SECTION CCXLVI
"Duryodhana said, 'O Radheya, you knowest not what hath happened.
Therefore, I do not resent your words. Thou thinkest the hostile
Gandharvas to have been vanquished by me with my own energy. O you of
mighty arms, my brothers, indeed had for a long time, aided by me fought
with the Gandharvas. The slaughtered, indeed, on both sides were great.
But when those brave Gandharvas, resorting to their many powers of
illusion, ascended the skies and began to fight with us thence, our
encounter with them ceased to be an equal one. Defeat then was ours and
even captivity. And afflicted with sorrow, we along with our attendants
and counsellors and children and wives and troops and vehicles were being
taken by them through the skies. It was then that some soldiers of ours
and some brave officers repaired in grief unto the sons of Pandu--those
heroes that never refuse succour to those that ask for it. And having
gone to them they said, 'Here is king Duryodhana, the son of
Dhritarashtra, who with his younger brothers and friends and wives is
being led away a captive by the Gandharvas along the sky. Blest be ye.
Liberate the king along with the women of the royal household! Suffer no
insult to be offered unto all the ladies of the Kuru race. And when they
had spoken thus, the eldest of Pandu's sons, who is endued with a
virtuous soul then conciliated his brothers and commanded them to
liberate us. Then those bulls among men, the Pandavas, overtaking the
Gandharvas, solicited our release in soft words, although fully able to
effect it by force of arms. And when the Gandharvas, addressed in such
conciliatory words, refused to set us at liberty, then Arjuna and Bhima
and the twins endued with mighty energy, shot showers of arrows at the
Gandharvas. Then the Gandharvas, abandoning the fight, fled through the
sky, dragging our melancholy selves after them, filled with joy. Then we
beheld a network of arrows spread all around by Dhananjaya, who was also
shooting celestial weapons upon the foe. And seeing the points of the
horizon covered by Arjuna with a thick network of sharp arrows, his
friend, the chief of the Gandharvas, showed himself. And Chitrasena and
Arjuna, embracing each other, enquired after each other's welfare. And
the other sons of Pandu also embraced the chief of the Gandharvas and
were embraced by him. And enquiries of courtesy passed between them also.
And the brave Gandharvas then abandoning their weapons and mail mingled
in a friendly spirit with the Pandavas. And Chitrasena and Dhananjaya
worshipped each other with regard."
--------------------END OF PARVA 3 : UPA-PARVA 246 ---------------------
