welfare.  I shall also have to encounter the Sakas endued with prowess equal to that of Sakra himself, who are fierce as tire, and difficult to put out like a blazing conflagration.  Indeed, O king, I shall have to encounter in battle many warriors difficult of being resisted.  For this let well-known steeds of best breed and graced with auspicious marks be yoked to my car, after causing their thirst to be slaked and after grooming them duly!’

“Sanjaya continued, ’After this, Yudhishthira caused quivers full of shafts, and diverse kinds o weapons, and, indeed, all necessaries, to be placed on Satyaki’s car.  Then, people caused his four well-harnessed and excellent steeds to drink and walk, bathe and eat, and having adorned them with golden chains and plucked out their arrows, those animals, that had (for these operations) been freed from the yoke, and that were of the hue of gold and well-trained and endued with great speed and cheerful and exceedingly docile, were duly yoked again unto his car.  And upon that car was set up a tall standard bearing a lion of golden maces.  And that standard had attached round it banners of the hue of white clouds and decked with gold was also placed upon that vehicle bearing a heavy weight of weapons.  After those steeds, adorned with trappings of gold, had been yoked to that car, the younger brother of Daruka, who was the charioteer and the dear friend of Satyaki, came and represented unto the latter that the car had been duly equipped, like Matali representing the equipment of the car unto Vasava himself.  Satyaki then, having taken a bath and purified himself and undergone every auspicious ceremony, gave nishkas of gold unto a thousand Snataka Brahmanas who uttered benedictions upon him.  Blessed with those benedictions Satyaki that foremost of handsome men, that hero worthy of worship, having drunk kairata, honey, shone resplendent, with reddened eyes rolling in intoxication.  Having touched a brazen mirror and filled with great joy, his energy became doubled, and himself looked like a blazing fire.  Taking upon his shoulders his bow with arrows, that foremost of car-warriors, eased in armour and decked in ornaments, had the regenerate ones perform for him the rites of propitiation.  And fair maidens honoured him by showering upon him fried paddy and perfumes and floral garlands.  And the hero then, with joined hands, worshipped the feet of Yudhishthira, and the latter smelt his head.  And having undergone all these rites, he then mounted his foremost of cars.  Then those steeds, cheerful and strong and fleet as the wind, and invincible, and belonging to the Sindhu breed, bore him on that triumphant car.  Similarly, Bhimasena also, honoured by king Yudhishthira the just, and reverentially saluting the monarch, set out with Satyaki.  Beholding those two chastisers of foes on the point of penetrating thy host, their enemies, viz., thy troops, all stood still with Drona at their head.  Then Satyaki,