“Sanjaya continued, ’Be still, O king!  Bear thy grief that is so unbearable.  I shall speak to thee of the great slaughter of thy kinsmen.

“The preceptor, O king, had formed the great circular array.  In it were placed all the kings (of our side) that are each equal to Sakra himself.  At the entrance were stationed all the princes possessed of solar effulgence.  All of them had taken oaths (about standing by one another).  All of them had standards decked with gold.  All of them were attired in red robes, and all had red ornaments.  All of them had red banners and all were adorned with garlands of gold, smeared with sandal-paste and other perfumed unguents; they were decked with floral wreaths.  In a body they rushed towards Arjuna’s son, desirous of battle.  Firm bowmen, all they numbered ten thousand.  Placing thy handsome grandson, Lakshmana, at their head, all of them, sympathising with one another in joy and grief, and emulating one another in feats of courage, desiring to excel one another, and devoted to one another’s good, they advanced to battle.  Duryodhana, O monarch, was stationed in the midst of his forces.  And the king was surrounded by the mighty car-warriors, Karna, Duhsasana, and Kripa, and had a white umbrella held over his head.  And fanned with yak tails, he looked resplendent like the chief of the celestials.  And at the head of that army was the commander Drona looking like the rising sun.[62] And there stood the ruler of the Sindhus, of great beauty of person, and immovable like the cliff of Meru.  Standing by the side of the ruler of the Sindhus and headed by Aswatthaman, were, O king, thy thirty sons, resembling the very gods.  There also on Jayadratha’s flank, were those mighty car-warriors, viz., the ruler of Gandhara, i.e., the gamester (Sakuni), and Salya, and Bhurisrava.  Then commenced, the battle, fierce, and making the hairs stand on their ends, between thy warriors and those of the foe.  And both sides fought, making death itself the goal.’”

SECTION XXXIII

“Sanjaya said, ’The Parthas then, headed by Bhimasena, approached that invincible array protected by Bharadwaja’s son.  And Satyaki, and Chekitana, and Dhrishtadyumna. the son of Prishata, and Kuntibhoja of great prowess, and the mighty car-warrior Drupada. and Arjuna’s son (Abhimanyu), and Kshatradharman, and the valiant Vrihatkshatra, and Dhrishtaketu, the ruler of the Chedis, and the twin sons of Madri, (viz., Nakula and Sahadeva), and Ghatotkacha, and the powerful Yudhamanyu and the unvanquished Sikhandin, and the irresistible Uttamaujas and the mighty car-warrior Virata, and the five sons of Draupadi,—­these all excited with wrath, and the valiant son of Sisupala, and the Kaikeyas of mighty energy, and the Srinjayas by thousands,—­these and others, accomplished in weapons and difficult of being resisted in battle, suddenly rushed, at the head of their respective followers,