t is heard that he was a female
before. For this reason he should be renounced by me in battle." For this,
Bhishma should be particularly protected. Let all my warriors take up
their positions, resolved to slay Sikhandin. Let also all the troops from
the east, the west, the south, and the north, accomplished in every kind
of weapon, protect the grandsire. Even the lion of mighty strength, if
left unprotected may be slain by the wolf. Let us not, therefore, cause
Bhishma to be slain by Sikhandin like the lion slain by the jackal.
Yudhamanyu protects the left wheel, and Uttamauja protects the right
wheel of Phalguni. Protected by those two, Phalguni himself protects
Sikhandin. O Dussasana, act in such a way that Sikhandin who is protected
by Phalguni and whom Bhishma will renounce, may not slay Ganga's son.'"

SECTION XVI

Sanjaya said,--"When the night had passed away, loud became the noise
made by the kings, all exclaiming, 'Array! Array!' With the blare of
conches and the sound of drums that resembled leonine roars, O Bharata,
with the neigh of steeds, and the clatter of car-wheels, with the noise
of obstreperous elephants and the shouts, clapping of arm-pits, and cries
of roaring combatants, the din caused everywhere was very great. The
large armies of the Kurus and the Pandavas, O king, rising at sunrise,
completed all their arrangements. Then when the Sun rose, the fierce
weapons of attack and defence and the coats of mail of both thy sons and
the Pandavas, and the large and splendid armies of both sides, became
fully visible. There elephants and cars, adorned with gold, looked
resplendent like clouds mingled with lightning. The ranks of cars,
standing in profusion, looked like cities. And thy father, stationed
there, shone brilliantly, like the full moon. And the warriors armed with
bows and swords and scimitars and maces, javelins and lances and bright
weapons of diverse kinds, took up their positions in their (respective)
ranks. And resplendent standards were seen, set up by thousands, of
diverse forms, belonging to both ourselves and the foe. And made of gold
and decked with gems and blazing like fire, those banners in thousands
endued with great effulgence, looked beautiful like heroic combatants
cased in mail gazed at those standards, longing for battle.[90] And many
foremost of men, with eyes large as those of bulls endued with quivers,
and with hands cased in leathern fences, stood at the heads of their