and Chekitana and Dhrishtaketu and
Satyaki all marched, surrounding Vasudeva and Dhananjaya. And reaching
the field of Kurukshetra with their forces in battle-array, those
smiters, the sons of Pandu, looked like roaring bulls. And entering the
field, those chastisers of foes blew their conchs. And Vasudeva and
Dhananjaya also blew their conchs. And hearing the blare of the conch
called Panchajanya, which resembled the roll of the thunder, all the
warriors (of the Pandava army) were filled with joy. And the leonine
roars of those warriors, endued with lightness of hand and speed of
motion, mingling with the blare of conchs and beat of drums, made the
whole earth, the welkin, and the oceans resound therewith."

SECTION CLIII

Vaisampayana said, "King Yudhishthira then caused his troops to encamp
on a part of the field that was level, cool, and abounding with grass and
fuel. Avoiding cemeteries, temples and compounds consecrated to the
deities, asylums of sages, shrines, and other sacred plots. Kunti's
high-souled son, Yudhishthira, pitched his camp on a delightful, fertile,
open and sacred part of the plain. And rising up, again, after his
animals had been given sufficient rest, the king set out joyously
surrounded by hundreds and thousands of monarchs. And Kesava accompanied
by Partha began to move about, scattering numerous soldiers of
Dhritarashtra (kept as outposts). And Dhrishtadyumna of Prishata's race
and that mighty car-warrior of great energy, viz., Yuyudhana, otherwise
called Satyaki, measured the ground for the encampment. And arrived, O
Bharata, at the holy Hiranwati which flows through Kurukshetra, which was
filled with sacred water, and whose bed was divested of pointed pebbles
and mire, and which was regarded as an excellent tirtha, Kesava caused a
moat to be excavated there, and for its protection stationed a sufficient
number of troops with proper instructions. And the rules that were
observed in respect of the tents of the high-souled Pandavas, were
followed by Kesava in the matter of the tents he caused to be set up for
the kings (that came as their allies). And, O monarch, costly tents,
incapable of being attacked, apart from one another, were, by hundreds
and thousands, set up for those kings on the surface of the earth, that
looked like palatial residences and abounded with fuels and edibles and
drinks. And there were assembled hundreds upon hundreds of skilled
mechanics, in receipt of regular w