FIRST CHAPTER

Dhritarashtra said:

1. Tell me, O Sanjaya! Assembled on Kurukshetra, the centre of religious activity, desirous to fight, what indeed did my people and the Pandavas do?

Sanjaya said:

2. But then King Duryodhana, having seen the Pandava forces in battle-array, approached his teacher Drona, and spoke these words:

3. "Behold, O Teacher! this mighty army of the sons of Pandu, arrayed by the son of Drupada, thy gifted pupil.

4-6. "Here (are) heroes, mighty archers, the equals in battle of Bhima and Arjuna--the great warriors Yuyudhana, Virata, Drupada; the valiant Dhrishtaketu, Chekitana and the king of Kashi; the best of men, Purujit, Kunti-Bhoja and Shaivya; the powerful Yudhamanyu, and the brave Uttamaujas, the son of Subhadra, and the sons of Draupadi,--lords of great chariots.

7. "Hear also, O Best of the twice-born! the names of those who (are) distinguished amongst ourselves, the leaders of my army. These I relate (to you) for your information.

8. "Yourself and Bhishma and Karna and Kripa, the victorious in war. Asvatthama and Vikarna and Jayadratha, the son of Somadatta.

9. "And many other heroes also, well-skilled in fight, and armed with many kinds of weapons, are here, determined to lay down their lives for my sake.

10. "This our army defended by Bhishma (is) impossible to be counted, but that army of theirs, defended by Bhima (is) easy to number.

11. "(Now) do, being stationed in your proper places in the divisions of the army, support Bhishma alone."

12. That powerful, oldest of the Kurus, Bhishma the grandsire, in order to cheer Duryodhana, now sounded aloud a lion-roar and blew his conch.

13. Then following Bhishma, conches and kettle-drums, tabors, trumpets and

cowhorns blared forth suddenly from the Kaurava side and the noise was tremendous.

14. Then, also, Madhava and Pandava, stationed in their magnificent chariot yoked with white horses, blew their divine conches with a furious noise.

15. Hrishikesha blew the Panchajanya, Dhananjaya, the Devadatta, and Vrikodara, the doer of terrific deeds, his large conch Paundra.

16. King Yudhishthira, son of Kunti, blew the conch named Anantavijaya, and Nakula and Sahadeva, their Sughosha and Manipushpaka.

17. The expert bowman, king of Kashi, and the great warrior Shikhandi,

[paragraph continues] Dhrishtadyumna and Virata and the unconquered Satyaki;

18. O Lord of Earth! Drupada and the sons of Draupadi, and the mighty-armed son of Subhadra, all, also blew each his own conch.

19. And the terrific noise resounding throughout heaven and earth rent the hearts of Dhritarashtra's party.

20. Then, O Lord of Earth, seeing Dhritarashtra's party standing marshalled and the shooting about to begin, that Pandava whose ensign was the monkey,