ut. And those heroes, viz., the Pandavas and the
Somakas, and those who followed them, filled with joy, blew their
sea-born conches. And drums, and Pesis, and Karkachas, and cow-horns were
beaten and blown together, and the uproar made was very loud. And then, O
ruler of men, there came the gods, with Gandharvas and the Pitris, and
the hosts of Siddhas and Charanas, from desire of witnessing (the sight).
And Rishis highly blessed came there in a body with him (Indra) of a
hundred sacrifices at their head, for beholding that great slaughter.
Then, O king, beholding the two armies, that looked like two oceans,
ready for the encounter and continuously moving, the heroic king
Yudhishthira, the Just, putting off his coat of mail and casting aside
his excellent weapon and quickly descending from his car, with joined
hands, proceeded on foot, eyeing the grandsire, with restrained speech,
facing the east, towards the direction where the hostile host was
(standing).[309] And seeing him proceed (thus), Dhananjaya, the son of
Kunti, speedily alighting from his car, followed him, accompanied by his
(other) brothers. And the Lord Vasudeva also followed him behind. And the
principal kings too (of his army), filled with anxiety, followed in the
same path.

"Arjuna said, 'What is this act of thine, O king, that abandoning thy
brothers, thou proceedest on foot, face eastwards, to the hostile host?'

"Bhimasena said, 'Where wilt thou go, O king of kings, having cast off
thy coat of mail and weapons, towards the warriors of the foe cased in
mail, and leaving thy brothers, O ruler of earth?'

"Nakula said, 'Thou art my eldest brother, O Bharata, (beholding) thee
proceeding in this way, fear troubleth my bosom. Tell (us), whither wilt
thou go?'

"Sahadeva said, 'When these hostile divisions, terrible and numerous, are
here with whom we are to fight, whither dost thou go, O king, in the
direction of our foes?'"

Sanjaya continued, "Though thus addressed by his brothers, O son of
Kuru's race, Yudhishthira of restrained speech said nothing but continued
to proceed. Unto them (then), the high-souled Vasudeva of great wisdom
smilingly said,--'His object is known to me. Having paid his respects to
all his superiors (such as) Bhishma, Drona, and Kripa, and Salya also, he
will fight the foe. It is heard in histories of olden times that he who,
having paid his respects according to the ordinance unto his preceptors,
revered in years and his kin