“Yudhishthira hearing these words said, ’It is even so, O mighty-armed one, as thou sayest, O Madhava!  For all that, however, O sire, my heart doth not become easy on Arjuna’s account.  I shall take the greatest precaution in protecting myself.  Commanded by me, go thou thither where Dhananjaya hath gone.  Weighing, with my judgment, my own protection in battle with the necessity of your going towards Arjuna, the latter seems to me preferable, Make thyself ready, therefore, to go thither whither Dhananjaya hath gone.  The mighty Bhima will protect me.  Prishata’s son, with all his uterine brothers, and all the mighty kings, and the sons of Draupadi, will without doubt, protect me.  The five Kekaya brothers, and the Rakshasa Ghatotkacha, and Virata, and Drupada, and the mighty car-warrior Sikhandin and Dhrishtaketu of great strength, and Kuntibhoja, O sire, Nakula, and Sahadeva, and the Panchalas, and the Srinjayas,—­all these, O sire, will without doubt, very carefully protect me.  Drona at the head of his troops, and Kritavarman also, in battle, will not succeed in beating us or afflicting me.  That scorcher of foes, viz., Dhrishtadyumna, displaying his prowess, will resist the angry Drona, like the continent resisting the sea.  There where Prishata’s son, that slayer of hostile heroes, will remain, there Drona will never be able to forcibly transgress our troops.  This Dhristadyumna sprang from the fire, for the destruction of Drona, clad in mail, armed with bow and arrows and sword, and decked with costly ornaments.  Go, O grandson of Sini, with an easy heart, do not be anxious on my account.  Dhrishtadyumna will resist angry Drona in battle.’”

SECTION CXI

“Sanjaya said, ’Hearing these words of the king Yudhishthira the just, that bull among the Sinis feared the censure of Arjuna if he left the king.  Seeing, however, the certainty of an imputation of cowardice by the people (if he disobeyed Yudhishthira), he said to himself, ’Let not people say that I am afraid of proceeding towards Arjuna.’  Reflecting repeatedly on this, Satyaki, that hero invincible in battle, that bull among men, said these words unto king Yudhishthira the just, ’If thou thinkest that these arrangements will suffice for thy protection, O monarch, I will then do thy bidding and follow Vibhatsu.  I tell thee truly, O king, that there is none in the three worlds who is dearer to me than Phalguna.  I will follow in his track at the command, O giver of honours.  There is nothing that I will not do for thy sake.  O best of men, the commands of my preceptor are always of weight with me.  But thy commands are still weightier with me, O lord!  Thy brothers, viz., Krishna and Dhananjaya, are always engaged in doing what is agreeable to thee.  Taking thy command on my head for the sake of Arjuna, O lord, I will proceed, O bull among men, piercing through this impenetrable host.  Darting wrathfully through this force of