06.017
Core and Pancharatra: Description of the Kaurava army formation.
Sanjaya said:
As the revered sage Vyasa, known as Krishna Dvaipayana, spoke, all the kings gathered together in the same manner.
On that day, Soma entered the region of Magha. The seven great planets shone brightly and fell in the sky.
The sun appeared to be split in two at sunrise, with a blazing flame, the sun rose once more in the sky.
In the blazing direction, jackals and crows howled, eager for bodies to feast on flesh and blood.
Every day, the elder Bhishma, the grandsire of the Kurus, and Drona, the son of Bharadvāja, would rise in the morning, ready for battle.
The subduers of enemies declared victory for the sons of Pandu. They engaged in battle for your cause, as per the agreement made.
Your father, Devavrata, who knows all dharmas, gathered the kings and spoke these words.
This is the great gate to heaven opened for you, O warriors. Proceed through it to join the realms of Indra and Brahma.
This is the eternal path that your ancestors and their ancestors have followed. Prepare yourself with a steady mind for the battle.
Nābhāga, Yayāti, Māndhātā, Nahuṣa, and Nṛga have all attained the supreme abode through such deeds.
For a Kshatriya, dying of disease at home is considered unrighteous; his eternal duty is to die in battle.
Upon being addressed in this manner by Bhishma, the revered elder, the kings, O best of the Bharatas, set forth, embellishing their respective armies with magnificent chariots.
Karna, the son of Vikartana, was strategically positioned in the battlefield with his ministers and relatives by Bhishma, the great warrior, O best of the Bharatas.
Your sons and kings, with their ears cut off, departed, making the ten directions resound with a lion's roar.
The armies, adorned with white umbrellas, flags, banners, elephants, and horses, appeared splendid with chariots and foot soldiers.
The earth was filled with the tumultuous sounds of drums, small drums, kettledrums, and the echoes of chariot wheels, creating a scene of chaos.
The great warriors, adorned with golden armlets, bracelets, and bows, appeared resplendent, resembling moving mountains.
Bhishma, the leader of the Kuru army, stood with a grand banner and a flag adorned with five stars, radiating brilliance like the sun.
O best of the Bharatas, your great archer kings acted according to the command of Śāntanu, O king.
Govasana and Shaibya, along with all the kings, proceeded with the king of elephants, adorned with a royal flag. The lotus-colored leader stood at the forefront of all the troops.
Ashwatthama, adorned with a banner depicting a lion's tail, proceeded with readiness. Alongside him were Shrutayu, Chitrasena, Purumitra, and Vivimshati.
Shalya, Bhurishrava, Vikarna, and other great warriors, led by Ashwatthama, were positioned in front of Bhishma in splendid chariots.
Their flags, made of gold, adorned the excellent chariots and were seen shining brightly.
The golden altar, adorned with a water-pot, stood as the banner of the chief teacher Drona, alongside his bow.
Duryodhana had a great banner with a bejeweled serpent, followed by many hundreds and thousands of troops.
His allies, including Paurava, Kalinga, Kamboja, Sudakshina, Kṣemadhanvā, and Sumitra, positioned themselves prominently in front of the chariots.
The King of Magadha proceeded with his grand chariot, adorned with a banner and a bull, leading the front of the army as if in a majestic display.
The strength of the eastern forces, safeguarded by the lord of Anga and the noble Kripa, resembled a dense formation of autumn clouds.
Jayadratha, greatly renowned, stood at the forefront of the army with the boar, shining with the chief silver banner.
He had a hundred thousand obedient chariots, eight thousand elephants, and ten thousand horsemen, six in number.
The front of the army, protected by the lord of the ocean, shone brilliantly with countless chariots, elephants, and horses, forming a mighty force, O king.
The lord of all Kalingas, accompanied by Ketumat, proceeded with sixty thousand chariots and ten thousand elephants.
His great elephants, resembling mountains, shone brightly, adorned with machines, spears, quivers, and flags.
The lord of Kalinga appeared resplendent, adorned with the chief of flags, a tree, a white umbrella, a golden ornament, and a yak-tail fan.
O king, having a banner, he mounted a magnificent elephant with a supreme goad, appearing in battle like the sun amidst the clouds.
Bhagadatta, shining with brilliance and mounted on the best elephant, proceeded like King Indra, the wielder of the thunderbolt.
Vindha and Anuvindha, the two princes of Avanti, were mounted on the elephant's back, equal to Bhagadatta, and devoted to Ketumanta.
He, with a chariot formation and a battle array that had excellent elephant limbs and a head, and with horses as wings, flew fiercely and attacked in all directions.
The arrangement was made by Drona, O king, as well as by the king, Santanu's son, the teacher's son, Bahlika, and Kripa.
