Mahābhārata

M. N. Dutt: Sanjaya said 0 best of the Bharata race, then king Yudhishthira, after placing his troops duly in battle-array against the army of Bhishma, thus spoke.

M. N. Dutt: The Pandavas have now placed their troops in counter-array in the way laid down in the Shastras. O sinless ones, fight with fairness with the desire of obtaining the highest heaven.

M. N. Dutt: In the centre stood Shikhandin and his men protected by Arjuna. Dhrishtadyumna was in the front protected by Bhima.

M. N. Dutt: O king, the southern division of the army was protected by that great bowman, the handsome Yuyudhana, that foremost of the Satvata heroes, who was equal to Indra himself.

M. N. Dutt: Yudhishthira was on a car which was worthy of carrying Indra himself. It was adorned with an excellent standard decked with gold and gems. It was furnished with golden traces. He stood in the midst of his elephant corps.

M. N. Dutt: His milk-white umbrella, with ivory handle, held over his head, looked exceedingly beautiful. Many great Rishis walked round the king uttering the words of praise.

M. N. Dutt: Many priests, Brahmanas, Rishis, Siddhas, as they walked round him, chanted hymns in his praise. They wished him the destruction of his enemies by the help of Tapas and mantras, efficacious drugs and various propitiatory ceremonies.

M. N. Dutt: The illustrious Kuru chief then gave away to the Brahmanas kine, fruits, flowers, golden coins and cloths. He marched like Indra, the chief of the celestial.

M. N. Dutt: Arjuna's car, furnished with hundreds of bells, decked with gold, fitted with excellent wheels, endued with the effulgence of fire and yoked with best steeds, looked as brilliant as one thousand suns.

M. N. Dutt: On this (grand) car, which was driven by Keshava (Krishna) stood the ape-bannered hero with Gandiva (bow) and arrows in his hand, a great bow man whose equal there is none of earth or none will be.

M. N. Dutt: He who assumes the most terrible appearance for crushing your sons, he who without any weapon but only with his bare arms pounds to dust men, horses and elephants, that mighty armed Bhimasena that Vrikodara, accompanied by the twins (Nakula and Sahadeva) protected the (Pandava) warriors. Seeing the invincible Vrikodara like a fearful lion of sportive gait, like a proud leader of a herd of elephants, like the great Indra himself, your soldiers, with their strength weakened by fear, began to tremble like elephants sunk in mud.

M. N. Dutt: O best of the Bharata race, then Janardana (Krishna) thus spoke to that invincible hero Gudakesha standing in the midst of his troops.

M. N. Dutt: He who scorches us with his wrath, he who stays in the midst of his force, he who will attack our troops like a lion, he who has performed three hundred Ashvamedha sacrifices, that banner of the Kuru race, that Bhishma, is yonder.

M. N. Dutt: Innumerable troops cover him on all sides as the clouds cover the bright luminary, the sun. O best of men, killing the troops, fight with that foremost chief of Bharata race.

M. N. Dutt: Sanjaya said Having seen the army of Dhritarashtra's son approach with the desire to fight, Krishna spoke these words to Arjuna for his benefit.

M. N. Dutt: The Deity said “O mighty-armed hero, purifying yourself, utter, on the even of battle, the hymn to Durga, so that you may defeat the foe".

M. N. Dutt: Sanjaya said Being thus addressed by the greatly wise Vasudeva, the son of Pritha, Arjuna alighted from his car and chanted the following hymn with joined hands.

M. N. Dutt: Arjuna said O lord of the Yogins, O dweller of Mandara forest, O identified Deity with Brahma, I bow to you. O Goddess free from decrepitude and decay, O Kali, O wife of Kapala, O Deity of black and brown colour,

M. N. Dutt: I bow to you. O giver of benefits to your devotecs, O Mahakali, I bow to you. O wife of the universal destroyer, I bow to you. O proud one, O rescuer from dangers, O possessor of every auspicious attribute, I bow to you.

M. N. Dutt: O goddess who has sprung from the Katar ace, O worshipped of all, O fearful one, O giver of victory, O victory itself, O bearer of the banner of peacocks plumes, O wearer of ornaments.

M. N. Dutt: O wielder of fearful spear, O holder of sword and shield, O the younger sister of the cowherd chief, O eldest one, O goddess born in the race of Nandagopa,

M. N. Dutt: O lover of buffalo's blood, o deity born in the race of Kushika, O wearer of yellow robes, O devourer of Asuras, O lover of battle, I bow to you.

M. N. Dutt: O Uma, O Shakambhari, O white-coloured deity, O black-coloured goddess, O destroyer of Kaitabha Asura, O yellow-eyed one, O various eyed one, O smoke coloured eyed one, I bow to you. You are the Vedas, you are the Shrutis, you are the highest virtue. You are propitious to Brahmanas who are engaged in sacrifices, you posses the knowledge of the past, you are ever present in the sacred abodes erected in your honour in the Jambudvipa.

M. N. Dutt: You are the science of Brahma among sciences, you are that sleep of creatures, which has no waking, C_mother of Skanda, O possessor of the six attributes, O Durga, O dweller of inaccessible regions,

M. N. Dutt: You are described as svaha, as svadha as Kala, as Kashta, as Sarasvati, as Savitri, the mother of the Vedas and as the science of the Vedanta.

M. N. Dutt: O great goddess with my inner soul purified, I adore you. Let, through your grace, victory always attend me in the field of battle.

M. N. Dutt: You always live in inaccessible regions where there is fear, in places of difficulty, in the abodes of your worshippers and in the nether region. You always anguish the Asuras.

M. N. Dutt: You are consciousness, you are sleep, you are illusion, you are modesty, you are beauty. You are the twilight's, you are the day, you are Savitri, you are the mother.

M. N. Dutt: You are contentment, you are growth you are light, you support the sun and the moon, you make them shine. You are the prosperity of those that are prosperous. The Siddhas and the Charanas see you in the Samadhi.

M. N. Dutt: Sanjaya said Knowing Partha's (Arjuna's) great devotion, Durga, who is always graciously inclined towards mankind, appeared in the sky. In the presence of Govinda (Krishna) she thus spoke to Arjuna.

M. N. Dutt: The goddess said O son of Pandu, you will vanquish your enemy in no time. O invincible one. You have Narayana himself to help you.

M. N. Dutt: You are incapable of being defeated by any foe, not even by the wielder of thunder-bolt (Indra). Having said this, that boon-giving goddess disappeared.

M. N. Dutt: The son of Kunti (Arjuna), considered himself blessed by obtaining that boon. Partha then mounted his excellent chariot.

M. N. Dutt: Then Krishna and Arjuna, both seated in one car, blew their celestial conchs. The man, who chants this hymn in the morning.

M. N. Dutt: Has nothing to fear from the Yakshas, the Rakshasas and Pishachas,. He will have no enemies. He will have no fear from snakes and all animals that have poisonous stings and teeth, and also from kings. He is certain to win victory in all disputes. If bound, he will be freed from the bonds.

M. N. Dutt: He is certain to get over all difficulties, be is certain to be freed from thieves. He will ever win victory, and the goddess of prosperity.

M. N. Dutt: He will live with health and strength for one hundred years. I have known all this through the grace of the greatly wise Vyasa.

M. N. Dutt: Your wicked sons, however, having been entangled in the meshes of death do not, out of ignorance, know them to be Nara and Narayana.

M. N. Dutt: Entangled in the net and death, they do not know that the last hour of their kingdom has come. Dvaipayana (Vyasa) Narada, Kanva, the sinless Rama had dissuaded your son. But he did not accept their words. Where there is piety there are glory and beauty. Where there is modesty there are intelligence and prosperity. Where there is righteousness, there is Krishna, and where there is Krishna, there is victory.

M. N. Dutt: Dhritarashtra said O Sanjaya, the warriors of which side first advanced to the fight? Whose hearts were filled with confidence and who were spiritless from melancholy?

M. N. Dutt: In the great battle that makes every one's heart tremble, who were they who struck the first blow; were they my men or did they belong to the Pandavas? O Sanjaya, tell me all this in detail.

M. N. Dutt: Among whose troops did the garlands of flowers and unguents emit fragrant scents? Whose troops with fearful roars uttered merciful words?

M. N. Dutt: Sanjaya said The warriors of both the armies were cheerful in the beginning. The garlands of flowers and unguents emitted equal fragrance. O best of the Bharata race, fearful was the encounter that took place between the troops arrayed for battle.

Corresponding verse not found in M. N. Dutt's version.

M. N. Dutt: The loud sounds of musical instruments, mingled with that of the conches and drums, and the shouts of brave warriors, that rose fearfully roaring at one another, were awful.

M. N. Dutt: O best of the Bharata race, dreadful was the battle fought by the troops of both parties all staring at one another and all filled with joy. The elephants uttered terrible roars.