wielding his mace made of the hardest metal, and moving (on the field of battle) with fierce speed, can dry up the very ocean.  And there also stay, with their counsellors looking on him.  O king, the children[104] of Dhritarashtra.—­Even this, O monarch, was what Vibhatsu said, pointing out the mighty Bhimasena (to Yudhishthira).[105] And while Partha was saying so, all the troops, O Bharata, worshipped him on the field of battle with gratulatory words.  King Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, took up his position in the centre of his army, surrounded by huge and furious elephants resembling moving hills.  The high-souled Yajnasena, the king of the Panchalas, endued with great prowess, stationed himself behind Virata with an Akshauhini of troops for the sake of the Pandavas.  And on the cars of those kings, O monarch, were tall standards bearing diverse devices, decked with excellent ornaments of gold, and endued with the effulgence of the Sun and the Moon.  Causing those kings to move and make space for him, that mighty car-warrior Dhrishtadyumna, accompanied by his brothers and sons protected Yudhishthira from behind.  Transcending the huge standards on all the cars on thy side and that of the enemy, was the one gigantic ape on Arjuna’s car.  Foot-soldiers, by many hundreds of thousands, and armed with swords, spears, and scimitars, proceeded ahead for protecting Bhimasena.  And ten thousand elephants with (temporal) juice trickling down their cheek and mouth, and resembling (on that account) showering clouds,[106] endued with great courage, blazing with golden armour, huge hills, costly, and emitting the fragrance of lotuses, followed the king behind like moving mountains.[107] And the high-souled and invincible Bhimasena, whirling his fierce mace that resembled a parigha[108] seemed to crush the large army (of thy son).  Incapable of being looked at like the Sun himself, and scorching as it were, the hostile army (like fire), none of the combatants could bear to even look at him from any neat point.  And this array, fearless and having its face turned towards all sides called Vajra, having bows for its lightning sign,[109] and extremely fierce, was protected by the wielder of Gandiva.  Disposing their troops in this counter-array against thy army, the Pandavas waited for battle.  And protected by the Pandavas, that array became invincible in the world of men.

“’And as (both) the armies stood at dawn of day waiting for sunrise, a wind began to blow with drops of water (falling), and although there were no clouds, the roll of thunder was heard.  And dry winds began to blow all around, bearing a shower of pointed pebbles along the ground.  And as thick dust arose, covering the world with darkness.  And large meteors began to fall east-wards, O bull of Bharata’s race, and striking against the rising Sun, broke in fragments with loud noise.  When the troops stood arrayed, O bull of Bharata’s race, the Sun rose divested of splendour, and the