And the princes,
riding in first class chariots and following the cavalry, entered the
hostile capital, and proceeded along the streets.
"Meanwhile, the king of Panchala, beholding that mighty force and hearing
its loud clamour, came out of his palace, accompanied by his brothers.
Though king Yajnasena was well-armed, the Kuru army assailed him with a
shower of arrows, uttering their war-cry. Yajnasena, however, not easy to
be subdued in battle, approaching the Kurus upon his white chariot, began
to rain his fierce arrows around.
"Before the battle commenced, Arjuna, beholding the pride of prowess
displayed by the princes, addressed his preceptor, that best of Brahmanas,
Drona, and said, 'We shall exert ourselves after these have displayed
their prowess. The king of Panchala can never be taken on the field of the
battle by any of these.' Having said this, the sinless son of Kunti
surrounded by his brothers, waited outside the town at a distance of a
mile from it. Meanwhile Drupada beholding the Kuru host, rushed forward
and pouring a fierce shower of arrows around, terribly afflicted the Kuru
ranks. And such was his lightness of motion on the field of battle that,
though he was fighting unsupported on a single chariot, the Kurus from
panic supposed that there were many Drupadas opposed to them. And the
fierce arrows of that monarch fell fast on all sides, till conchs and
trumpets and drums by thousands began to be sounded by the Panchalas from
their houses (giving the alarm).
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