“Sanjaya said, ‘Hearing these words of the king Yudhishthira the just,
that bull among the Sinis feared the censure of Arjuna if he left the
king. Seeing, however, the certainty of an imputation of cowardice by the
people (if he disobeyed Yudhishthira), he said to himself, “Let not
people say that I am afraid of proceeding towards Arjuna.” Reflecting
repeatedly on this, Satyaki, that hero invincible in battle, that bull
among men, said these words unto king Yudhishthira the just, “If thou
thinkest that these arrangements will suffice for thy protection, O
monarch, I will then do thy bidding and follow Vibhatsu. I tell thee
truly, O king, that there is none in the three worlds who is dearer to me
than Phalguna. I will follow in his track at the command, O giver of
honours. There is nothing that I will not do for thy sake. O best of men,
the commands of my preceptor are always of weight with me. But thy
commands are still weightier with me, O lord! Thy brothers, viz., Krishna
and Dhananjaya, are always engaged in doing what is agreeable to thee.
Taking thy command on my head for the sake of Arjuna, O lord, I will
proceed, O bull among men, piercing through this impenetrable host.
Darting wrathfully through this force of Drona, like a fish through the
sea, I will go thither, O monarch, where king Jayadratha, depending upon
his troops, stayeth, in fear of the son of Pandu, protected by those
foremost of car-warriors, viz., Drona’s son Karna and Kripa! The distance
from here, O king, is three Yojanas, I think, of that spot where Partha
stayeth, ready to slay Jayadratha! But though Partha is three Yojanas
distant I shall yet follow in his track with a stout heart, and stay with
him, O king, till Jayadratha’s slaughter. What man is there that goes to
battle without the commands of his superiors? And when one is commanded,
O king, as I have been by thee, who is there like me that would not
fight? I know that place whither I shall have to go, O lord! Teeming as
this ocean-like host doth with ploughshare and darts and maces and
shields and scimitars and swords and lances and foremost of shafts, I
will today agitate this ocean. This elephant division, consisting of a
thousand elephants, that thou seest, all belonging to the breed known by
the name of Anjana and all endued with great prowess, which are all
mounted by a large number of Mlecchas, delighting in battle and
accomplished in smiting,--these elephants, O king, that are shedding
their juicy secretions like rain-pouring clouds,--these never retreat if
urged forward by those upon their backs. They cannot be vanquished, O
king, unless they are slaughtered. Then again, those car-warriors
numbering thousands, that thou seest, are all of royal lineage and are
all Maharathas. They are called Rukmarathas.[149] They are accomplished
in weapons and battling from cars, as also in fighting from the backs of
elephants, O monarch! Thorough masters of the science of weapons, they
are accomplished in fighting with their fists. Skilled in battling with
maces, masters also of the art of close fight, they are equally clever in
striking with scimitars and in falling upon the foe with sword and
shield. They are brave and learned, and animated by a spirit of rivalry.
Every day, O king, they vanquish a vast number of men in battle. They are
commanded by Karna and devoted to Duhsasana. Even Vasudeva applauds them
as great car-warriors. Always solicitous of Karna’s welfare, they are
obedient to him. It is at Karna’s command, O king, that returning from
their pursuit of Arjuna and, therefore, unfatigued and unworn, those
brave warriors, cased in impenetrable armour and armed with strong bows,
are certainly waiting for me, ordered by Duryodhana also. Crushing them
in battle for thy good, O Kaurava, I shall then follow in the track of
Savyasachin. Those other elephants, O king, seven hundred in number, that
thou seest, all cased in armour and ridden by Kiratas, and decked with
ornaments, the king of the Kiratas, desirous of his life, had formerly
presented to Savyasachin together with many servants in their train.
These, O king, were formerly employed in doing thy business. Behold the
vicissitudes that time brings about, for these are now battling against
thee. Those elephants are ridden by Kiratas difficult of defeat in
battle. They are accomplished in fighting from elephants, and are all
sprung from the race of Agni. Formerly, they were all vanquished in
battle by Savyasachin. They are now waiting for me carefully, under the
orders of Duryodhana. Slaying with my shafts, O king, these Kiratas
difficult of defeat in battle, I shall follow in the track of Arjuna who
is intent on the slaughter of the ruler of the Sindhus. Those (other)
huge elephants, sprung from the race of Arjuna, of impenetrable hides,
well-trained, and adorned, and from whose mouths the juicy secretions are
trickling down, and which are well-adorned with armour made wholly of
gold are very formidable in battle and resemble Airavata himself. They
have come from the northern hills, and are ridden by fierce robbers that
are of strong limbs, that are all foremost of warriors, and that are
cased in steel coats of mail. There, amongst them, are persons born of
the cow, or the ape, or of diverse other creatures, including those born
of men. That division of the assembled Mlecchas that are all sinful and
that come from the fastnesses of Himavat, seem at a distance to be of
smoky colour. Obtaining these, and countless Kshatriyas, as also Kripa
and that foremost of car-warriors, viz., Drona and the ruler of the
Sindhus, and the Karna, he thinks lightly of the Pandavas. Impelled by
fate, he regards himself crowned with success. Those I have named will,
however, today be within reach of my arrows. They shall not escape me, O
son of Kunti, even if they be endued with the speed of the mind. Much
regarded always by Duryodhana, that prince who dependeth upon the prowess
of others, those warriors, afflicted with my clouds of shafts, will meet
with destruction. Those other car-warriors, O king, whom thou seest, and
who have golden standards and are difficult of being resisted, are called
Kamvojas. They are brave and accomplished, and firmly devoted to the
science of weapons. Desiring one another’s welfare they are all firmly
united. They constitute a full Akshauhini of wrathful warriors, O
Bharata, and are staying carefully for my sake, well-protected by the
Kuru heroes. They are on the alert, O king, with their eyes on me. I
shall certainly destroy them all, like fire destroying a heap of straw.
Therefore, O king, let those that equip cars, place quivers and all
necessaries on my car in proper places. Indeed, in such a dreadful
battle, diverse kinds of weapons ought to be taken. Let the car be
equipped (with necessaries) five times more than what professors of
military science direct, for I shall have to encounter the Kamvojas who
resemble fierce snakes of virulent poison. I shall have also to encounter
the Kiratas who are armed with diverse weapons of warfare, who resemble
virulent poison, who are accomplished in smiting, who have always been
well-treated by Duryodhana, and who on that account are always intent on
Duryodhana’s welfare. I shall also have to encounter the Sakas endued
with prowess equal to that of Sakra himself, who are fierce as fire, and
difficult to put out like a blazing conflagration. Indeed, O king, I
shall have to encounter in battle many warriors difficult of being
resisted. For this let well-known steeds of best breed and graced with
auspicious marks be yoked to my car, after causing their thirst to be
slaked and after grooming them duly!”’
“Sanjaya continued, ‘After this, Yudhishthira caused quivers full of
shafts, and diverse kinds of weapons, and, indeed, all necessaries, to be
placed on Satyaki’s car. Then, people caused his four well-harnessed and
excellent steeds to drink and walk, bathe and eat, and having adorned
them with golden chains and plucked out their arrows, those animals, that
had (for these operations) been freed from the yoke, and that were of the
hue of gold and well-trained and endued with great speed and cheerful and
exceedingly docile, were duly yoked again unto his car. And upon that car
was set up a tall standard bearing a lion of golden maces. And that
standard had attached round it banners of the hue of white clouds and
decked with gold was also placed upon that vehicle bearing a heavy weight
of weapons. After those steeds, adorned with trappings of gold, had been
yoked to that car, the younger brother of Daruka, who was the charioteer
and the dear friend of Satyaki, came and represented unto the latter that
the car had been duly equipped, like Matali representing the equipment of
the car unto Vasava himself. Satyaki then, having taken a bath and
purified himself and undergone every auspicious ceremony, gave nishkas of
gold unto a thousand Snataka Brahmanas who uttered benedictions upon him.
Blessed with those benedictions Satyaki that foremost of handsome men,
that hero worthy of worship, having drunk kairata, honey, shone
resplendent, with reddened eyes rolling in intoxication. Having touched a
brazen mirror and filled with great joy, his energy became doubled, and
himself looked like a blazing fire. Taking upon his shoulders his bow
with arrows, that foremost of car-warriors, eased in armour and decked in
ornaments, had the regenerate ones perform for him the rites of
propitiation. And fair maidens honoured him by showering upon him fried
paddy and perfumes and floral garlands. And the hero then, with joined
hands, worshipped the feet of Yudhishthira, and the latter smelt his
head. And having undergone all these rites, he then mounted his foremost
of cars. Then those steeds, cheerful and strong and fleet as the wind,
and invincible, and belonging to the Sindhu breed, bore him on that
triumphant car. Similarly, Bhimasena also, honoured by king Yudhishthira
the just, and reverentially saluting the monarch, set out with Satyaki.
Beholding those two chastisers of foes on the point of penetrating thy
host, their enemies, viz., thy troops, all stood still with Drona at
their head. Then Satyaki, seeing Bhima cased in mail and following him,
saluted that hero and spoke unto him these delightful words. Indeed,
heroic Satyaki, with every limb filled with joy, said unto Bhima, “Do
thou, O Bhima, protect the king. Even this is thy duty above all things.
Piercing through this host whose hour hath come, I will proceed. Whether
now or hence, the protection of the king is thy highest duty. Thou
knowest my prowess, thou desirest my good, return, O Bhima!” Thus
addressed by Satyaki, Bhima replied, “Go then, for the success of thy
object. O best of men, I will protect the king.” Thus addressed, he of
Madhu’s race answered Bhima, saying, “Go back, O son of Pritha! My
success is certain, since won over by my merits, thus, O Bhima, art today
obedient to my wishes. Indeed, O Bhima, as these auspicious omens tell
me, my victory is assured. After the sinful ruler of the Sindhus has been
slain by the high-souled son of Pandu, I shall embrace king Yudhishthira
of virtuous soul.” Having said these words unto Bhima and dismissing him
with an embrace that illustrious warrior eyed thy troops, like a tiger
eyeing a herd of deer. Beholding him thus looking at thy army, O king,
thy troops become once more stupefied and began to tremble violently.
Then, O king, Satyaki desirous of seeing Arjuna at the command of king
Yudhishthira the just, suddenly dashed against thy troops.’”