SECTION LXXXVIII
Sanjaya said, "Having passed the night in sound steep, those rulers of
men, the Kauravas and the Pandavas, once more proceeded to battle. And
when the troops of both armies were about to proceed to the field, great
was the uproar heard there, resembling the loud uproar of the ocean
itself. Then king Duryodhana, and Chitrasena, and Vivinsati, and that
foremost of car-warriors, viz., Bhishma and Bharadwaja's son possessed of
great prowess,--those mighty car-warriors, clad in mail and uniting
together, O King, formed with great care the array of the Kauravas
against the Pandavas. Having formed that mighty array fierce as the ocean
and having for its billows and current its steeds and elephants, your sire
Bhishma, the son of Santanu, then, O king, proceeded in the van of the
whole army, supported by the Malavas, and the inhabitants of the southern
countries, and the Avantis. Next to him was the valiant son of
Bharadwaja, accompanied by the Pulindas, the Paradas, and the
Kshudraka-Malavas. Next to Drona was the valiant Bhagadatta. O king,
firmly resolved on fight, accompanied by the Magadhas, the Kalingas, and
the Pisachas. Behind Bhagadatta was Vrihadvala the king of the Kosalas
accompanied by the Melakas, the Tripuras, and the Chichilas. Next to
Vrihadvala was the brave Trigarta, the ruler of the Prasthala,
accompanied by a large number of the Kamvojas, and by Yavanas in
thousands. Next to the ruler of the Trigartas, O Bharata, proceeded that
mighty hero, viz., the son of Drona, uttering leonine roars and filling
the earth with those shouts. Next to Drona's son proceeded king
Duryodhana with the whole army, surrounded by his uterine brothers.
Behind Duryodhana proceeded Kripa the son of Saradwat. It was thus that
that mighty array, resembling the very ocean, advanced (to battle). And
standards and white umbrellas, O lord, and beautiful bracelets and costly
bows shed their effulgence there. And beholding that mighty array of thy
forces, that great car-warrior Yudhishthira, speedily addressed the
generalissimo (of his forces), viz., Prishata's son saying, 'Behold, O
great bowman, that array, already formed, resembling the ocean. Do thou
also, O son of Prishata, form without delay your counter-array. (Thus
addressed), the heroic son of Prishata, O great king, formed that
terrible array called Sringataka that is destructive of all hostile
arrays. At the horns were Bhimasena and that mighty car-warrior, viz.,
Satyaki, with many thousands of cars as also of horse and infantry. Next
to them was that foremost of men, (viz., Arjuna) of white steeds and
having Krishna for his charioteer.[427] In the centre were king
Yudhishthira and the twin sons of Pandu by Madri. Other royal bowmen,
conversant with the science of arrays, with their troops, filled up that
array. In the rear were ordered Abhimanyu, and that mighty car-warrior,
Virata, and the sons of Draupadi and the Rakshasa Ghatotkacha. Thus, O
Bharata, having formed their mighty array, the heroic Pandavas waited on
the field, longing for battle and desirous of victory. And the loud noise
of drums mingling with the blare of conches and leonine roars and shouts
(of the combatants) and the slapping of their armpits, became terrible
and filled all the points of the compass. Then those brave warriors,
approaching one another for battle, looked at one another, O king, with
winkless eyes. Then O ruler of men, the warriors, first challenging each
other by name, engaged with each other.[428] Then commenced a fierce and
terrible battle between your troops and those of the foe striking one
another. And in that battle, O Bharata, whetted shafts fell in showers
like terrible snakes with mouths wide open. And polished darts of
impetuous force, washed with oil, O king, shone like the effulgent
flashes of lightning from the clouds. And maces decked with gold and
attached to bright slings were seen to fall all over the field,
resembling beautiful crests of hills. And sabres of the colour of the
clear (blue) sky, O Bharata, and shields of bull's hides and decked with
a hundred moons, as they fell everywhere over the field, O king, looked
beautiful. And as the two armies, O king, were engaged in battle with
each other, they looked resplendent like the celestial and the demoniac
hosts battling with each other. All around they rushed against one
another in battle. Foremost of royal car-warriors, impetuously dashing
against car-warriors in that dreadful battle, fought on, with the yokes
of their cars entangled with those of their adversaries. And, O bull of
Bharata's race, all over the field flashes of fire mixed with smoke were
generated, in consequence of friction, in the tusks of battling
elephants. And combatants on the backs of elephants, struck with lances,
were seen all around to fall down like blocks (loosened) from crests of
hills.[429] And brave foot-soldiers, battling with their bare arms or
with lances, and striking one another, looked exceedingly beautiful. And
the warriors of the Kaurava and the Pandava hosts, coming upon one
another in that conflict, despatched one another with diverse kinds of
shafts to the abode of Yama. Then Bhishma, the son of Santanu, filling
(the air) with the rattle of his car, and depriving the foe of his senses
by the twang of his bow, rushed against the Pandavas in battle. The
car-warriors of the Pandavas, too, headed by Dhrishtadyumna, uttering
fierce shouts, rushed at him, firmly resolved on fight. Then commenced, O
Bharata, a battle between the infantry, car-warriors, and elephants, of
theirs and thine, in which the combatants became all entangled with one
another."
--------------------END OF PARVA 6 : UPA-PARVA 88 ---------------------
