Mahabharata: Vol. 5 (17 page)

‘Dhritarashtra asked,
“On seeing the eleven akshouhinis arranged in battle formation, how did
Pandava Yudhishthira,
possessing fewer soldiers, arrange his
counter-formations? Bhishma knew about all vyuhas—those of men, gods,
gandharvas and asuras. How did Kounteya Pandava counter them?”

‘Sanjaya said, “On
seeing the soldiers of Dhritarashtra’s sons arranged in battle formation,
Dharmaraja Pandava, with dharma in his soul, spoke to Dhananjaya. ‘O
son!
⁴⁶
We know from the words of maharshi Brihaspati that a small number of soldiers
must be arranged in condensed form, while a larger number can be extended at will.
When a small number has to fight with a larger one, the arrangement should be
suchimukha
.
⁴⁷
Compared to those of the enemy, our soldiers are few. O Pandava! Following the
words and instructions of the maharshi, arrange the vyuha.’ On hearing the
words of Dharmaraja, Phalguna replied, ‘O king! I will arrange a vyuha
that is extremely invincible. This immovable vyuha is known by the name of Vajra and
has been designed by the wielder of the vajra. Bhima is supreme among wielders of
weapons. He is like a turbulent storm. No enemy can withstand him in battle. He will
fight at the forefront. That supreme of men will pacify the energy of the
enemy’s soldiers. He is skilled in all the techniques used in war. He will
lead us and fight from the front. On seeing him, all the kings, with Duryodhana at
the forefront, will be confused and will retreat, like small animals at the sight of
a lion. With him as a wall, all of us will resort to him, like all the immortals
resort to the wielder of the vajra, and our fear will be dispelled. Bhima is
foremost among the wielders of weapons. Vrikodara is a bull among men and is the
performer of terrible deeds. Especially when he is enraged, there is no man in the
world who can glance at him. Bhimasena wields a firm club, with substance like the
vajra. When he roams around with great force, he can dry up the ocean. O lord of
men! Kekaya, Dhrishtaketu and the valiant Chekitana—these advisers also
look towards him. So do Dhritarashtra’s sons.’ This is what
Bibhatsu said. O venerable one! When Partha spoke in this way, all the soldiers
applauded the eloquent one in that field of battle. Having spoken in this way, the
mighty-armed Dhananjaya did what he had said. Phalguna
arranged the forces in the form of the vyuha and advanced.

‘“On seeing the
advancing army of the Kurus, the mighty army of the Pandavas seemed to be like the
overflowing, surging and moving Ganga. Bhimasena, Parshata Dhrishtadyumna, Nakula,
Sahadeva and valiant Dhrishtaketu were in the vanguard. Surrounded by one
akshouhini, the king
⁴⁸
was at the rear, protecting them from the back with his brothers and sons.
Madri’s immensely radiant sons protected Bhima’s wheels. The
swift sons of Droupadi and Subhadra protected the rear. They were protected from the
rear by maharatha Dhrishtadyumna of Panchala, together with the brave Prabhadrakas,
foremost among rathas. Shikhandi was behind them, protected by Arjuna. O bull among
the Bharata lineage! He
⁴⁹
advanced, determined to bring about Bhishma’s destruction. Maharatha
Yuyudhana
⁵⁰
guarded Arjuna’s rear and the two from Panchala, Yudhamanyu and
Uttamouja, guarded his wheels. Kunti’s son, King Yudhishthira, was in the
centre of the army, surrounded by large and crazy elephants that were like moving
mountains. For the sake of the Pandavas, the valorous Panchala Yajnasena
⁵¹
placed himself behind Virata, with one akshouhini. O king! The chariots and
great standards bore many signs. They were adorned with the best of gold and looked
like the sun and the moon. Asking them to advance, maharatha Dhrishtadyumna,
together with his brothers and sons, protected Yudhishthira from the rear.
Surpassing all the chariots and many standards on your side and those of the enemy,
a giant ape was stationed on Arjuna’s standard. Many hundreds and
thousands of infantry advanced in front, protecting Bhimasena. They had swords,
lances and scimitars in their hands. There were ten thousand elephants, with musth
trickling from their temples and mouths. They were brave and were adorned with
glittering nets of gold. They were like moving mountains. They flowed like clouds.
⁵²
They were like mad mountains. They possessed
the fragrance
of lotuses. They followed the king at the rear, like moving mountains. Bhimasena
whirled his terrible club, which was like a
parigha
.
⁵³
The invincible and great-minded one was capable of crushing a large army. He
was incapable of being looked at, like the sun, and was scorching, like the one with
the rays. From a close distance, none of the warriors was capable of looking at him.
The vyuha named Vajra was difficult to penetrate and faced every direction.
⁵⁴
The bows were like streaks of lightning
⁵⁵
and this terrible formation was protected by the wielder of the Gandiva.
Arranging the army in this counter formation, the Pandavas waited. Protected by the
Pandavas, it was invincible in the world of men.

‘“At dawn, both sets
of soldiers waited for the sun to rise. A wind, with drops of water, began to blow.
Though there were no clouds, thunder could be heard. Dry winds began to blow from
all directions and carried sharp stones from the ground below. Dust arose and
covered the earth in darkness. O bull among the Bharata lineage! Large meteors fell
down in an eastern direction. They struck the rising sun and were shattered, with a
loud noise. O bull among the Bharata lineage! When the armies were arranged in this
way, the sun lost its luminescence and the earth roared and trembled. O supreme
among the Bharata lineage! The roar of thunder was repeatedly heard from all the
directions. O king! A thick dust arose and nothing could be seen. The giant
standards, adorned with nets of bells, golden ornaments and flags, and like the sun
in their resplendence, were suddenly struck by the wind. All of them made a jingling
sound, like a forest of palm trees. Thus those Pandavas, tigers among men, were
stationed, delighted at the prospect of battle. They were in a counter-formation
against the army of your sons. O bull among the Bharata lineage! They seemed to suck
the marrow out from the warriors.
⁵⁶
Bhimasena could be seen at the forefront, with a club in his
hand.”’

‘Dhritarashtra asked,
“O Sanjaya! My army, with Bhishma as the leader, and that of the Pandavas,
with Bhima as the leader, desired to fight. When the sun arose, which of these was
cheerful when it approached the other? To which side were the moon, the sun and the
wind adverse? Against which army did predators utter inauspicious sounds? Which were
the young ones who had cheerful complexions on their faces? Tell me all this,
exactly and in detail.”

‘Sanjaya said, “O
Indra among kings! When the two armies were equally arranged in vyuhas, they were
equally cheerful. They were equally beautiful, as resplendent as forests. They were
full of elephants, chariots and horses. Both the armies were large and terrible in
form. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! Each one was incapable of withstanding
the other. It was as if both had been created for conquering heaven. Both were
protected by virtuous men. Dhritarashtra’s sons, the Kurus, faced the
west. The Parthas were stationed facing the east, ready to fight. The Kouravas were
like the army of the Indra of the daityas, the Pandavas were like the army of the
Indra of the gods. The wind blew from behind the Pandavas. The predators howled from
behind the sons of Dhritarashtra. The elephants of your son could not bear the sharp
smell from the musth of those Indras among elephants.
⁵⁷
Duryodhana was on an elephant with the complexion of a lotus. It was armoured
and had rent temples. It possessed a golden girdle. He was stationed in the midst of
the Kurus and the bards and the minstrels praised him. A white umbrella with a
golden chain, as brilliant as the moon, was held aloft his head. Shakuni, the king
of Gandhara, followed him, surrounded in every direction by mountainous people from
the region of Gandhara. The aged Bhishma was in front of all the soldiers. He had a
white umbrella, a white bow, a conch shell, a white headdress, a white flag and
white horses, and looked like a white mountain. All the sons of Dhritarashtra were
in his army and also Shala, who came
from the country named
Bahlika. The kshatriyas from Ambashtha, those from Sindhu and Souvira and the brave
ones from the land of the five rivers
⁵⁸
were also there.

‘“The great-souled
Drona was on a golden chariot with red horses. He was mighty-armed and his spirit
never waned. He was the preceptor of almost all the kings. He was like an Indra on
earth, protecting from the rear. Vardhakshatri, Bhurishrava, Purumitra, Jaya,
Shalva, Matsya and all the Kekayas, with their brothers, were in the midst of all
the soldiers. They possessed an army of elephants and wished to fight.
Sharadvat’s great-souled son
⁵⁹
always fought in the front. He was the great archer Goutama, wonderful in
fighting. With Shakas, Kiratas,
⁶⁰
Yavanas
⁶¹
and Pahlavas, he stationed himself in the forefront of the army. That large
army was protected by maharathas from Andhaka, Vrishni and Bhoja and also those from
Sourashtra and the south-west, skilled in the use of weapons. There was also
Kritavarma, who advanced behind your army. There were ten thousand
samshaptaka
rathas,
⁶²
who had been created for death or for triumphing over Arjuna. O king! They were
skilled in the use of weapons. They advanced with the brave Trigartas, resolved to
follow Arjuna at every step. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! There were ten
thousand fierce elephants on your side. A hundred chariots were assigned to each
elephant, a hundred horses were assigned to each chariot, ten archers were assigned
to each horse and ten shield-bearers were assigned to each archer. O descendant of
the Bharata lineage! Thus did Bhishma arrange your troops in battle formation. From
one day to another, Bhishma, the general and Shantanu’s son, arranged it
in human vyuhas, or vyuhas of gods, gandharvas and asuras. With a large number of
maharathas, it was like the ocean on the night of the full moon. Arranged in a vyuha
by Bhishma, the army
of Dhritarashtra’s son was
stationed facing the west, ready to fight. O Indra among kings! Your side was
innumerable with standards. It was terrible. But though it was not like yours,
⁶³
it seemed to me that the one of the Pandavas was larger and invincible, with
leaders like Keshava and Arjuna.”’

‘Sanjaya said, “On
seeing the large army of Dhritarashtra’s sons, ready to fight,
Kunti’s son, King Yudhishthira, was overcome by grief. Pandava saw the
impenetrable vyuha that Bhishma had crafted. Having seen that it was impenetrable,
he was distressed and spoke to Arjuna. ‘O Dhananjaya! O mighty-armed one!
When the grandfather fights on the side of the sons of Dhritarashtra, how will we be
able to fight with them in this battle? Bhishma, the destroyer of enemies, whose
energy is manifold, has crafted this immovable and impenetrable formation, in
accordance with the decrees of the sacred texts. O destroyer of enemies! Together
with our soldiers, we now have doubts. How can we be successful against this great
vyuha?’ O king! Thus addressed by Partha Yudhishthira, the destroyer of
enemies, who was overcome by grief at the sight of your army, Arjuna replied,
‘O lord of the earth! Listen. Those who are few can vanquish many brave
ones who are superior in wisdom and possess qualities. O king! You do not suffer
from malice and I will tell you the means. O Pandava! The rishi Narada, and Bhishma
and Drona, know this. On an earlier occasion, at the time of the battle between the
gods and the asuras, the grandfather himself said this to the great Indra and the
denizens of heaven. “Those who desire victory, do not triumph through
strength and valour, but through truth, non-violence, devotion to dharma and
endeavour. One must give up adharma, avarice and delusion and resort to endeavour.
One must fight without pride. Where there is dharma, there
will be victory.” O king! Know that it is for this reason that our victory
in this battle is certain. Narada has said that where there is Krishna, victory is
there. Victory is Krishna’s quality, it follows Madhava. Victory is one of
his qualities and humility is another. Govinda is infinite in his energy. He is
without pain even amidst a multitude of enemies. He is the eternal being. Where
there is Krishna, victory is there. In earlier times, Hari manifested himself. He is
Vaikuntha.
⁶⁴
He has no weakness before weapons. In a loud tone, he spoke to the gods and the
asuras, “Who among you wishes for victory?” The vanquished
ones
⁶⁵
replied, “We will follow Krishna and thereby obtain
victory.” Through his favours, Shakra and the other gods obtained the
three worlds. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! Therefore, I do not see any
reason for despondency. You have the lord of the universe and the lord of the thirty
gods and because of this, you are assured of
victory.’”’

‘Sanjaya said, “O
bull among the Bharata lineage! Then King Yudhishthira arranged his soldiers in a
counter-formation against Bhishma’s and said, ‘O extenders of
the Kuru lineage! The Pandavas are arrayed in a counter-formation, in accordance
with the injunctions. Desiring to attain supreme heaven, fight well.’
Protected by Savyasachi, Shikhandi stood in the middle of the army. Protected by
Bhima, Dhrishtadyumna was in the front. O king! The southern segment was protected
by the handsome Yuyudhana,
⁶⁶
foremost archer among the Satvatas and Shakra’s equal. Yudhishthira
was on
a chariot that was like the great Indra’s
vehicle. It bore an excellent standard with gold and jewels and had a golden
harness. He was stationed in the midst of his array of elephants. An extremely white
and beautiful umbrella, with a handle made of tusks, was held aloft his head.
Maharshis circumambulated him and sung his praises. Priests, maharshis and aged ones
chanted his praises so that his enemies would be destroyed. They used meditation,
mantras and herbs and pronounced words of benediction. The supreme among Kurus gave
the great-souled brahmanas garments, cows, fruits, flowers and gold. He advanced
like Shakra of the immortals. Arjuna’s chariot possessed one hundred
bells. It was embellished with the best of gold and was as resplendent as the fire,
blazing like a thousand suns. It was yoked to white steeds and possessed excellent
wheels. It had an ape on its banner. It was driven by Keshava and he
⁶⁷
was stationed on it, with the Gandiva and arrows in his hands. There was no
archer who was equal to him on earth. Nor will there ever be such a one. Bhimasena
assumes a terrible form for the destruction of your sons. Without any weapons and
with his bare hands, in a battle, he can reduce to ashes men, horses and elephants.
The twins were with Vrikodara and they protected the brave charioteers. In this
world, he
⁶⁸
is like the great Indra himself. He was like an angry lion that was playing.
Vrikodara was as insolent as a king of elephants. On seeing him in the vanguard of
the army, the spirit of your soldiers was overcome by fear and anxiety and they
trembled, like elephants caught in the mud.