emory. And, O
hero, beholding thee incessantly drawing to a circle, in course of the
conflict, the _Gandiva_ which resembleth a circle of fire, my sight
faileth me and my heart is rent asunder. And seeing thy fierce form in
battle, like that of the wielder of the _Pinaka_ while inflamed with
wrath, and looking also at the terrible arrows shot by thee, I am filled
with fear. I fail to see when thou takest up thy excellent arrows, when
thou fixest them on the bow-string, and when thou lettest them off. And
though all this is done before my eyes, yet, deprived of my senses, I do
not see it. My spirits are drooping and earth itself seems to be
swimming before me. I have no strength to hold the whip and the reins.'
Hearing these words, Arjuna said, 'Do thou not fear. Assure thyself.
Thou also hast, on the field of battle performed, O bull among men,
wonderful feats. Blessed be thou, thou art a prince and born in the
illustrious line of Matsyas. It behoveth thee not to feel dispirited in
chastising thy foes. Therefore, O prince, stationed on my car, muster
all thy fortitude and hold the reins of my steeds, O slayer of foes,
when I once more become engaged in battle.'"

Vaisampayana continued, "Having said this unto Virata's son, that best
of men and foremost of car-warriors, the mighty-armed Arjuna, again
addressed the son of Virata, saying. 'Take me without delay to the van
of Bhishma's division. I will cut off his very bow-string in the battle.
Thou shalt behold today the celestial weapons of blazing beauty, shot by
me, look like flashes of lightning disporting amid the clouds in the
sky. The Kauravas shall behold the gold decked back of my _Gandiva_
today, and assembled together the foe shall dispute, saying,--_By which
hand of his, the right or the left, doth he shoot_? And I shall cause a
dreadful river (of death) to flow today towards the other world with
blood for its waters and cars for its eddies, and elephants for its
crocodiles. I shall today, with my straight arrows, extirpate the _Kuru_
forest having hands and feet and heads and backs and arms for the
branches of its trees. Alone, bow in hand, vanquishing the Kuru host, a
hundred paths shall open before me like those of a forest in
conflagration. Struck by me thou shalt today behold the Kuru army moving
round and round like a wheel (unable to fly off the field). I shall show
thee today my excellent training in arrows and weapons. Stay thou on my
car firmly, wheth