for all warlike races in Northern
India took a share in it.

Duryodhan's army consisted of his own division, as well as the
divisions of ten allied kings. Each allied power is said to have
brought one _akshauhini_ troops, and if we reduce this fabulous
number to the moderate figure of ten thousand, including horse and
foot, cars and elephants, Duryodhan's army including his own division
was over a hundred thousand strong.

Yudhishthir had a smaller army, said to have been seven _akshauhinis_
in number, which we may by a similar reduction reckon to be seventy
thousand. His father-in-law the king of the Panchalas, and Arjun's
relative the king of the Matsyas, were his principal allies. Krishna
joined him as his friend and adviser, and as the charioteer of Arjun,
but the Vrishnis as a nation had joined Duryodhan.

When the two armies were drawn up in array and faced each other, and
Arjun saw his revered elders and dear friends and relations among his
foes, he was unwilling to fight. It was on this occasion that Krishna
explained to him the great principles of Duty in that memorable work
called the _Bhagavat-gita_ which has been translated into so many
European languages. Belief in one Supreme Deity is the underlying
thought of this work, and ever and anon, as Professor Garbe remarks,
"does Krishna revert to the doctrine that for every man, no matter to
what caste he may belong, the zealous performance of his duty and the
discharge of his obligations is his most important work."

Duryodhan chose the grand old fighter Bhishma as the
commander-in-chief of his army, and for ten days Bhishma held his
own and inflicted serious loss on Yudhishthir's army. The principal
incidents of these ten days, ending with the fall of Bhishma, are
narrated in this Book.

This Book is an abridgment of Book vi. of the original text.

I

Pandavs routed by Bhishma

Ushas with her crimson fingers oped the portals of the day,
Nations armed for mortal combat in the field of battle lay!

Beat of drum and blare of trumpet and the _sankha's_ lofty sound,
By the answering cloud repeated, shook the hills and tented ground,

And the voice of sounding weapons which the warlike archers drew,
And the neigh of battle chargers as the armed horsemen flew,

Mingled with the rolling thunder of each swiftly-speeding car,
And with pealing bells proclaiming mighty elephants of war!

Bhishma led the Kuru forces, strong as Death's resistless flail,
Huma