
Duryodhana said: -
1. Having obtained an army of seven Akshauhinis, what does Yudhisthira, the son of Kunti, desirous of war, do along with the other kings.
Sanjaya said: -
2. Yudhisthira, desirous of war, is extremely cheerful; and the two, Bhimasena and Arjuna, are not otherwise. The twins too, are not afraid.
3. The son of Kunti, roamed about in his heavenly car in all directions. Bibhatsa, yoked the horses to it to test the efficacy of the Mantras (obtained by him).
4. I beheld him, with his coat of mail on, like clouds with lightning. After thinking for a short time he addressed me thus with a light heart.
5. See these signs of prophecy; we will conquer, O Sanjaya, what Bibhatsu told me. I also saw the truth of this.
Duryodhana said: -
6. You are pleased at praising those sons of Pritha, who were defeated at the game at dice. Tell me now what sort of horses are attached to the car of Arjuna, and what sort of banners.
Sanjaya said: -
7. Tashtri or Bhaumana and Dhatri, aided by Shakra thought out, O lord of the world, diverse forms;
8. And those forms they included in the banner by the help of divme illusion- these forms, large and small, of heavenly origin and of great value.
9. At the request of Bhimasena, Hanumat, the son of the god of wind, will place his own figure on that banner.
10. Such is the illusion produced by Bhaumana, that the banner occupies the space of one Yojana in all directions, both perpendicularly and obliquely; and though surrounded by trees its progress cannot be obstructed.
11. The banner designed by Bhaumana and its form appear as of diverse sorts like the diverse colours of Shakra’s bow, which appears in the sky; but nobody knows what it is made of.
12. As smoke mixed with fire mounts the sky appearing beautiful and holding Its many colours, so the flag manufactured by Bhaumana has no weight and knows no impediment.
13. And to that (car) are yoked many excellent celestial horses, white in colour, presented by Chitrarath? and with the speed of wind. There is nothing in the world, or in the sky, or in the heavens, O king, which impedes their progress- not all things combined in this world. Their number of hundred would ever remain constant however often they may be slain. Such was the effect of a boon granted in ancient days.
14. In the same way, in the car of the king (Yudhisthira) are yoked large horses of the colour of ivory and of a strength similar to the king. The horses attached to Bhimasena’s car are of the speed of wind, having the splendour of Rishis.
15. Horses of black bodies, with backs of variegated colour, like the Tittira bird presented by his brother Falguna out of dearness, and possessed of better limbs than those of his heroic brother (Falguna,) bear Sahadeva cheerfully.
16. Horses superior of their race presented by the great Indra, and equal in speed to the wind strong and speedy, bear the hero Nakula, the son of Madri, of Ajmida’s race; even as they bear Indra himself, the enemy of Vritra.
Thus ends the fifty-sixth chapter, the speech of Sanjaya in the Yanasandhi of the Udyoga Parva.