One morning, Drona came to meet Bheeshma, Dhritarashtra and Vidura in court. "My lords, the Kuru princes are ready to display their skills to yourselves and the people."
Bheeshma was enthused. "Let us have an exhibition."
Dhritarashtra said, "Ah, today I curse my blindness. But Vidura will sit beside me and describe everything as if I saw it all with my eyes. Acharya Drona, let us prepare for an exhibition like Hasti- napura has never seen before. Vidura, have a stadium built where the princes can show their skills. As soon as the stadium is complete, find an auspicious day for the exhibition. Let every convenience be placed at Drona's disposal and let Hastinapura be alight with the news!"
Drona hired the finest artisans in the kingdom to build the stadium. In the shastras of vaasthu there were exact specifications for such an edifice: which direction it should face; where the royal stands should be built and where the popular ones; how long the arena should be and how wide; and other fine details relating to the planets above and the spirits of the earth.
Drona and Vidura chose a site just below the king's palace and had it sanctified. A huge labor force was collected and, the day after the consecration, work began under Drona's watchful eye. With that force toiling day and night, expertly, the stadium was completed in less than a month; even though the workers had to meet the acharya's exacting standards.
All the lofty stands were complete—the king's enclosure, those for the nobility, separate stands for the women of the palace and those for the common people. Drona came to the court again and announced that a date had been fixed for the exhibition, a week hence. The princes were preparing for the display.
Drona said, "There will also be a friendly tournament between the princes to make the exhibition more exciting."
"Let word be sent among the people, informing them of the date," said Dhritarashtra.
Came the day of the tournament. It was a brilliant morning, not a cloud in the sky and a golden sun shone down as if to bless Hastinapura. Well before dawn the people began to throng the gates of the stadium. Some had spent the night under the stars outside the enclosures. They lit fires, sang old songs and discussed the prowess of the different participants—whether Aswatthama was the best marksman, or Arjuna, by far; whether Bheema, the Pandava, was the strongest with the mace, or if it was Duryodhana, the Kaurava.
With dawn, the gates were thrown open and a sea of people surged into the stadium to secure places on the wooden and stone steps, which were their stands, canopied with bright canvas to keep away the sun's heat and the rain, if by some mischance it came down today. And as in any crowd, each prince had his partisans. There were those who said, "There is no archer on earth like Arjuna. We have come to watch Arjuna perform with his bow."
"All the Kuru princes are great kshatriyas," cried another. "We have come to watch them all."
Someone else had a different view of things. "The world knows that Drona cares just for one disci- ple. This exhibition is only to show off Arjuna's skills; the others will serve as foils for him."
"Do you think Drona is a fool that his intentions are transparent to one of your feeble wit?"
There was some irate shouting from the aggrieved party. But just then a hundred deep conches boomed around the arena, silencing the crowd. A covered passage led straight from the palace to the royal enclosure. And now the Kuru Pitama, the august Bheeshma, walked up that passage. His white hair and beard shone in the sun. The people rose to their feet and called out his name. The patriarch was all smiles today, as he waved to acknowledge their greeting. He took his place on a throne beside Dhritarashtra's central one. Once more, the crowd fell to speculations like a murmurous sea.
The conches resounded again and again they were on their feet. Along the royal passage came Dhritarashtra, with Gandhari, Vidura and Kunti. The king came on Vidura's arm and Gandhari on Kunti's. The people took up their names one by one, including Pandu's and the sky echoed with their chanting. Dhritarashtra was also smiling today, as he raised his arms to greet them. Vidura helped him to his throne.
Kripa followed the king, the queen and Vyasa who had come to watch the exhibition; and then, the retinue of Kuru nobility. The women were shown to their own enclosure to the left of the king's. Settling again, the crowd was full of gossip about the grand men and women of the Kuru House.
