Vaisampayana continued, “Having said these words, the heroic Arjuna urged the steeds towards the Kuru army over which floated innumerable flags.  Just, however, as they were starting, elderly dames and maidens, and Brahmanas of rigid vows, beholding Uttara seated on his excellent car with Vrihannala as charioteer and under that great banner hoisted on high, walked round the car to bless the hero.  And the women said, ’Let the victory that Arjuna treading like a bull had achieved of old on the occasion of burning the forest of Khandava, be thine, O Vrihannala, when thou encounterest the Kurus today with prince Uttara.’”

SECTION XXXVIII

Vaisampayana said, “Having issued forth from the city, the dauntless son of Virata addressed his charioteer, saying, ’Proceed whither the Kurus are.  Defeating the assembled Kurus who have come hither from desire of victory, and quickly rescuing my kine from them, I will return to the capital.’  At these words of the prince, the son of Pandu urged those excellent steeds.  And endued with the speed of the wind and decked with necklaces of gold, those steeds, urged by that lion among men, seemed to fly through the air.  And they had not proceeded far when those smiters of foes, Dhananjaya and the son of Matsya, sighted the army of the powerful Kurus.  And proceeding towards the cemetery, they came upon the Kurus and beheld their army arrayed in order of battle.[40] And that large army of theirs looked like the vast sea or a forest of innumerable trees moving through the sky.  And then was seen, O best among the Kurus, the dust raised by that moving army which reached the sky and obstructed the sight of all creatures.  And beholding that mighty host abounding in elephants, horses and chariots, and protected by Karna and Duryodhana and Kripa and Santanu’s son, and that intelligent and great bowman Drona, with his son (Aswatthaman), the son of Virata, agitated with fear and the bristles on his body standing on their ends, thus spake unto Partha, ’I dare not fight with the Kurus.  See, the bristles on my body have stood on their ends.  I am incapable of battling with this countless host of the Kurus, abounding in the heroic warriors, that are extremely fierce and difficult of being vanquished even by the celestials.  I do not venture to penetrate into the army of the Bharatas consisting of terrible bowmen and abounding in horses and elephants and cars and footsoldiers and banners.  My mind is too much perturbed by the very sight of the foe on the field of battle on which stand Drona and Bhishma, and Kripa, and Karna, and Vivingsati, and Aswatthaman and Vikarna, and Saumadatti, and Vahlika, and the heroic king Duryodhana also—­that foremost of car-warriors, and many other splendid bowmen, all skilled in battle.  My hairs have stood on their ends, and I am fainting with fear at the very sight of these smiters, the Kurus arrayed in order of battle.’”