Thus ends the hundred and thirty-sixth Section in the Sambhava of the Adi Parva.
( Sambhava Parva continued. )
Vaisampayana continued, "And upon the Kuru king and Bhima the foremost of all endued with strength, having entered. the arena, the spectators were divided into two parties, in consequence of their partiality swaying their affections. And some cried 'Behold the heroic king of the Kurus!' And some, 'Behold Bhima!' And on account of these cries there was all of a sudden a loud uproar. And seeing the place became like a troubled ocean, the intelligent Bharadwaja said unto his dear son Aswathama, 'Restrain thou both these mighty warriors so proficient in arms! Let not the ire of the assembly be provoked by this combat of Bhima and Duryo-dhana.'"
Vaisampayana continued, "And the son of the preceptor of the princes then restrained those combatants with uplifted maces and who resembled two swollen oceans agitated by the winds that blow at the universal dissolution. And Drona himself entering the yard of the arena commanded the musicians to stop and with a voice deep as that of the clouds addressed these words: 'Behold ye now that Partha who is dearer to me than my own son, the master of all arms, the son of Indra himself, and like unto the younger brother of Indra (Vishnu)! And having performed the propitiatory rites, the youth Falguna, furnished with the finger-ptotector and his quiver full of shafts and bow in hand, doning on his golden mail, appeared in the lists even like an evening cloud reflecting the rays of the setting sun, and illumined by the hues of the rainbow and flashes of lightning.
"And on seeing Arjuna the whole assembly were delighted, and conches began to be blown all around with other musical instruments. And there arose a great uproar in consequence of the spectators exclaiming, 'This is the graceful son of Kunti!—'This is the middle (third) Pandava!'—'This is the son of the mighty Indra!'—'This is the protector of the Kurus!—'This is
51
