seemed to tremble under their tread.  And their force, counting an Akshauhini, looked like a mass of clouds moved by the wind.  And Sudakshina, the king of the Kambhojas, O ruler of men, accompanied by the Yavanas and Sakas, came to the Kuru chief with an Akshauhini of troops.  And the body of his troops that looked like a flight of locusts, meeting with the Kuru force, was absorbed and disappeared in it.  And similarly came king Nila, the resident of the city of the Mahishmati, with mighty soldiers from the southern country who carried weapons of pretty make.  And the two kings of Avanti, accompanied by a mighty force, brought to Duryodhana, each a separate Akshauhini of troops.  And those tigers among men, the five royal brothers, the princes of Kekaya, hastened to Duryodhana with an Akshauhini of troops, and gladdened his heart.  And from the illustrious king, of other quarters there came, O best of Bharata’s race, three large divisions of troops.  And thus Duryodhana had a force which numbered eleven Akshauhinis all eager to fight with the sons of Kunti, and bristling with banners of various forms.  And, O descendant of Bharata, there was no space in the city of Hastinapura even for the principal leaders of Duryodhana’s army.  And for this reason the land of the five rivers, and the whole of the region called Kurujangala, and the forest of Rohitaka which was uniformly wild, and Ahichatra and Kalakuta, and the banks of the Ganga, and Varana, and Vatadhana, and the hill tracts on the border of the Yamuna—­the whole of this extensive tract—­full of abundant corn and wealth, was entirely overspread with the army of the Kauravas.  And that army, so arranged, was beheld by the priest who had been sent by the king of the Panchalas to the Kurus.’”

SECTION XX

“Vaisampayana said, ’Then Drupada’s priest, having approached the Kaurava chief, was honoured by Dhritarashtra as also by Bhishma and Vidura.  And having first told the news of the welfare of the Pandavas, he enquired about the welfare of the Kauravas.  And he spoke the following words in the midst of all the leaders of Duryodhana’s army, ’The eternal duties of kings are known to you all.  But though known, I shall yet recite them as an introduction to what I am going to say.  Both Dhritarashtra and Pandu are known to be sons of the same father.  There is no doubt that the share of each to the paternal wealth should be equal.  The sons of Dhritarashtra obtained the paternal wealth.  Why did not the sons of Pandu at all receive their paternal portion?  Ye are aware how formerly the sons of Pandu did not receive their paternal property which was all usurped by Dhritarashtra’s sons.  The latter endeavoured in various ways to remove the sons of Pandu from their path by employment even of murderous contrivances; but as their destined terms of life had not wholly run out, the sons of Pandu could not be sent to the abode of Yama.  Then again, when those high-souled