SECTION CXCVI
"Sanjaya said, 'When the night passed away and morning came, your sons
once more, in the midst of all the troops, asked their grandsire, saying,
'O son of Ganga, this army that is ready for fight, of Pandu's son, that
abounds with men, elephants, and steeds, that is crowded with Maharathas,
that is protected by these mighty bowmen endued with great strength,
viz., Bhima and Arjuna and others headed by Dhrishtadyumna and all
resembling the very regents of the world, that is invincible and
incapable of being withstood, that resembles the unbounded sea,--this sea
of warriors incapable of being agitated by the very gods in battle, in
how many days, O son of Ganga, O you of great effulgence, canst thou
annihilate it, and in what time can that mighty bowman, our preceptor
(Drona), in what time also the mighty Kripa, in what time Karna who
taketh a pleasure in battle, and in what time that best of Brahmanas,
viz., the son of Drona, can each annihilate it? Ye that are in my army
are all acquainted with celestial weapons! I desire to know this, for the
curiosity I feel in my heart is great! O you of mighty arms, it behoveth
thee to say this to me!'
"Bhishma said, 'O foremost one of the Kurus, O lord of the earth, thou
enquirest about the strength and weakness of the foe. This, indeed, is
worthy of thee. Listen, O king, as I tell you the utmost limit of my
power in battle, or of the energy of my weapons, or of the might of my
arms, O you of mighty arms! As regards ordinary combatants, one should
fight with them artlessly. As regards those that are possessed of powers
of deception, one should fight with them aided by the ways of deception.
Even this is what hath been laid down in respect of the duties of
warriors. I can annihilate the Pandava army, O blessed monarch, taking
every morning ten thousand (ordinary) warriors and one thousand
car-warriors as my share from day to day. Cased in mail and always
exerting myself actively, I can, O Bharata, annihilate this large force,
according to this arrangement as regards both number and time. If,
however, stationed in battle, I shoot my great weapons that slay hundreds
and thousands at a time, then I can, O Bharata, finish the slaughter in a
month.'
"Sanjaya continued, 'Hearing these words of Bhishma, king Duryodhana then
asked Drona, O monarch, that foremost one of Angira's race, saying, 'O
preceptor, in what time canst you annihilate the troops of Pandu's son?'
Thus addressed by him, Drona said smilingly, 'I am old, O mighty-armed
one! My energy and activity have both become weak. With the fire of my
weapons I can consume the army of the Pandavas, like Santanu's son
Bhishma, I think, in a month's time.' Even this is the limit of my power,
even this is the limit of my strength.' Then Saradwat's son Kripa said
that he could annihilate the foe in two month's time. Dron's son
(Aswatthaman) pledged himself to annihilate the Pandava army in ten
nights, Karna, however, acquainted as he was with weapons of high
efficacy, pledged himself to achieve that feat in five days. Hearing the
words of the Suta's son the son of the ocean-going (Ganga) laughed aloud
and said, 'As long, O son of Radha, as you encounterest not in battle
Partha with his arrows, conch, and bows and rushing to the combat on his
car with Vasudeva in his company, so long mayest you think so! Why, thou
art capable of saying anything, even what you pleasest!'"
--------------------END OF PARVA 5 : UPA-PARVA 196 ---------------------
