Vaisampayana said, "After the Kauravas, O Bharata, had taken their stand
in this order, Arjuna, filling the air with the rattle and din of his
car, advanced quickly towards them. And the Kurus beheld his banner-top
and heard the rattle and din of his car as also the twang of the
_Gandiva_ stretched repeatedly by him. And noting all this, and seeing
that great car-warrior--the wielder of the _Gandiva_--come, Drona spoke
thus, 'That is the banner-top of Partha which shineth at a distance, and
this is the noise of his car, and that is the ape that roareth
frightfully. Indeed, the ape striketh terror in the troops. And there
stationed on that excellent car, the foremost of car-warriors draweth
that best of bows, the _Gandiva_, whose twang is as loud as the thunder.
Behold, these two shafts coming together fall at my feet, and two others
pass off barely touching my ears. Completing the period of exile and
having achieved many wonderful feats, Partha saluteth me and whispereth
in my ears. Endued with wisdom and beloved of his relatives, this
Dhananjaya, the son of Pandu, is, indeed, beheld by us after a long
time, blazing with beauty and grace. Possessed of car and arrows,
furnished with handsome fences and quiver and conch and banner and coat
of mail, decked with diadem and scimitar and bow, the son of Pritha
shineth like the blazing (_Homa_) fire surrounded with sacrificial
ladles and fed with sacrificial butter.'"
Vaisampayana continued, "Beholding the Kurus ready for battle, Arjuna
addressing Matsya's son in words suitable to the occasion, said, 'O
charioteer, restrain thou the steeds at such a point whence my arrows
may reach the enemy. Meanwhile, let me see, where, in the midst of this
army, is that vile wretch of the Kuru race. Disregarding all these, and
singling out that vainest of princes I will fall upon his head, for upon
the defeat of that wretch the others will regard themselves as defeated.
There standeth Drona, and thereafter him his son. And there are those
great bowmen--Bhishma and Kripa and Karna. I do not see, however, the
king there. I suspect that anxious to save his life, he retreateth by
the southern road, taking away with him the kine. Leaving this array of
car-warriors, proceed to the spot where Suyodhana is. There will I
fight, O son of Virata, for there the battle will not be fruitless,
Defeating him I will come back, taking away the kine.'"
Vaisampayana continued, "Thus addressed, the son of Virata restrained
the steeds with an effort and turned them by a pull at the bridle from
the spot where those bulls of the Kuru race were, and urged them on
towards the place where Duryodhana was. And as Arjuna went away leaving
that thick array of cars, Kripa, guessing his intention, addressed his
own comrades, saying, 'This Vibhatsu desireth not to take up his stand
at a spot remote from the king. Let us quickly fall upon the flanks of
the advancing hero. When inflamed with wrath, none else, unassisted, can
encounter him in battle save the deity of a thousand eyes, or Krishna
the son of Devaki. Of what use to us would the kine be or this vast
wealth also, if Duryodhana were to sink, like a boat, in the ocean of
_Partha_?' Meanwhile, Vibhatsu, having proceeded towards that division
of the army, announced himself speedily by name, and covered the troops
with his arrows thick as locusts. And covered with those countless
shafts shot by Partha, the hostile warriors could not see anything, the
earth itself and the sky becoming overwhelmed therewith. And the
soldiers who had been ready for the fight were so confounded that none
could even the flee from the field. And beholding the light-handedness
of Partha they all applauded it mentally. And Arjuna then blew his conch
which always made the bristles of the foe stand erect. And twanging his
best of bows, he urged the creatures on his flagstaff to roar more
frightfully. And at the blare of his conch and the rattle of his
car-wheels, and the twang of the _Gandiva_, and the roar of the
superhuman creatures stationed on his flagstaff, the earth itself began
to tremble. And shaking their upraised tails and lowing together, the
kine turned back, proceeding along the southern road.'"