THE 8TORY OF BHISHMA 323
the whiz of arrows were still in his ears. He saw now the black doom of the Kurus, created by Duryodhana's own tyranny and falsehood, gathering to a head, and sweeping the honour of Dritarashtra into the gulf of time.
Here was the actual field of battle, and on it the mind could see once more, drawn up in battle array, the two great armies, the largest that the India of that day had ever seen. On the one side were the hosts of Duryodhana, led by Bhishma, Drona, and others ; on the other, the troops of the Pandavas, headed by the five brothers, their sons, and their allies. The chariots of the commanders were drawn by milk-white horses ; over each waved a banner, bearing the cognisance of its chief — Bhishma's was a lofty palm-tree, Arjuna's an embroidered monkey ; and a lion's tail, a bull, a peacock, and an elephant-rope, were amongst the devices. In the hands of each hero and his charioteer were white conch-shells, to be used as trumpets, and on receiving the signal for battle all would answer by putting these to their lips, and blowing on them a mighty blast. Standing in their places in either army were the great lines of elephants — the real walls of ancient India — and on the neck of each sat his driver, whose life was held inviolable in the warfare of that time.*
^ Elephants unguided are apt to be seized by paziie, and then they will traunple all before them indiscriminately.
