Senodyoga Parva — The mission of the priest

Vaishampayana said Then did the hero Yuyudhana of the Satvata race, of great prowess, come to Yudhishthira with a large army containing all the four elements.

His warriors of great strength, came from many countries and heroes, holding many suits of weapons, beautified the army.

That army was ever beautiful for it had in it, battle axes, missiles, spears, lances, mallets, clubs, staves, cords, stainless, swords and daggers and arrows of various kinds all of the best sort.

The appearance of that army with those weapons was like the clouds with lightning.

And that army, numbering an Akshauhini when it became incorporated with Yudhishthira's army, vanished as it were, O king, as does a small river when it falls into the sea.

And in the same way did Dhrishtaketu, who was powerful as the best of the Chedis come with an army, an Akshauhini in number, to the Pandavas, of immeasurable strength.

And Jayatsena of great strength, son of Jarasandh, king of Magadha, came to the virtuous king with an army counting an Akshauhini.

In the same way, Pandya, O chief among kings, came to Yudhishthira surrounded by many warriors who had colonized along the sea.

And all his troops being assembled, the army with its fine dress and which was very strong became an object worth seeing, O chief among kings.

And the army of the king of Drupada, assembled from several countries, was graced by heroic men and also by his sons of wonderful valour.

In the same way did Virata, the king of the Matsya, the leader of an army come to the sons of Pandu, accompanied by a large body of soldiers, inhabiting hilly tracts.

And from several directions came for the noble minded sons of Pandu seven Akshauhini carrying flags of various sorts. All of them were desirous a fight with the sons of Kuru and so caused the sons of Pandu to rejoice.

In the same way increasing the delight of the son of Dhritarashtra, the king Bhagadatta gave army numbering an Akshauhini. And the army was filled with Chins and Kiratas as also with gold. The invulnerable army looked beautiful like a forest of Karnikaras.

In the same way, Bhurishravas and the hero Shalya, O son of Kuru, went to Duryodhana, each with an army counting an Akshauhini separately.

Kritavarman, the son of Hridika in company with the Bhojas, the Andhak and the Kukuras, went to Duryodhana with an Akshauhini of troops.

His army, with those foremost among men, graced with garlands of wild flowers, looked charming as a forest run about by wild elephants.

And others, the people of Sindhu Sauvira, under the leadership of Jayadratha and also other rulers of the earth, came as if shaking the mountains.

And their large army looked beautiful at that time like various sorts of clouds shaken by the winds.

Oking! Sudakshina, the ruler of Kamboja with the Yavanas and the Shakas came to the son of Kuru, with an Akshauhini of troops. His army looked beautiful like locusts. And having entered the Kaurava army it vanished at the time.

So did Nila, the resident of Mahishmati, a king of great strength along with the residents of the southern countries with blue weapons.

And so did the two kings of Avanti surrounded by large forces, each with an Akshauhini of troops came to Suyodhana.

The five rulers of the earth, the sons of the same mother, the best among men, the Kaikeya princes, causing delight to the son of Kuru, came there with an Akshauhini.

O you foremost among the race of Bharata, from the large minded kings of other countries, there came three other armies.

In this way Duryodhana was surrounded by an army eleven Akshauhinis strong. All of them were desirous of a fight with the sons of Kunti and filled with banners of various sorts.

Oking, In the city of Hastinapura, there was not space, even for the principal leaders of the king's own army.

O son of Bharata, for this reason the country of the five rivers, Krishna, Kurujangala and the forest of Rohitaka and the desert of Kevala and Ahichhatra and Kalakuta and the bank of the Ganges and Varana and Vatadhana and the mountains of Yamuna, all these extensive tracts containing large quantities of corn and wealth became exceedingly crowded with the army of the Kauravas.

There the priest saw the army of this description-the priest who was sent by the king of Panchala to the Kauravas.