Sanjaya continued, “Thus I heard this converse between Vasudeva and the high-souled son of Pritha, (that is) wonderful and causeth the hair to stand on end.  Through Vyasa’s favour heard I this supreme mystery, this (doctrine of) Yoga, from Krishna himself, the Lord of Yoga, who declared it in person.  O King recollecting and (again) recollecting this wonderful (and) holy converse of Kesava and Arjuna, I rejoice over and over again.  Recollecting again and again that wonderful form also of Hari, great is my amazement, O king, and I rejoice ever more.  Thither where Krishna, the Lord of Yoga (is), thither where the great bowman (Partha) is, thither, in my opinion, are prosperity, and victory, and greatness, and eternal justice[308]’”

[End of the Bhagavad Gita]

SECTION XLIII

Sanjaya said,—­“Beholding Dhananjaya then to take up once again (his) arrows and Gandiva, the mighty car-warriors (of the Pandava party) uttered a tremendous shout.  And those heroes, viz., the Pandavas and the Somakas, and those who followed them, filled with joy, blew their sea-born conches.  And drums, and Pesis, and Karkachas, and cow-horns were beaten and blown together, and the uproar made was very loud.  And then, O ruler of men, there came the gods, with Gandharvas and the Pitris, and the hosts of Siddhas and Charanas, from desire of witnessing (the sight).  And Rishis highly blessed came there in a body with him (Indra) of a hundred sacrifices at their head, for beholding that great slaughter.  Then, O king, beholding the two armies, that looked like two oceans, ready for the encounter and continuously moving, the heroic king Yudhishthira, the Just, putting off his coat of mail and casting aside his excellent weapon and quickly descending from his car, with joined hands, proceeded on foot, eyeing the grandsire, with restrained speech, facing the east, towards the direction where the hostile host was (standing).[309] And seeing him proceed (thus), Dhananjaya, the son of Kunti, speedily alighting from his car, followed him, accompanied by his (other) brothers.  And the Lord Vasudeva also followed him behind.  And the principal kings too (of his army), filled with anxiety, followed in the same path.

“Arjuna said, ’What is this act of thine, O king, that abandoning thy brothers, thou proceedest on foot, face eastwards, to the hostile host?’

“Bhimasena said, ’Where wilt thou go, O king of kings, having cast off thy coat of mail and weapons, towards the warriors of the foe cased in mail, and leaving thy brothers, O ruler of earth?’

“Nakula said, ’Thou art my eldest brother, O Bharata, (beholding) thee proceeding in this way, fear troubleth my bosom.  Tell (us), whither wilt thou go?’

“Sahadeva said, ’When these hostile divisions, terrible and numerous, are here with whom we are to fight, whither dost thou go, O king, in the direction of our foes?’