“Dhritarashtra said, ‘Describe to me, O Sanjaya, the diverse kinds of
standards resplendent with great beauty, of both the Partha and our
warriors (in that battle).’
“Sanjaya said, ‘Hear, O king, of the diverse kinds of standards of those
high-souled warriors. Listen to me as I describe their forms and names.
Indeed, O king, upon the cars of those foremost of car-warriors were seen
diverse kinds of standards that shone like blazing flames of fire. Made
of gold, or decked with gold, or adorned with strings of gold and each
looking like the golden mountain (Meru), diverse kinds of standards were
there that were highly beautiful. And those standards of the warriors had
attached all around them excellent banners. Indeed, having banners of
diverse hues attached to them all around, those standards looked
exceedingly beautiful. Those banners, again, moved by the wind, looked
like fair ladies dancing in the midst of a sporting arena. Endued with
the splendour of the rainbow, those banners, O bull of Bharata’s race, of
those car-warriors, floating in the breeze, highly adorned their cars.
The standard, bearing the sign of the ape of fierce face and tail, like
that of the lion, belonging to Dhananjaya, seemed to inspire fear in that
battle. That standard, O king of the wielder of Gandiva, bearing that
foremost of apes, and adorned with many banners, frightened the Kuru
host. Similarly, the lion-tail standard-top of Drona’s son, O Bharata, we
saw, was endued with the effulgence of the rising sun decked with gold,
floating in the breeze, possessed of the splendour of the rainbow, the
standard mark of Drona’s son appeared on high, inspiring the foremost of
Kuru warriors with joy. The standard of Adhiratha’s son bore the mark of
an elephant-rope made of gold. It seemed, O king, in battle to fill the
whole welkin. The banner, adorned with gold and garlands, attached to the
standard of Karna in battle, shaken by the wind, seemed to dance upon his
car. The preceptor of the Pandavas, that Brahmana, given to ascetic
penances, viz., Kripa the son of Gotama, had for his mark an excellent
bovine bull. That high-souled one, O king, with that bovine bull, looked
as resplendent, as the Destroyer of the three cities[147] looks
resplendent with his bull. Vrishasena has a peacock made of gold and
adorned with jewels and gems. And it stood on his standard, as if in the
act of crowing, and always adorned the van of the army. With that
peacock, the car of the high-souled Vrishasena shone, like the car, O
king, of Skanda (the celestial generalissimo) shining with his peacock
unrivalled and beautiful ploughshare made of gold and looking like flame
of fire. That ploughshare, O sire, looked resplendent on his car. Salya,
the ruler of the Madras, we saw, had on his standard-top an image like
the presiding goddess of corn, endued with beauty and producing every
seed. A silver boar adorned the standard-top of the ruler of the Sindhus.
Decked with golden chains, it was of the splendour of a white
crystal.[148] With that silver mark on his banner, the ruler of the
Sindhus looked as resplendent, as Surya in days of yore in the battle
between the celestials and the Asuras. The standard of Somadatta’s son,
devoted to sacrifices, bore the sign of the sacrificial stake. It was
seen to shine like the sun or the moon. That sacrificial stake made of
gold, O king of Somadatta’s son, looked resplendent like the tall stake
erected in the foremost of sacrifices called the Rajasuya. The standard
of Salya, O monarch, bearing a huge silver-elephant was adorned, on all
sides, with peacocks made of gold. The standard, O bull of Bharata’s
race, adorned thy troops like the huge white elephant adorning the host
of the celestial king. On the standard decked with gold, of king
Duryodhana, was an elephant adorned with gems. Tinkling with the sound of
a hundred bells, O king, that standard stood upon the excellent car of
that hero. And, O king, thy son, that bull among the Kurus, looked
resplendent, O monarch, with that tall standard in battle. These nine
excellent standards stood erect among thy divisions. The tenth standard
seen there was of Arjuna, decked with that huge ape. And with that
standard Arjuna looked highly resplendent, like Himavat with a blazing
fire (on its top). Then many mighty car-warriors, all chastisers of foes,
quickly took up their beautiful, bright and large bows for the sake of
(resisting) Arjuna. Similarly, Partha also, that achiever of celestial
feats, took up his foe-destroying bow Gandiva, in consequence, O king, of
thy evil policy. Many royal warriors, O king, were then slain in that
battle owing to thy fault. Rulers of men came from different realms
invited (by thy sons). And with them perished many steeds and many
elephants. Then those mighty car-warriors headed by Duryodhana (on one
side) and that bull amongst the Pandavas on the other, uttered loud roars
and began the encounter. And the feat that Kunti’s son, having Krishna
for his charioteer, achieved there, was highly wonderful, inasmuch as,
alone, he encountered fearlessly all those warriors united together. And
that mighty-armed hero looked resplendent as he stretched his bow
Gandiva, desirous of vanquishing all those tigers among men for slaying
the ruler of the Sindhus. With his shafts shot in thousands, that tiger
among men, viz., Arjuna, that scorcher of foes, made all those warriors
invisible (by means of his arrowy showers). On their side, those tigers
among men, those mighty car-warriors, also made Partha invisible by means
of their clouds of shafts shot from all sides. Beholding Arjuna, that
bull of Kuru’s race covered by those lions among men with their shafts,
loud was the uproar made by thy troops.’”