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226
CHAPTER SEVEN Angered by that speech, Jarāsandha replied: “ Surely, wretch, you have been weaned away 216 by these crafty Yadus, since you try to make me afraid of the enemy, telling that without effect. Does the lion ever become afraid from the howls of jackals, evil-minded man? I shall reduce to ashes the cowherds' army by my power. Shame on this wish of yours advocating retreat from battle.”
Then the minister Dimbhaka said: “ This speech is like his heart. Battle, of which the time has come, certainly must not be avoided now by the master. Glorious death in battle of those facing the enemy is better than life of those turning their backs on battle, lord. Arranging the wheel-formation, impenetrable as the cakra-jewel, in our army, we will destroy the enemy-army engaged in battle.”
Delighted, Jarāsandha said to him: “Good! Good!” and he instructed his mighty generals to make the wheelformation. The ministers, Hansaka, Dimbhaka, and other generals made the wheel-formation at the Ardhacakrin's command. In the wheel which had one thousand spokes, one king stood on each spoke. Each one of the kings had one hundred elephants, two thousand chariots, five thousand horses, and sixteen thousand foot-soldiers of boundless glory. There were seventy-five hundred kings in the circumference of the rim and in the middle of it was the Lord of Magadha with more than five thousand kings. In the rear of the King of Magadha was the army from Sindhu and Gāndhāra. The hundred Dhārtarāștras were to the king's right. The kings of Madhyadeśa were to the left. In front there were kings without number. At each joint of the rim there were kings with formations of fifty carts. Gulmas 217 were placed in each
216 226. Bheda has been used-one of the 4 upāyas. See I, p. 153 and Abhi. 3.400.
217 239. In Abhi.3.412 is given a succession of military groupings. Here a gulma consists of 27 elephants, 27 chariots, 81 horses, and 135 infantry. Gaņa does not occur in this connection in the Abhi. According to MW, a gaña = 3 gulmas, but the numbers of its members correspond with Hem.'s gulma.
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