chieftain. Splinter and lotus* are the arrays Drona will choose and at the tip of the needle and the very pericarp of the flower he will place Jayad·ratha. The Sindhu king is afraid. His weaponcraft and vigour and lifeblood ebb from him. But o Partha his six guardians are impossible to beat, and unbeaten they will keep you at bay.

75.30

Think on the valour of each of those six, one by one. They are tigers in the forest of men and we will not overcome them in a fair fight. You must do what you must do. But I would rather for your own sake that you had sought counsel from those friends of yours who might have given it.”

arjuna spoke:

76.1

76.5

Let me tell you about the six you call Duryodhanas champions. Their might combined is not worth half of mine. Tomorrow you will see o Madhu·sudana how I match them arrow for arrow as I go to kill Jayad·ratha. While Drona and his cronies look on in anguish I will drop the Sindhu king’s head in the dust. Let the Sadhyas, the Rudras and the Vasus, the Ashvins and Indra’s storm gods, let all the gods and god kings and the departed dead and the gandharvas, let all that rule over the sky the air the earth the sea and every quarter of the world, let all the animals from farm and jungle, let all things animate and inanimate come together tomorrow to save the Sindhu king and still Madhu· sudana you will watch my arrows take his life. O Krishna I will break the fool’s accursed bow in two whoever is there to protect him. Suyodhana thinks Drona holds the dice in this contest.* Well Keshava I will fight him off first. And ________