Mahabharata Drona Parva Chapter 111:3

Prev.png
Mahabharata Drona Parva (Jayadratha-Vadha Parva) Chapter 111:3


They shall not escape me, O son of Kunti, even if they be endued with the speed of the mind. Much regarded always by Duryodhana, that prince who dependeth upon the prowess of others, those warriors, afflicted with my clouds of shafts, will meet with destruction. Those other car-warriors, O king, whom thou seest, and who have golden standards and are difficult of being resisted, are called Kamvojas. They are brave and accomplished, and firmly devoted to the science of weapons. Desiring one another's welfare they are all firmly united. They constitute a full Akshauhini of wrathful warriors, O Bharata, and are staying carefully for my sake, well-protected by the Kuru heroes. They are on the alert, O king, with their eyes on me. I shall certainly destroy them all, like fire destroying a heap of straw.

Therefore, O king, let those that equip cars, place quivers and all necessaries on my car in proper places. Indeed, in such a dreadful battle, diverse kinds of weapons ought to be taken. Let the car be equipped (with necessaries) five times more than what professors of military science direct, for I shall have to encounter the Kamvojas who resemble fierce snakes of virulent poison. I shall have also to encounter the Kiratas who are armed with diverse weapons of warfare, who resemble virulent poison, who are accomplished in smiting, who have always been well-treated by Duryodhana, and who on that account are always intent on Duryodhana's welfare. I shall also have to encounter the Sakas endued with prowess equal to that of Sakra himself, who are fierce as fire, and difficult to put out like a blazing conflagration. Indeed, O king, I shall have to encounter in battle many warriors difficult of being resisted. For this let well-known steeds of best breed and graced with auspicious marks be yoked to my car, after causing their thirst to be slaked and after grooming them duly!

Sanjaya continued, 'After this, Yudhishthira caused quivers full of shafts, and diverse kinds of weapons, and, indeed, all necessaries, to be placed on Satyaki's car. Then, people caused his four well-harnessed and excellent steeds to drink and walk, bathe and eat, and having adorned them with golden chains and plucked out their arrows, those animals, that had (for these operations) been freed from the yoke, and that were of the hue of gold and well-trained and endued with great speed and cheerful and exceedingly docile, were duly yoked again unto his car. And upon that car was set up a tall standard bearing a lion of golden maces. And that standard had attached round it banners of the hue of white clouds and decked with gold was also placed upon that vehicle bearing a heavy weight of weapons. After those steeds, adorned with trappings of gold, had been yoked to that car, the younger brother of Daruka, who was the charioteer and the dear friend of Satyaki, came and represented unto the latter that the car had been duly equipped, like Matali representing the equipment of the car unto Vasava himself.

Next.png

References