hers was persecuted
by me. Virata and Drupada whom I had waged hostilities with, obedient to
Vasudeva, both of them have become the leaders of Yudhishthira's host.
The battle, therefore, that will take place, will be a fierce and
terrific one. Casting off all sloth, cause every preparation to be made
for the encounter. Let the kings (my allies) pitch their tents by
hundreds and thousands on Kurukshetra, all of which must be spacious,
incapable of being approached by enemies, near enough to places abounding
with water and fuel, in such positions that the communications thereto
for sending supplies may not be stopped at any time by the foe,--full of
weapons of diverse kinds, and decked with streamers and flags. Let the
road from our city to the camp be made level for their march. Let it be
proclaimed this very day, without loss of time, that our march will
commence tomorrow.' (Hearing these words of the king), they said, 'So be
it,'--and when the morrow came, those high-souled persons did everything
they had been commanded to do for the accommodation of the monarchs. And
all those monarchs (meanwhile), hearing the king's command, rose up from
their costly seats, with wrath having the foe for its objects. And they
began to slowly rub their mace-like arms, blazing with bracelets of gold,
and decked with the paste of sandal and other fragrant substances. And
they also commenced, with those lotus-like hands of theirs, to wear their
head-gears and lower and upper garments and diverse kinds of ornaments.
And many foremost of car-warriors began to superintend the furnishing of
their cars, and persons conversant with horse-lore began to harness their
steeds, while those versed in matters relating to elephants began to
equip those huge animals. And all those warriors began to wear diverse
kinds of beautiful armour made of gold, and arm themselves with diverse
weapons. And the foot-soldiers began to take up various kinds of arms and
case their bodies in various kinds of armour decorated with gold. And, O
Bharata, the city of Duryodhana then, filled as it was with rejoicing
millions, wore the bright aspect of a festive occasion. And, O king, the
Kuru capital at the prospect of battle looked like the ocean on the
appearance of the moon, with the vast crowds of humanity representing its
waters with their eddies; the cars, elephants, and horses representing
its fishes; the tumult of conchs and drums, its roar; the
treasure-chests, its je