“Vaishampaayana said, ‘O you of Bharata's race (Janamejaya), O monarch,
seeing the sons of Dhritarashtra and Pandu accomplished in weapons, Drona
addressed king Dhritarashtra, in the presence of Kripa, Somadatta (son of
Baahlika), Baahlika (Baahlika is the
elder brother of Shantanu who is the father of Bhishma), the wise Gaangeya (Bhishma),
Vyasa, and Vidura, and said, ‘O best of Kuru kings (Dhritarashtra), your children have completed their
education. O king (Dhritarashtra), with
your permission let them now show their proficiency.’
“Hearing him, the king (Dhritarashtra) said with a gladdened heart, ‘O best of
Brahmanas (Drona), you have, indeed,
accomplished a great deed. Command me yourself as to the place and the time
where and when and also the manner in which the trial may be held. Grief
arising from my own blindness makes me jealous those who, blessed with sight,
will see my children's prowess in weapon. O Kshatri (Vidura), do all that Drona says. O you devoted to Dharma,
I think there is nothing that can be more agreeable to me.’
“Then Vidura, giving the necessary assurance to the
king (Dhritarashtra), went out to do what he was commanded. Drona endued with great wisdom,
then measured out a piece of land that was without any trees, thickets and
furnished with wells and springs. Upon the spot of land so measured out, Drona,
that first of men of expression, selecting a lunar day (Thithi in Sanskrit) when the star ascendant was auspicious,
offered up sacrifice (Bali in Sanskrit)
to Devas in the presence of the citizens assembled by order to witness the
same. O bull among men (Janamejaya),
then the architects of the king (Dhritarashtra) built on a large and elegant stage according to the rules laid down in
the Shastras, and it was furnished with all kinds of weapons. They also built
another elegant hall for the lady-spectators. The citizens constructed many
platforms while the wealthier of them pitched many spacious and high tents all
around.
“When the day fixed for the Tournament came, the
king (Dhritarashtra) accompanied by his ministers, with Bhishma and Kripa, the foremost of Gurus,
walking ahead, came to that theatre of almost divine beauty constructed of pure
gold, and decked with strings of pearls and stones of lapis lazuli (Vaidurya
in Sanskrit). O first of victorious men (Janamejaya), Gandhari blessed with great good fortune
and Kunti, and the other ladies of the royal house-hold, in gorgeous attire and
accompanied by their waiting women, joyfully ascended the platforms, like divine
ladies ascending the Sumeru mountain. The four varnas including the Brahmanas
and Kshatriyas, desirous of seeing the princes' skill in arms, left the city
and came running to the spot. So impatient was every one to see the spectacle,
that the vast crowd assembled there in almost a moment. With the sounds of
trumpets and drums and the noise of many voices, that vast assembly appeared
like an agitated ocean.
“At last, Drona accompanied by his son (Ashwatthaama), dressed in
white (attire), with a white sacred
thread, white locks, white beard, white garlands, and white sandal-paste rubbed
over his body, entered the tournament area. It seemed as if the Moon (Chandra) himself accompanied by the planet Mars (Angaaraka) appeared in an unclouded sky. On entering
Bharadwaja (Drona) performed timely
worship and caused Brahmanas versed in mantras to celebrate the auspicious
rites. After auspicious and sweet-sounding musical instruments had been struck
up as a satisfactory ceremony, some persons entered, equipped with various weapons.
Then having encircled up their loins, those mighty warriors, those foremost
ones of Bharata's race (the princes)
entered, furnished with finger-protectors (armoured gloves), bows, and arrow baskets. With
Yudhishthira at their head, the brave princes entered in order of age and began
to show wonderful skill with their weapons.
“Some of the spectators lowered their heads, expecting
fall of arrows while others fearlessly gazed on with wonder. Riding swiftly on
horses and managing them with ease of hands the princes began to hit marks with
arrows engraved with their respective names. Seeing the capability of the
princes armed with bows and arrows, the spectators thought that they were seeing
the city of the Gandharvas, became filled with amazement.
“O Bharata (Janamejaya), all on a sudden, some hundreds and
thousands, with eyes wide open in wonder, exclaimed, ‘Well done! Well done!’ Having
repeatedly displayed their skill and talent in the use of bows and arrows and
in the management of chariots, the mighty warriors took up their swords and shields,
and began to come around the tournament area, playing their weapons. The
spectators saw (with wonder) their ability
to move quickly, the symmetry of their bodies, their grace, their calmness, the
firmness of their grasp and their talent in the use of sword and shield.
“Then
Vrikodara (Bhimasena) and Suyodhana (Duryodhana), internally delighted (at the prospect
of fight), entered the arena, mace (Gada
in Hindi) in hand, like two
single-peaked mountains. Those mighty-armed warriors supported their loins, and
summoning all their energy, roared like two maddened elephants struggling for a
cow-elephant; and like two maddened elephants those mighty heroes faultlessly (in
consonance with the rules of Dhanurveda)
careered right and left, circling the tournament area. Vidura described to
Dhritarashtra and the mother of the Pandavas (Kunti) and Gandhari, all the feats of the princes.’”
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