ishthira from desire of rescuing
him. Yonder, Duryodhana, O Partha, the king of the whole world, clad in
mail and accompanied by a large car force, is pursuing the Pandava king.
Impelled by the desire of slaughtering his rival, the mighty Duryodhana,
O tiger among men, is pursuing him, accompanied by his brothers, the
touch of whose weapons is as fatal as that of poisonous snakes and who
are all conversant with every mode of warfare. Those Dhartarashtra
elephants and horses and car-warriors and foot-soldiers are advancing to
seize Yudhishthira like poor men after a precious gem. Behold, checked by
Satyaki and Bhima, they have again been stupefied, like the Daityas, that
desired to take away the Amrita, made motionless by Sakra and Agni. The
mighty car-warriors (of the Kuru army), however, in consequence of the
vastness of their numbers, are again proceeding towards Yudhishthira like
a vast quantity of water in the season of rains rushing towards the
ocean. Those mighty bowmen are uttering leonine roars, blowing their
conchs, and shaking their bows. I regard Kunti's son Yudhishthira, thus
brought under the influence of Duryodhana, to be already within the jaws
of Death or already poured as a libation on the sacrificial fire. The
army of Dhritarashtra's son, O Pandava, is arrayed and equipped duly.
Sakra himself, coming within the range of its arrows, can scarcely
escape. Who will in battle bear the impetuosity of the heroic Duryodhana
who shoots showers of arrows with the greatest celerity and who, when
angry, resembles the Destroyer himself? The force of the heroic
Duryodhana's shafts, or Drona's son's or Kripa's or Karna's would break
down the very mountains. That scorcher of foes, viz., king Yudhishthira,
was once compelled by Karna to turn his back upon the field. The son of
Radha is endued with great might and great lightness of hand. Possessed
of great skill, he is accomplished in battle. He is competent to afflict
the eldest son of Pandu in fight, specially when he is united with the
mighty and brave son of Dhritarashtra. Of rigid vows, when the son of
Pritha (Yudhishthira) had been engaged in battle with all those warriors,
other great car-warriors had struck him and contributed to his defeat.
The king, O best of the Bharatas, is exceedingly emaciated in consequence
of his fasts. He is endued with Brahma-force, but the puissant one is not
endued with much of Kshatriya-might. Assailed, however, by Karna, the
royal s