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Rh wielders of the bow went to where the bow was, and quickly raising it stringed it soon and placed the arrows on the string. And beholding the son of Suryya-Karna of the Suta tribe-like unto fire, or Soma, or Suryya himself, resolved to shoot the mark those foremost of bowmen -the sons of Pandu-regarded the mark as already shot and brought down upon the ground. But seeing Karna, Draupadi loudly said, -'I will not select a Suta for my lord! Then Karna, laughing in vexation and casting a glance at the Sun, threw aside the bow already drawn to a circle.

"Then when all those Kshatriyas gave up the task, the heroic king of the Chedis-mighty as Yama (Pluto) himself-the illustrious and determined Sisupala, the son of Damaghosa, in endeavouring to string the bow, himself fell upon his knees on the ground. Then king Jarasandha endued with great strength and powers, approaching the bow stood there for some moment, fixed and motionless like a mountain. Tossed by the bow, he too fell upon his knees on the ground, and rising up, the monarch left the amphitheatre for (returning to his king. dom, Then the great hero Salya, the king of Madra, endued with great strength, in endeavouring to string the bow fell upon his knees on the ground. At last when in that assemblage consisting of highly respectable people, all the monarchs had become subjects of derisive talk that foremost of heroes-Jishnu, the son of Kunti-desired to string the bow and placed the arrows on the bowstring."

Thus ends the hundred and eighty-ninth section in the Swayamvara Parva of the Adi Parva.

Vaisampayana continued."When all the monarchs had desisted from stringing that bow, the high-souled Jishnu arose from among the crowd of Brahmanas seated in that assembly. And beholding Partha possessing the complexion of Indra's banner, advancing towards the bow, the principal Brahmanas shaking their deer-skins raised a loud clamour. And while some were displeased, there were others that were wellpleased. And some there were, possessed of intelligence and foresight, who addressing one another said, 'Ye Brahmanas, how can a Brahmana stripling unpractised in arms and weak in strength, string that bow which such celebrated Kshatriyas as Salya and others endued with might and accomplished in the science and practice of arms could

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