The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Translated into English Prose: Virata Parva
Religion
The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Translated into English Prose: Virata Parva
Epic literature, Sanskrit
that should be both invulnerable and easy to wear. And let them also
have weapons. Bearing such martial forms and possessed of arms
resembling the trunk of mighty elephants, I can never persuade myself
that they cannot fight.' Hearing these words of the king, Satanika, O
monarch, immediately ordered cars for those sons of Pritha, viz., the
royal Yudhishthira, and Bhima, and Nakula, and Sahadeva, and commanded
by the king, the charioteers, with cheerful hearts and keeping loyalty
in view, very soon got cars ready (for the Pandavas). And those
repressers of foes then donned those beautiful coats of mail,
invulnerable and easy to wear, that Virata had ordered for those heroes
of spotless fame. And mounted on cars yoked with good steeds, those
smiters of hostile ranks, those foremost of men, the sons of Pritha, set
out with cheerful hearts. Indeed, those mighty warriors skilled in
fight, those bulls of the Kuru race and sons of Pandu, those four heroic
brothers possessed of prowess incapable of being baffled, mounting on
cars decked with gold, together set out, following Virata's wake. And
infuriate elephants of terrible mien, full sixty years of age, with
shapely tusks and rent temples and juice trickling down and looking (on
that account) like cloud pouring rain and mounted by trained warriors
skilled in fight, followed the king like unto moving hills. And the
principal warriors of Matsya who cheerfully followed the king had eight
thousand cars, a thousand elephants and sixty thousand horses. And, O
bull among the Bharatas, that force of Virata, O king, as it marched
forth marking the footprints of the cattle looked exceedingly beautiful.
And on its march that foremost of armies owned by Virata, crowded with
soldiers armed with strong weapons, and abounding in elephants, horses
and cars, looked really splendid."
[26] _Bhagasas_ lit., each in its proper place. It may also
mean, 'according to their respective division.'
[27] _Kalyana-patalam_ is explained by Nilakantha to mean
_suvarna pattachchaditam_.
[28] One of the generals of Virata.
SECTION XXXII
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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