The Mahabharata/Book 1: Adi Parva/Section 136

Section CXXXVI. ( *Sambhava Parva continued.* ) Vaisampayana said, "O thou of the Bharata race, beholding the sons of Dhrita-rashtra and Pandu accomplished in arms, Drona, O monarch, addressed king Dhrita-rashtra, in the presence of Kripa, Soma-datta, Valhika, the wise son of Ganga, Vyasa, and Vidura, and said, 'O thou best of Kuru kings, thy children have completed their education. With thy permission, O king, let them now show their proficiency.' Hearing him, the king said with a glad heart, 'O thou best of Brahmanas, thou hast, indeed, accomplished a great deed. Command me thyself as to the place and the time where and when and the manner also in which the trial may be held. Grief arising from my own blindness maketh me envy those men who, blesssed with sight, will behold my children's prowess in arms. O *Khatta* (Vidura), do all that Drona sayeth. O thou devoted to virtue, I think there is nothing that can be more agreeable to me.' Then Vidura giving the necessary assurance to the king, went out to do what he was bid. And Drona, endued with great wisdom, then measured out a piece of land that was void of trees and thickets and furnished with wells and springs. And upon the spot of land so measured out, Drona—that first of eloquent men selecting a lunar day when the star ascendant was auspicious, offered up sacrifice unto the gods, in the presence of the citizens assembled by proclamations to witness the same. And then, O thou bull among men, the artificers of the king built thereon a large and elegant stage according to the rules laid down in the scriptures. And it was furnished with all kinds of weapons. And they also built another elegant hall for lady spectators. And the citizens constructed many platfoms, while the wealthier of them pitched many spacious and high tents all around. "And when the day fixed for the exhibition came, the king accompanied by his ministers, with Bhisma and Kripa the foremost of preceptors, walking ahead, came unto that theatre of almost celestial beauty, constructed of pure gold, and decked with strings of pearls and the *lapis lazuli*. And, O thou first of victorious men, Gandhari blessed with great good fortune and Kunti, and the other ladies of the royal household in gorgeous attire and accompanied by their waiting-women, joyfully ascended the platforms, like celestial ladies ascending the Sumeru mountain. And the four orders including the Brahmanas and Kshatriyas, desirous of beholding the princes' skill in arms, left the city and came running to that spot. And so impatient was every one to behold the spectacle, that the vast crowd assembled there in almost an instant. And with the noise of blowing trumpets and beating drums and the sound of many voices, that vast concourse became like the agitated ocean. "At last, Drona accompanied by his son, dressed in white attire, with white sacred thread, white locks, white bread, white garlands, and white sandal paste besmeared over his body, entered the lists. It seemed as if the Moon himself accompanied by the planet Mars appeared in an unclouded sky. On entering, Bharadwaja performed timely worship, and caused Brahmanas versed in the *mantras* to celebrate the auspicious rites. And after auspicious sweet-sounding musicial instruments had struck up as a propitiatory ceremony, entered some persons equipped with various arms. And then having girt up their loins, entered those mighty warriors, he best of the Bharata race (the princes) furnished with the finger-protectors, and bows and quivers. And with Yudishthira at their head, the puissant princes entered in the order of age and began to show wonderful skill with their weapons. Some of the spectators lowered their heads, apprehending fall of arrows. While others fearlessly looked on with wonder. And swiftly riding on horses and managing them dexterously, the princes began to hit marks with shafts graced with their respective names. And seeing the prowess of the princes furnished with bows and arrows, the spectators thought that they were seeing the city of the Gandharvas, and became filled with amazement. And, O Bharata, all of a sudden some hundreds and thousands, with eyes expanded with wonder, exclaimed 'Well done! Well done!' And having repeatedly displayed their skill and dexterity in the use of the bow and arrow and in the management of cars, the mighty warriors took up their swords and bucklers, and began to range the lists, playing their weapons. The spectators saw (with wonder) their agility, the symmetry of their bodies, their grace, their calmness, the firmness of their grasp and their use of the sword and buckler. Then Vrikodara and Suyodbana internally delighted (at the prospect of fight) entered the arena, mace in hand, like two one-peaked mountains. And the mighty armed warriors braced their waist, and summoning up their energy, roared like two mad (male) elephants contending for a female one; and like two mad male elephants those mighty heroes faultlessly (in consonance with the dictates of the science of arms) went right and left, circling the lists. And Vidura described to Dhrita-rashtra and the mother of the Pandavas (Kunti) to Gandhari all the feats of the princes." Thus ends the hundred and thirty-sixth Section in the Sambhava of the Adi Parva.