senses and who was
uttering these words of lamentation towards the car. And the son of
Pritha then addressed the affrighted prince who had nearly lost his
senses, saying, 'If, O chastiser of foes, thou dost not venture to fight
with enemy, come thou and hold the reins of the steeds as I fight with
the foe. Protected by the might of my arms, penetrate thou yon
formidable and invincible array of cars guarded by heroic and mighty
warriors. Fear not, O chastiser of foes, thou art a _Kshatriya_ and the
foremost of royal princes. Why dost thou, O tiger among men, succumb in
the midst of the foe? I shall surely fight with the Kurus and recover
the kine, penetrating into this formidable and inaccessible array of
cars. Be thou my charioteer, O best of men, I will fight with the
Kurus.' Thus speaking unto Uttara, the son of Virata, Vibhatsu,
heretofore unconquered in battle, for a while comforted him. And then
the son of Pritha, that foremost of smiters, raised on the car that
fainting and reluctant prince stricken with fear!"

SECTION XXXIX

Vaisampayana said, "Beholding that bull among men seated on the car in
the habit of a person of the third sex, driving toward the _Sami_ tree,
having taken (the flying) Uttara up, all the great car-warriors of the
Kurus with Bhishma and Drona at their head, became affrighted at heart,
suspecting the comer to be Dhananjaya. And seeing them so dispirited and
marking also the many wonderful portents, that foremost of all wielders
of arms, the preceptor Drona, son of Bharadwaja, said, 'Violent and hot
are the winds that below, showering gravels in profusion. The sky also
is overcast with a gloom of ashy hue. The clouds present the strange
sight of being dry and waterless. Our weapons also of various kinds are
coming out of their cases. The jackals are yelling hideously affrighted
at the conflagrations on all sides.[41] The horses too are shedding
tears, and our banners are trembling though moved by none. Such being
the inauspicious indications seen, a great danger is at hand. Stay ye
with vigilance. Protect ye your own selves and array the troops in order
of battle. Stand ye, expecting a terrible slaughter, and guard ye well
the kine. This mighty bowman, this foremost of all wielders of weapons,
this hero that hath come in the habit of a person of the third sex, is
the son of Pritha. There is no doubt of this.' Then addressing Bhishma,
the preceptor continued, 'O offspring of the Ganges, app