“Vaisampayana continued, ‘Upon the Kuru king and Bhima, the foremost of
all endued with strength, having entered the arena, the spectators were
divided into two parties in consequence of the partiality swaying their
affections. Some cried, ‘Behold the heroic king of the
Kurus!’--some--‘Behold Bhima!’--And on account of these cries, there was,
all on a sudden, a loud uproar. And seeing the place become like a
troubled ocean, the intelligent Bharadwaja said unto his dear son,
Aswatthaman, ‘Restrain both these mighty warriors so proficient in arms.
Let not the ire of the assembly be provoked by this combat of Bhima and
Duryodhana.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ‘Then the son of the preceptor of the princes
restrained those combatants with their maces uplifted and resembling two
swollen oceans agitated by the winds that blow at the universal
dissolution. And Drona himself entering the yard of the arena commanded
the musicians to stop, and with a voice deep as that of the clouds
addressed these words, ‘Behold ye now that Partha who is dearer to me
than my own son, the master of all arms, the son of Indra himself, and
like unto the younger brother of Indra, (Vishnu)! And having performed
the propitiatory rites, the youthful Phalguna, equipped with the finger
protector (gauntlet) and his quiver full of shafts and bow in hand,
donning his golden mail, appeared in the lists even like an evening cloud
reflecting the rays of the setting sun and illumined by the hues of the
rainbow and flashes of lightning.
“On seeing Arjuna, the whole assembly were delighted and conchs began to
be blown all around with other musical instruments. And there arose a
great uproar in consequence of the spectators’ exclaiming,--‘This is the
graceful son of Kunti!’--‘This is the middle (third) Pandava!’--‘This is
the son of the mighty Indra!’--‘This is the protector of the
Kurus’--‘This is the foremost of those versed in arms!’--‘This is the
foremost of all cherishers of virtue!’--‘This is the foremost of the
persons of correct behaviour, the great repository of the knowledge of
manners!’ At those exclamations, the tears of Kunti, mixing with the milk
of her breast, wetted her bosom. And his ears being filled with that
uproar, that first of men, Dhritarashtra, asked Vidura in delight, ‘O
Kshatri, what is this great uproar for, like unto that of the troubled
ocean, arising all on a sudden and rending the very heavens?’ Vidura
replied, ‘O mighty monarch, the son of Pandu and Pritha, Phalguna, clad
in mail hath entered the lists. And hence this uproar!’ Dhritarashtra
said, ‘O thou of soul so great, by the three fires sprung from Pritha who
is even like the sacred fuel, I have, indeed, been blessed, favoured and
protected!’