Bhagavadgita Parva — The array of the Pandava troops

Dhritarashtra said Having seen our eleven Akshauhinis placed in battle array, how did Yudhishthira the son of Pandu, make his counter-array with his troops which were smaller than ours?

O Sanjaya, how did the son of Kunti form his counter array of troops against Bhishma who knew all kinds of Vyuhas, those of the celestial, the Gandharvas, the Asuras and the men.

Sanjaya said seeing the troops of the Kurus placed in battle-array, the virtuous minded son of Pandu, Dharmaraja Yudhishthira, thus spoke spoke to Dhananjaya (Arjuna).

We know from the words of Brihaspati that few (troops) must be made to fight be forming them in a solid array, and many may be expanded according to pleasure.

When a few have to fight with many, the Vyuha should be made the Needle mounted. Our troops in comparison to those of our enemies are but few.

O son of Pandu, keeping always in mind this precept of the great Rishi, array our troops". Having heard this, the Pandava thus spoke to Dharmaraja Yudhishthira.

O foremost of kings, that immovable Vyuha called Vajra which was designed by the wielder of thunderbolt (Indra), that impenetrable Vyuha I shall make today.

He who is like a raging tempest, he who is irresistible in battle by any foe, that foremost of heroes. Bhima, will fight at the head of our troops.

That foremost of men who knows all the appliances of battle, becoming our leader, will stand in front of our army, and crush the prowess of the enemy's troops.

That foremost of all warriors, Bhima, will lead us, seeing whom all the warriors, headed by Duryodhana, will fly in terror as small animals fly at the sight of a lion. Our fears being all dispelled, we shall all seck his shelter as if he were a wall, as the celestial seeks the shelter of Indra."

There breathes none in the world who can cast his eye on the foremost of men, Vrikodara of fearful deeds, when he is enraged.

Along with the Kaikeya brothers and Dhrishtaketu and the greatly courageous Chekitana. Bhimasena the wielder of the mace made of the hardest metal, moving with fearful speed, can dry up even the sea.

"O king (look) the sons of Dhritarashtra with their counsellors look on him". O king, pointing out Bhimasena, this was what Bibhatsu (Arjuna) spoke.

O descendant of Bharata, when Partha (Arjuna) was thus speaking, all the troops worshipped him on the field of battle with congratulatory words.

Having said this, the mighty-armed Dhananjaya (Arjuna), did as he said. Phalguna (Arjuna) quickly placing his troops in battlearray, marched against the enemy.

Seeing the Kuru army on the march, the great Pandava army appeared like the full, immovable and rolling and surging Ganga.

Bhimasena, the greatly powerful Dhrishtadyumna, Nakula and Sahadeva and king Dhrishtaketu become the several leaders of the (Pandava) force.

The king Virata, accompanied by his brothers and sons, and surrounded by one Akshauhini of soldiers, marched in the rear and protected the army from behind.

The greatly effulgent twin sons of Madri (Nakula and Sahadeva) became the protectors of Bhima's chariot. The sons of Draupadi and the son of Subhadra, all possessing great heroism, protected him from behind. Behind him stood Shikhandin, who was protected by Arjuna. O best of the Bharata race, he advanced with the firm determination to kill Bhishma.

Behind Arjuna stood the mighty Yuyudhana; and the two Panchala princes, Yudhamanyu add Uttamaujas protected Arjuna's chariot.

Then king Yudhishthira, surrounded by huge and various elephants each resembling a moving hill, took up his position in the centre of the army.

The illustration Yajnasena the greatly powerful Panchala king placed himself behind Virata (king) with one Akshauhini of soldiers.

O king, the standards of those kings, cars bore various devices. They were all adorned with excellent ornaments of gold. They were as effulgent as the moon or the sun.

Asking the kings to move onward the great car-warrior Dhrishtadyumna accompanied by his brothers and sons, protected Yudhishthira from behind.

Shadowing all the great standards of the cars on your side, a huge ape stood (as standard) on Arjuna's car.

Many hundreds and thousands of footsoldiers, armed with swords, spears and scimitars, marched ahead protecting Bhimsena.

Ten thousand elephants with juice trickling down their checks and mouth, each endued with great courage, each as huge as a hill, each blazing with golden caparisons, each emitting the fragrance of lotuses, followed the king like so many moving mountains.

The illustrious and invincible Bhimasena, whirling his fearful mace loO king like a parigha (weapon), seemed to crush your sons' sons' army.

He was incapable of being looked at like the sun. He was scorching, as it were, the enemy army. None of the warriors could even look at him from a near point.

This Vyuha, called Vajra, with its face turned to all sides, had, as it were, the bows (of the warriors) as its lightnings. This extremely fearful Vyuha was protected by the wielder of Gandiva (Arjuna).

Thus placing their troops in this counterarray, the Pandavas waited for battle, Protected as it was by the Pandavas that Vyuha became impenetrable in the world.

At the dawn of day when the armies were waiting for the sunrise, a wind began to blow with drops of water. Though there were no clouds, yet the roars of thunder were heard.

Dry winds began to blow from all sides, carrying showers of sharp pointed stones and pebbles. A thick dust rose and covered the world with darkness.

O best of the Bharata race, large meteors fell, and striking the rising sun, they fell in fragments with loud noise.

O foremost of the Bharata race, when the armies thus stood in battle-array the sun rise bereft of its splendor and the earth trembled with loud sounds. The roars of thunder were again and again heard on all sides.

So thick was the dust that rose that nothing could be seen. The high standards (on the cars) adorned with strings of bells, decked with golden ornaments, garlands of flowers and rich cloths and graced with banners, and loO king like the sun in splendor, being suddenly shaken by the wind gave out a loud jingling noise like that of a forest of palmyra trees. having thus placed their troops in battle-array against the army of your son, and sucking, as it were, the marrow of our warriors and warriors and loO king at Bhimsena who stood at the head of the army with his mace in hand, it was thus that those foremost of men, the Pandavas, who over take delight in battle, stood.