As regards Gudakesha, of reddish eyes, having Narayana for his ally, there is not among both the armies any brave car-warrior that can be regarded as his equal. Let men alone, it hath not been heard by us that even among gods, Asuras, Uragas, Rakshasas and Yakshas, there ever was born before, or there ever will be born hereafter, any car-warrior like unto him! O great king, intelligent Partha owneth that car which is furnished with the banner bearing the device of the ape; the driver of that car is Vasudeva! Dhananjaya himself is the warrior who fighteth from it; his, again, is that celestial bow called Gandiva; he owneth again those steeds fleet as the wind; his coat of mail is impenetrable and of celestial make; his two large quivers are inexhaustible; his arms have been obtained from the great Indra, Rudra, Kuvera, Yama and Varuna; and upon his car, again, are those maces of frightful mien, and diverse other great weapons having the thunderbolt amongst them! What car-warrior can be regarded as his equal, who, stationed on a single car’ slew in battle a thousand Danavas, having their abode in Hiranyapura? Inflamed with wrath, possessed of great might and prowess, incapable of being baffled, that mighty-armed warrior, while protecting his own army, will certainly exterminate thy troops! Myself and preceptor (Drona) among the two armies, and no third car-warrior, O great king, can advance against Dhananjaya, that scatterer of arrowy showers! Pouring his shafts, like the very clouds during the rainy season when propelled by mighty winds, that son of Kunti when Vasudeva as his second, steppeth for battle! He is skilful and young, while both of us are old and worn out!’
“Vaisampayana continued, ‘Hearing these words of Bhishma, and recollecting with trembling heart, the well-known valour of the sons of Pandu and thinking of it, as if it were present before their eyes, the massive arms of kings, decked with bracelets and smeared with sandal-paste, seemed to hang down divested of might.'”
SECTION CLXXI
“Bhishma said, ‘All the five sons of Draupadi, O monarch, are Maharathas. Virata’s son Uttara is, in my judgment, one of the foremost of Rathas. The mighty-armed Abhimanyu is a leader of leaders of car-divisions. Indeed, that slayer of foes is equal in battle to Partha himself or Vasudeva. Endued with great lightness of hand in shooting weapons, and acquainted with all the modes of warfare, he is possessed of great energy and is steady in the observance of vows. Remembering the sufferings of his own father, he will put forth his prowess.
The brave Satyaki of Madhu’s race is a leader of leaders of car-divisions. Foremost among the heroes of the Vrishni race, he is endued with great wrath, and is perfectly dauntless. Uttamaujas also, O king, is an excellent car-warrior in my judgment. And Yudhamanyu, too, of great prowess, is, in my judgment, an excellent car-warrior. All those chiefs own many thousands of cars and elephants and horses, and they will fight, reckless of their very lives, from desire of doing what is agreeable to Kunti’s sons. Uniting with the Pandavas, they will, O great king, sweep through thy ranks like fire or the wind, challenging thy warriors. Invincible in battle, those bulls among men, old Virata and old Drupada, both endued with great prowess, are, in my judgment, both Maharathas. Though old in years yet both of them are devoted to the observance of Kshatriya virtues.
Treading along the path that is trod by heroes, both of them will exert to the best of their might. In consequence of their relationship (to the Pandavas) and owing also, O king, to their being endued with strength and prowess, those great bowmen devoted to pure vows, have both derived additional strength from the strength of their affection. According as the cause is, all strong-armed men become, O bull of Kuru’s race, heroes or cowards. Actuated by a singleness of purpose, both these kings, who are powerful bowmen, will lay down their very lives in causing a great massacre of thy troops to the best of their might, O slayer of foes! Fierce in battle, these distinguished heroes, these mighty bowmen, regardless, O Bharata, of their lives, will, at the head of their respective Akshauhinis, achieve great feats, justifying their relationship and the confidence that is reposed on them (by the Pandavas).'”
SECTION CLXXII
“Bhishma said, ‘That subjugator of hostile cities, Sikhandin, the son of the king of the Panchalas, is, O king, in my judgment, one of the foremost of Yudhishthira’s Rathas. Having divested himself on his former sex, he will fight in battle and earn great fame, O Bharata, among thy troops! He hath a large number of troops,–Panchalas and Prabhadrakas,–to support him. With those hosts of cars he will achieve great feats. Dhrishtadyumna also, O Bharata, the leader of all Yudhishthira’s army, that mighty car-warrior who is also a disciple of Drona, is, O king, in my judgment, an Atiratha. Afflicting all foes in battle, he will singly sweep the field, like Pinaka,–bearing God himself in rage on the occasion of the universal dissolution.
Even great warriors will speak of his car-divisions, so multitudinous are they, as resembling the very ocean or that of the gods, in battle! Kshattradharman, the son of Dhrishtadyumna, owing to his immature years, as also in consequence of his want of exercise in arms, is, in my judgment, O king, only half a Ratha. That relative of the Pandavas, the mighty bowman Dhrishtaketu, the heroic son of Sisupala, the king of the Chedis, is a Maharatha. That brave ruler of the Chedis will, O king, with his son, achieve feats such as are difficult for even a Maharatha. Kshattradeva, that subjugator of hostile cities, who is devoted to Kshatriya virtues, is, O great king, in my judgment, one of the best Rathas among the Pandavas. Those brave warriors among the Panchalas, viz., Jayanta and Amitaujas and the great car-warrior Satyajit are all, O king, high-souled Maharathas. They will all, O sire, fight in battle like furious elephants. Aja and Bhoja, both endued with great prowess, are both Maharathas. Possessed of great might, those two heroes will fight for the Pandavas. Both of them are endued with great lightness of hand in the use of weapons. Both of them are conversant with all the modes of warfare, both are well-skilled and possessed of firm prowess. The five Kshatriya brothers, O king, who are difficult of being vanquished, and all of whom have blood red banners, are foremost of the Rathas.
Kasika, and Sukumara, and Nila, and that other one, viz., Suryadatta, and Sankha, otherwise called Madiraswa, are all in my judgment, the foremost of Rathas. Possessed of every qualification that renders them fit for battle, they are acquainted with all weapons, and all of them are endued with high souls. Vardhakshemi, O king, is in my judgment, a Maharatha. King Chitrayudha is, in my judgment, one of the best of Rathas. He is, besides, an asset in battle and devotedly attached to the diadem-decked (Arjuna).
Those mighty car-warriors, those tigers among men, Chekitana, and Satyadhriti, are two of the best Rathas of the Pandavas in my judgment. Vyaghradatta, O monarch, and Chandrasena also, O Bharata, are without doubt two of the best Rathas, as I think, of the Pandavas. Senavindu, O king, otherwise called Krodhahantri by name, who, O lord, is regarded as equal of Vasudeva and of Bhimasena, will contend with great prowess in battle against your warriors. Indeed, that best of kings, ever boasting of his feats in battle, should be regarded by thee, precisely as myself, Drona and Kripa are regarded by thee! That best of men, worthy of praise, viz., Kasya, is endued with great lightness of hand in the use of weapons. Indeed, that subjugator of hostile cities is known to me as equal to one Ratha. Drupada’s son, Satyajit, young in years and displaying great prowess in battle, should be regarded as equal to eight Rathas. Indeed being Dhrishtadyumna’s equal, he is an Atiratha.
Desirous of spreading the fame of the Pandavas, he will achieve great feats. Devoted to the Pandavas and endued with great bravery, there is another great Ratha of the Pandavas, viz., king Pandya, that bowman of mighty energy. The mighty bowman Dhridadhanwan is another Maharatha of the Pandavas. O subjugator of hostile cities, that foremost of Kurus, viz., Srenimat and king Vasudeva are both, in my judgment, Atirathas.'”
