09005001a atha haimavate prasthe sthitvA yuddhAbhinandinaH 'saJjaya said, 'On that table land at the foot of Himavat, those warriors, O monarch, delighting at the prospect of battle
09005001c sarva eva mahArAja yodhAs tatra samAgatAH and assembled together, passed the night.
09005002a zalyaz ca citrasenaz ca zakuniz ca mahArathaH Indeed, zalya and citrasena and the mighty car-warrior zakuni
09005002c azvatthAmA kRpaz caiva kRtavarmA ca sAtvataH and Ashvatthama and kRpa and kRtavarman of the Satwata race,
09005003a suSeNo 'riSTasenaz ca dhRtasenaz ca vIryavAn and Sushena and Arishtasena and Dhritasena of great energy
09005003c jayatsenaz ca rAjAnas te rAtrim uSitAs tataH and Jayatsena and all these kings passed the night there.
09005004a raNe karNe hate vIre trAsitA jitakAzibhiH After the heroic karNa had been slain in battle, thy sons, inspired with fright by the pANDavas desirous of victory,
09005004c nAlabhaJ zarma te putrA himavantam Rte girim failed to obtain peace anywhere else than on the mountains of Himavat.
09005005a te 'bruvan sahitAs tatra rAjAnaM sainyasanMnidhau
09005005c kRtayatnA raNe rAjan samMpUjya vidhivat tadA All of them then, O king, who were resolved on battle, duly worshipped the king and said unto him, in the presence of zalya, these words,
09005006c yenAbhiguptAsH saGMgrAme jayemAsuhRdo vayam 'It behoveth thee to fight with the enemy, after having made some one the generalissimo of thy army, protected by whom in battle we will vanquish our foes.'
09005007a tato duryodhanasH sthitvA rathe rathavarottamam Then duryodhana, without alighting from his car (proceeded towards) that foremost of car-warriors,
09005007c sarvayuddhavibhAgajJam antakapratimaM yudhi that hero conversant with all the rules of battle (Ashvatthama), who resembled the Destroyer himself in battle.
09005008a svaGgamM pracchannazirasaGM kambugrIvamM priyaMvadam Possessed of beautiful limbs, of head well covered, of a neck adorned with three lines like those in a conch shell, of sweet speech,
09005008c vyAkozapadmAbhimukhaM vyAghrAsyamM merugauravam of eyes resembling the petals of a full blown lotus, and of a face like that of the dignity of Meru,
09005009a sthANor vRSasya sadRzaM skandhanetragatisvaraiH resembling the bull of Mahadeva as regards neck, eyes, tread, and voice,
09005009c puSTazliSTAyatabhujaM suvistIrNaghanorasam endued with arms that were large, massive, and well-joined, having a chest that was broad and well-formed,
09005010a jave bale ca sadRzam aruNAnujavAtayoH equal unto Garuda or the wind in speed and might,
09005010c Adityasya tviSA tulyamM buddhyA cozanasA samam gifted with a splendour like that of the rays of the Sun, rivalling Usanas himself in intelligence
09005011a kAntirUpamukhaizvaryais tribhiz candramasopamam and the Moon in beauty and form and charms of face,
09005011c kAJcanopalasaGMghAtaisH sadRzaM zliSTasanMdhikam with a body that seemed to be made of a number of golden lotuses, with well-made joints,
09005012a suvRttorukaTIjaGghaM supAdaM svaGgulInakham of well-formed thighs and waist and hips, of beautiful fingers, and beautiful nails,
09005012c smRtvA smRtvaiva ca guNAn dhAtrA yatnAd vinirmitam he seemed to have been made by the Creator with care after collecting one after another all the beautiful and good attributes of creation.
09005013a sarvalakSaNasamMpannanM nipuNaM zrutisAgaram Possessed of every auspicious mark, and clever in every act, he was an ocean of learning.
09005013c jetAranM tarasArINAm ajeyaM zatrubhir balAt Ever vanquishing his foes with great speed, he was incapable of being forcibly vanquished by foes.
09005014a dazAGgaM yaz catuSpAdam iSvastraM veda tattvataH
09005014c sAGgAMz ca caturo vedAn samyag AkhyAnapaJcamAn He knew, in all its details, the science of weapons consisting of four padas and ten angas. He knew also the four Vedas with all their branches, and the Akhyanas as the fifth.
09005015c ayonijAyAm utpanno droNenAyonijena yaH Possessed of great ascetic merit, droNa, himself not born of woman, having worshipped the Three-eyed deity with great attention and austere vows, begat him upon a wife not born of woman.
09005016a tam apratimakarmANaM rUpeNAsadRzamM bhuvi Approaching that personage of unrivalled feats, that one who is unrivalled in beauty on Earth,
09005016c pAragaM sarvavidyAnAGM guNArNavam aninditam that one who has mastered all branches of learning, that ocean of accomplishments, that faultless
09005016e tam abhyetyAtmajas tubhyam azvatthAmAnam abravIt Ashvatthama, thy son told him these words,
09005017e bhavAMs tasmAn niyogAt te ko 'stu senApatir mama 'Thou, O preceptor's son, art today our highest refuge. Tell us, therefore, who is to be the generalissimo of my forces now, placing whom at our head, all of us, united together, may vanquish the pANDavas?'
09005018 drauNir uvAca ''(Thus addressed), the son of droNa answered,
09005018c sarvair guNaisH samuditazH zalyo no 'stu camUpatiH 'Let zalya become the leader of our army. In descent, in prowess, in energy, in fame, in beauty of person, and in every other accomplishment, he is superior.
09005019a bhAgineyAn nijAMs tyaktvA kRtajJo 'smAn upAgataH Mindful of the services rendered to him, he has taken up our side, having abandoned the sons of his own sister.
09005019c mahAseno mahAbAhur mahAsena ivAparaH Owning a large force of his own, that mighty-armed one is like a second (Kartikeya, the) celestial generalissimo.
09005020a enaM senApatiGM kRtvA nRpatinM nRpasattama Making that king the commander of our forces, O best of monarchs,
09005020c zakyaH prAptuM jayo 'smAbhir devaiH skandam ivAjitam we will be able to gain victory, like the gods, after making the unvanquished Skanda their commander.'
09005021a tathokte droNaputreNa sarva eva narAdhipAH After droNa's son had said these words, all the kings stood,
09005021c parivArya sthitAzH zalyaJM jayazabdAMz ca cakrire surrounding zalya, and cried victory to him.
09005021e yuddhAya ca matiJM cakrur AvezaJM ca paraM yayuH Having made up their minds for battle, they felt great joy.
09005022a tato duryodhanazH zalyamM bhUmau sthitvA rathe sthitam Then duryodhana, alighting from his car,
09005022c uvAca prAJjalir bhUtvA rAmabhISmasamaM raNe joined his hands and addressing zalya, that peer of droNa and bhISma in battle, who was on his car, said these words,
09005023a ayaM sa kAlasH samMprApto mitrANAmM mitravatsala 'O thou that art devoted to friends, that time has now come for thy friends
09005023c yatra mitram amitraM vA parIkSante budhA janAH when intelligent men examine persons in the guise of friends as to whether they are true friends or otherwise.
09005024a sa bhavAn astu nazH zUraH praNetA vAhinImukhe Brave as thou art, be thou our generalissimo at the van of our army.
09005024c raNaJM ca yAte bhavati pANDavA mandacetasaH When thou wilt proceed to battle, the pANDavas,
09005024e bhaviSyanti sahAmAtyAH pAJcAlAz ca nirudyamAH with their friends, will become cheerless, and the Pancalas will be depressed.'
09005025 zalya uvAca ''zalya answered,
09005025a yat tu mAmM manyase rAjan kururAja karomi tat 'I will, O king of the kurus, accomplish that which thou askest me to accomplish.
09005025c tvatpriyArthaM hi me sarvamM prANA rAjyanM dhanAni ca Everything I have--my life breath, my kingdom, my wealth--is at thy service.'
09005026 duryodhana uvAca ''duryodhana said,
09005026a sainApatyena varaye tvAm ahamM mAtulAtulam 'I solicit thee with offer of the leadership of my army, O maternal uncle.
09005026c so 'smAn pAhi yudhAM zreSTha skando devAn ivAhave O foremost of warriors, protect us incomparably, even as Skanda protected the gods in battle.
09005027a abhiSicyasva rAjendra devAnAm iva pAvakiH O foremost of kings, thyself cause thy own self to be installed in the command as Pavaka's son Kartikeya in the command of (the forces of) the celestials.
09005027c jahi zatrUn raNe vIra mahendro dAnavAn iva O hero, slay our foes in battle like indra slaying the dAnavas.'''
