Page:The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (Volume 1).pdf/438

424 nas, the great Nagas and the celestial Rishis, the Guhyakas and the Charanas, and Viswavasu and Narada and Parvata, and the principal Gandharvas with the Apsaras. And Halayudha (Valadeva) and Janardana (Krishna) and the chief of the Vrishni, Andhaka, and Yadava tribes who obeyed the leadership of Krishna, were also there, viewing the scene. And beholding those elephants in rut--the five (Pandavas) -attracted towards Draupadi like mighty elephants towards a lake overgrown with lotuses, or like fire covered with ashes, Krishna the foremost of Yadu beroes began to reflect. And he said unto Rama (Valadeva).--"that is Yudhishthira: that is Bhima with Jishnu (Arjuna); and those are the twin heroes. And Rama surveying them slowly cast a glance of satisfaction at Krishna. Biting their nether lips in wrath, the other heroes there-sons and grandsons of kings-with their eyes and hearts and thoughts set on Krishna, looked with expanded eyes on Draupadi alone without noticing the Pandavas. And the sons of Pritha also, of mighty arms, and the illustrious twin heroes, beholding Draupadi, were all likewise struck by the shafts of Kama. And crowded with celestial Rishis and Gandharvas and Suparnas and Nagas and Asuras and Siddhas, and filled with celestial perfumes and scattered over with celestial flowers, and resounding with the kettle-drum and the deep hum of infinite voices, and echoing with the softer music of the flute, the Vina, and the tabor, the cars of the celestials could scarcely find a passage through the firmament. Then those princes-Karna, Duryyodhanay, Salwa, Salya, Aswathama, Kratha, Sunitha, Vakra, the ruler of Kalinga and Banga, Pandya, Paundra, the ruler of Videha, the chief of Yavanas, and many other sons and grandsons of kings,--sovereigns of territories with eyes like lotus-petals, one after another began to exhibit prowess for (winning) that maiden of unrivalled beauty. Adorned with crowns, garlands, bracelets, and other ornaments, endued with mighty arms, possessed of prowess and vigour and bursting with strength and energy, those princes could not, even in imagination, string that bow of extraordinary stiffness.

"And (some amongst) those kings in exerting with swelling lips each according to his strength, education, skill, and energy,-to string that bow, were tossed on the ground and lay perfectly motionless for some time. Their strength spent and their crowns and garlands loosened from their persons, they began to pant for breath and their ambition of winning that fair maiden was cooled. Tossed by that tough bow, and their garlands and bracelets and other ornaments, disordered, they began to utter exclamations of woe. And that assemblage of monarchs their hope of obtaining Krishna gone, looked sad and woeful. And bebolding the plight of those monarchs, Karna that foremost of all