Page:The Mahabharata (Kishori Mohan Gangopadhyay, First Edition) Volume 16.djvu/35

18 were in deep affliction. The servants of the Vrishnis, their horsemen, and their car-warriors too, followed the procession. The citizens and the inhabitants of the country, at the command of Prithā's son, set out at the same time and proceeded, surrounding that cavalcade destitute of heroes and numbering only women and the aged and the children. The warriors who fought from the backs of elephants proceeded on elephants as huge as hills. The foot-soldiers also set out, together with the reserves. The children of the Andhaka and the Vrishni races, all followed Arjuna. The Brāhmanas and Kshatriyas, and Vaiçyas, and wealthy Cudras, set out, keeping before them the sixteen thousand women that had formed Vāsudeva's harem, and Vajra, the grandson of the intelligent Krishna. The widows of the other heroes of the Bhoja, the Vrishni, and the Andhaka races, lordless now, that set out with Arjuna, numbered many millions. That foremost of car-warriors, that conqueror of hostile towns, viz., the son of Prithā, escorted this vast procession of Vrishnis, which still abounded with wealth, and which looked like a veritable ocean. After all the people had set out, the ocean, that home of sharks and alligators, flooded Dwārakā, which still teemed with wealth of every kind, with its waters. Whatever portion of the ground was passed over, ocean immediately flooded over with his waters. Beholding this wonderful sight, the inhabitants of Dwārakā walked faster and faster, saying,'Wonderful is the course of fate!' Dhanajaya, after abandoning Dwārakā, proceeded by slow marches, causing the Vrishni women to rest in pleasant forests and mountains and by the sides of delightful streams. Arrived at the country of the five waters, the puissant Dhananjaya planted a rich encampment in the midst of a land that abounded with corn and kine and other animals. Beholding those lordless widows escorted by Prithā's son alone, O Bhārata, the robbers felt a great temptation (for plunder). Then those sinful wretches, with hearts overwhelmed by cupidity, viz., those Abhiras of ill omen, assembled together and held a consultation. They said,'Here there is only one bowman, viz., Arjuna. The cavalcade consists of children and the old. He