s and the
Pandavas both standing on the field of battle. Skilled in fight, the two
heroes, O monarch, in that encounter, became highly enraged with each
other and wished to slay each other. Desiring to take each other's life,
like Indra and Vritra, O lord, they faced each other like two mighty
comets of terrible form. Then in the sky, differences and disputes,
accompanied with revilings, arose among the creatures there, O bull of
Bharata's race, on the subject of Karna and Arjuna. All the inhabitants
of the world, O sire, were heard to differ amongst themselves. The gods,
the Danavas, the Gandharvas, the Pishacas, the Snakes, the Rakshasas,
adopted opposite sides in that encounter between Karna and Arjuna. The
welkin, O monarch, with all the stars, became anxious on Karna's account,
while the wide earth became so on Partha's account, like the mother for
her son. The rivers, the seas, the mountains, O best of men, the trees,
the deciduous plants and herbs, took the side of the diadem-decked
Arjuna. The Asuras, Yatudhanas, the Guhyakas, O scorcher of foes, and
ravens and other rangers of the sky, sided with Karna. All the gems and
precious jewels, the four Vedas with the histories as the fifth, the
Upavedas, the Upanishads, with all their mysteries, and the compilations,
and Vasuki, and Citrasena, and Takshaka, and Upatakshaka, and all the
mountains, and all the offspring of Kadru with their children, all the
great snakes endued with poison, and the Nagas, took the side of Arjuna.
Airavata and his children, the offspring of Surabhi, the offspring of
Vaisali, and the Bhogins sided with Arjuna. The smaller snakes all sided
with Karna. Wolves and wild stags and all kinds of auspicious animals and
birds were, O king, for victory to Partha. The Vasus, the Maruts, the
Sadhyas, the Rudras, the Vishvedevas and the Ashvinis, and Agni and Indra
and Soma and Pavana, and the ten points of the compass, became the
partisans of Dhananjaya, while all the Adityas sided with Karna. The
Vaishyas, the Shudras, the Sutas, and those castes that were of a mixed
origin, all, O king, adopted the side of Radha's son. The celestials,
however, with the pitris, and with all that were numbered with them as
also with their followers, and Yama and Vaishravana and Varuna were on
the side of Arjuna. The Brahmanas, the Kshatriyas, the sacrifices, and
those gifts called dakshinas, were for Arjuna. The pretas, and Pishacas,
many carnivorous animals and birds,