Bhagavadgita Parva — Description of troops

Dhritarashtra said O Sanjaya, when the sun rose, of the two armies, one commanded by Bhishma and the other by Bhima, which first cheerfully met the other, desirous as they were both to fight?

To which side were the sun, the moons and the wind adverse? Against whom did the beasts of prey utter inauspicious sounds? Who were those young heroes whose countenances were ever cheerful? Tell me all this in detail.

Sanjaya said O king, when placed in battle-array, both the armies were equally cheerful. Both the armies looked equally beautiful. They looked like two blossoming woods, and they were full of elephants, cars and horses.

O descendant of Bharata, both the armies were huge and fearful. None of the them could bear the other. Both of them were arrayed as if they would conquer the very heavens. Both of them consisted of excellent soldiers.

The armies of Dhritarashtra's party stood facing the west, the Pandavas stood facing the cast, all ready for fight. The Kuru troops looked like the army of the Danava chief, while the Pandava troops looked like the army of the celestial.

The wind blew from behind the Pandavas. The beasts of prey yelled, from behind the troops of your sons. The elephants, belonging to your son, could not bear the strong odour of the juice emitted by the large (Pandava) elephants.

Duryodhana rode on a lotus-complexioned elephant with its temples rent, adorned with a golden Kaksha and clad in steel armour. He was in the very centre of the Kurus. He was being adored by eulogists and bards.

A white umbrella adorned with a golden chain, as effulgent as the moon, was held over his head. The ruler of Gandhara, Shakuni, followed him with innumerable mountaineers of Gandhara. The venerable Bhishina was at the head of the army. With a white umbrella held over his head with a white head dress (on his head) with a white bow and sword in his hand), with a white banner (on his car) and with white horses (yoked to his car) he looked like a (great) white mountain.

In the division that was under Bhishma's direct command, were all the of Dhritarashtra, also Sala who was a countryman of the Balhikas, also all those Kshatriya called Ambashtas, also the heroic dwellers of the country of the five rivers.

The illustrious Drona, the preceptor of almost all the kings, with a bow in hand and with never-falling heart, stationed on a golden sons car yoked with red horses, remained behind all the troops thus protecting them like Indra.

In the midst of all the troops fought Vardhakshatri, Bhurishrava, Purumitra, Jaya, and the Shalvas, the Matsyas and all the Kaikeyas with their elephants crops.

The son of Sharadvata, the warrior who ever fights in the front, that illustrious great bow-man called Gautama, learned in all the modes of warfare, took up his position in the northern portion of the army with the Shakas, the Kiratas, the Yavanas and the Pallavas.

That large force which was well protected by the great car-warriors of the Vrishni and the Bhoja race and also by the warriors of Saurashtra, all well armed and well-skilled in the use of arms, the force which was under the command of Kritavarmana marched to the south of your army.

Ten thousand Sanshaptaka car-warriors who were created for cither the death of the fame of Arjuna, who were all greatly accomplished in arms, who intended to follow. Arjuna at every step, marched out with the Trigartas.

O descendant of Bharata in your ariny, there were one hundred thousand elephants of the greatest fighting powers. To each elephant was assigned one hundred car-warriors, to each car was assigned one hundred horse men, to each horsemen, ten bowmen, to each bow-men, ten soldiers armed with shield. Thus, O descendant of Bharata, were your troops placed by Bhishma in battle array.

On every succeeding morning your generalissimo Bhishma, the son of Shantanu, sometimes placed your troops in the human sometime in the celestial, sometimes in the Gandharva and sometimes in the Asura Vyuhas.

With innumerable great car-warriors, roaring like the very ocean, the arıny of Dhritarashtra's son, arrayed by Bhishma, stood ready for battle, facing the west.

O king, your army looked terrible but the Pandava army appeared to me very large and invincible, for Arjuna and Krishna were its leaders.