kuntibhoja, Dhrishtadyumna's sons, forty thousand cars, five times as
much cavalry, infantry ten times more numerous (than the last), and sixty
thousand elephants. And Anadhrishti, and Chekitana and Dhrishtaketu and
Satyaki all marched, surrounding Vasudeva and Dhananjaya. And reaching
the field of Kurukshetra with their forces in battle-array, those
smiters, the sons of Pandu, looked like roaring bulls. And entering the
field, those chastisers of foes blew their conchs. And Vasudeva and
Dhananjaya also blew their conchs. And hearing the blare of the conch
called Panchajanya, which resembled the roll of the thunder, all the
warriors (of the Pandava army) were filled with joy. And the leonine
roars of those warriors, endued with lightness of hand and speed of
motion, mingling with the blare of conchs and beat of Drums, made the
whole earth, the welkin, and the oceans resound therewith.'"
--------------------END OF PARVA 5 : UPA-PARVA 152 ---------------------
