ying Darkness with his fierce rays! The sons of Pandu
with Keshava are not able to even look at the shafts shot by thee, like
owls unable to gaze at the burning rays of the Sun! The Parthas with the
Pancalas are incapable of standing before thee armed with weapons, like
the Danavas before Indra in battle!" Installed in the command, Radha's
son of incomparable splendour looked resplendent in beauty and radiance
like a second Sun. Having installed the son of Radha (thus) in the
command of the army, thy son, urged on by Death, regarded himself as one
who had his purpose accomplished. That chastiser of foes, Karna, also, O
king, having obtained the command, ordered the troops to be arrayed, at
the rise of the Sun. Surrounded by thy sons, O Bharata, Karna looked
resplendent like Skanda surrounded by the celestials, in the battle
having Saraka for its evil root.'"

11

"Dhritarashtra said, 'After having obtained the command of the army, and
after he had been addressed by the king himself in those sweet and
brotherly words, and after he had ordered the troops to be arrayed at the
hour of sunrise, tell me, O Sanjaya, what did Vikartana's son Karna do?'

"Sanjaya said, 'Having learnt Karna's wishes, thy sons, O bull of
Bharata's race, ordered the troops to be arrayed with joyful music. While
it still wanted a long period for the coming of the dawn, a loud noise of
"Array, Array!" O king, suddenly arose among thy troops. And the uproar
that arose, became tremendous and touched the very heavens, of foremost
of elephants and fenced cars while under process of equipment, of
foot-soldiers and steeds, O monarch, while putting on their armour or in
course of being harnessed, and of combatants moving with activity and
shouting unto one another! Then the Suta's son bearing a gold-backed bow
appeared (on the field) in his car possessed of the splendour of the
radiant Sun, crowned with many banners, equipped with a white standard,
with steeds of the hue of cranes, bearing the device of the elephants'
rope, filled with a hundred quivers, furnished with mace and wooden
fence, freighted with shataghnis and rows of bells and darts and lances
and spears, and supplied with many bows. And the Suta's son appeared on
the field, blowing his conch, O king; decorated with a net-work of gold,
and shaking his formidable bow adorned with pure gold. Beholding the
mighty bowman Karna, that foremost of car-warriors, seated on his car,
difficult of app