1Dhritirashtra:     Ranged thus for battle on the sacred plain--     On Kurukshetra--say, Sanjaya! say     What wrought my people, and the Pandavas?

2Sanjaya:     When he beheld the host of Pandavas,     Raja Duryodhana to Drona drew,     And spake these words: "Ah, Guru! see this line,     How vast it is of Pandu fighting-men,     Embattled by the son of Drupada,     Thy scholar in the war! Therein stand ranked     Chiefs like Arjuna, like to Bhima chiefs,     Benders of bows; Virata, Yuyudhan,     Drupada, eminent upon his car,     Dhrishtaket, Chekitan, Kasi's stout lord,     Purujit, Kuntibhoj, and Saivya,     With Yudhamanyu, and Uttamauj     Subhadra's child; and Drupadi's;-all famed!     All mounted on their shining chariots!     On our side, too,--thou best of Brahmans! see     Excellent chiefs, commanders of my line,     Whose names I joy to count: thyself the first,     Then Bhishma, Karna, Kripa fierce in fight,     Vikarna, Aswatthaman; next to these     Strong Saumadatti, with full many more     Valiant and tried, ready this day to die     For me their king, each with his weapon grasped,     Each skilful in the field. Weakest-meseems-     Our battle shows where Bhishma holds command,     And Bhima, fronting him, something too strong!     Have care our captains nigh to Bhishma's ranks     Prepare what help they may! Now, blow my shell!"          Then, at the signal of the aged king,     With blare to wake the blood, rolling around     Like to a lion's roar, the trumpeter     Blew the great Conch; and, at the noise of it,     Trumpets and drums, cymbals and gongs and horns     Burst into sudden clamour; as the blasts     Of loosened tempest, such the tumult seemed!     Then might be seen, upon their car of gold     Yoked with white steeds, blowing their battle-shells,     Krishna the God, Arjuna at his side:     Krishna, with knotted locks, blew his great conch     Carved of the "Giant's bone;" Arjuna blew     Indra's loud gift; Bhima the terrible--     Wolf-bellied Bhima-blew a long reed-conch;     And Yudhisthira, Kunti's blameless son,     Winded a mighty shell, "Victory's Voice;"     And Nakula blew shrill upon his conch     Named the "Sweet-sounding," Sahadev on his     Called"Gem-bedecked," and Kasi's Prince on his.     Sikhandi on his car, Dhrishtadyumn,     Virata, Satyaki the Unsubdued,     Drupada, with his sons, (O Lord of Earth!)     Long-armed Subhadra's children, all blew loud,     So that the clangour shook their foemen's hearts,     With quaking earth and thundering heav'n.          Then 'twas-     Beholding Dhritirashtra's battle set,     Weapons unsheathing, bows drawn forth, the war     Instant to break-Arjun, whose ensign-badge     Was Hanuman the monkey, spake this thing     To Krishna the Divine, his charioteer:     "Drive, Dauntless One! to yonder open ground     Betwixt the armies; I would see more nigh     These who will fight with us, those we must slay     To-day, in war's arbitrament; for, sure,     On bloodshed all are bent who throng this plain,     Obeying Dhritirashtra's sinful son."          Thus, by Arjuna prayed, (O Bharata!)     Between the hosts that heavenly Charioteer     Drove the bright car, reining its milk-white steeds     Where Bhishma led,and Drona,and their Lords.     "See!" spake he to Arjuna, "where they stand,     Thy kindred of the Kurus:" and the Prince     Marked on each hand the kinsmen of his house,     Grandsires and sires, uncles and brothers and sons,     Cousins and sons-in-law and nephews, mixed     With friends and honoured elders; some this side,     Some that side ranged: and, seeing those opposed,     Such kith grown enemies-Arjuna's heart     Melted with pity, while he uttered this:

3Arjuna.     Krishna! as I behold, come here to shed     Their common blood, yon concourse of our kin,     My members fail, my tongue dries in my mouth,     A shudder thrills my body, and my hair     Bristles with horror; from my weak hand slips     Gandiv, the goodly bow; a fever burns     My skin to parching; hardly may I stand;     The life within me seems to swim and faint;     Nothing do I foresee save woe and wail!     It is not good, O Keshav! nought of good     Can spring from mutual slaughter! Lo, I hate     Triumph and domination, wealth and ease,     Thus sadly won! Aho! what victory     Can bring delight, Govinda! what rich spoils     Could profit; what rule recompense; what span     Of life itself seem sweet, bought with such blood?     Seeing that these stand here, ready to die,     For whose sake life was fair, and pleasure pleased,     And power grew precious:-grandsires, sires, and sons,     Brothers, and fathers-in-law, and sons-in-law,     Elders and friends! Shall I deal death on these     Even though they seek to slay us? Not one blow,     O Madhusudan! will I strike to gain          The rule of all Three Worlds; then, how much less     To seize an earthly kingdom! Killing these     Must breed but anguish, Krishna! If they be     Guilty, we shall grow guilty by their deaths;     Their sins will light on us, if we shall slay     Those sons of Dhritirashtra, and our kin;     What peace could come of that, O Madhava?     For if indeed, blinded by lust and wrath,     These cannot see, or will not see, the sin     Of kingly lines o'erthrown and kinsmen slain,     How should not we, who see, shun such a crime--     We who perceive the guilt and feel the shame--     O thou Delight of Men, Janardana?     By overthrow of houses perisheth     Their sweet continuous household piety,     And-rites neglected, piety extinct--     Enters impiety upon that home;     Its women grow unwomaned, whence there spring     Mad passions, and the mingling-up of castes,     Sending a Hell-ward road that family,     And whoso wrought its doom by wicked wrath.     Nay, and the souls of honoured ancestors     Fall from their place of peace, being bereft     Of funeral-cakes and the wan death-water.     So teach our holy hymns. Thus, if we slay     Kinsfolk and friends for love of earthly power,     Ahovat! what an evil fault it were!     Better I deem it, if my kinsmen strike,     To face them weaponless, and bare my breast     To shaft and spear, than answer blow with blow.          So speaking, in the face of those two hosts,     Arjuna sank upon his chariot-seat,     And let fall bow and arrows, sick at heart.