05.169
Bhishma said:
The illustrious great king, the mighty chariot warrior of the Pandavas, will engage in battle like the gods against the enemy forces, O Bharata.
Purujit and Kuntibhoja, both great archers and mighty warriors, are the uncles of Bhimasena. He is considered by me to be a great chariot-warrior.
This hero, who is a great archer and accomplished, skilled indeed, is a wonderful warrior and capable, and is considered by me as the foremost of charioteers.
He will fight bravely like Indra against the Danavas. All his warriors are renowned and skilled in battle.
The hero, for the sake of his nephew, will perform a great deed in battle for the Pandavas, as the king stands for their dear benefit.
The great king Hidimba, son of Bhimasena and lord of demons, is regarded by me as a very deceitful leader among chariot warriors.
Dear father, the one who loves battle will engage in the fight using illusions. His demon warriors and ministers are brave and obedient.
These and many other kings from various regions, gathered for the cause of the Pāṇḍavas, led by Lord Vāsudeva.
These are primarily the chariots and great charioteers of the noble Pandava, O king, and those who are also regarded as half-charioteers.
O king, the formidable army of Yudhishthira will be led into battle, protected by the hero, like Mahendra, by the crowned one.
O hero, I will fight you in battle with arrows, desiring victory, or else meet my death in the battlefield.
Arjuna and Krishna, the supreme among men, arrived at the assembly at twilight, resembling the sun and moon, wielding their discus and Gandiva bow.
I will face those great charioteers and soldiers of the Pandavas with my armies at the forefront of the battle.
These warriors and great warriors have been mentioned to you as the chief ones, O king, by me. Similarly, O king, some of them are also half-warriors, O lord of the Kauravas.
I will hold back all, including Arjuna, Vasudeva, and the other kings present there, until I can see, O Bharata.
O mighty-armed one, I will not kill Shikhandi, the son of Drupada, as he stands ready with his arrows, fighting back in the battle.
The world is aware that I have renounced the kingdom I obtained to please my father and have taken a firm vow of celibacy.
I appointed Chitrangada as the king of the Kauravas and Vichitravirya as the crown prince.
Having declared the state of being devoted to the gods among all the kings on earth, I would never kill a woman, nor anyone who was formerly a woman, in any circumstance.
O King, if you have heard of Śikhaṇḍī, who was formerly a woman and became a man, I will not fight with him, O Bhārata.
O best of the Bharatas, I will slay all other kings I meet in battle, but I will spare the sons of Kunti, O king.
