The Mahabharata/Book 1: Adi Parva/Section 191

Section CLXLI. *( Svayamvara Parva continued. )* Vaisampayana said, "When the king (Drupada) expressed his desire of bestowing his daughter on that Brahmana (who had shot the mark), all those monarchs who had been invited to the *Svayamvara*, looking at one another, were suddenly filled with wrath. And they said, 'Passing us by and regarding the assembled monarchs as straw this Drupada desireth to bestow his daughter—that first of women—on a Brahmana! Having planted the tree he cutteth it down when it is about to bear fruit. The wretch regardeth us not: therefore let us slay him! He deserveth not our respect, nor, the veneration due to age. Owing to such qualities of his, we shall therefore, slay this wretch that insulteth all kings, along with his son! Inviting all the monarchs and entertaining them with excellent food, he disregardeth us at last. In this assemblage on monarchs like unto a conclave of the celestials, doth he not see a single monarch equal unto himself? The Vedic declaration is well-known that the *Svayamvara* is for the Kshatriyas. The Brahmanas have no claim in respect of an election of husband by a Kshatriya damsel. Or, ye kings, if this damsel desireth not to elect any one of us as her lord, let us cast her into the fire and return to our kingdoms. As regards this Brahmana, although he hath, from officiousness or avarice, done this injury to the monarchs, he should not yet be slain; for our kingdoms, lives, treasures, sons, grandsons, and whatever other wealth we have, all exist for Brahmanas. Some- thing must be done here (even unto him) so that from fear of disgrace and the desire of maintaining what properly belongeth unto each order, other S*vayamvara* may not terminate in this way.' "Having addressed one another thus, those tigers among monarchs endued with arms like unto spiked iron macəs, took up their weapons and rushed at Drupada for slaying him then and there. And Drupada beholding those monarchs all at once rushing towards him in anger with bow and arrows, sought, from fear, the protection of the Brahmanas. But those mighty bowmen (Bhima and Arjuna) of the Pāndavas, capable of chastising all foes, advanced to oppose those monarchs rushing towards them inpetuously like elephants in the season of rut. Then the monarchs with fingers cased in leather and upraised weapons rushed in anger at the Kuru princes Bhima and Arjuna for slaying them. Then the mighty Bhima of extraordinary achievements, endued with the strength of thunder, tore up like an elephant a large tree and divested it of its leaves. And with that tree, the strong-armed Bhima the son of Prithā,—that grinder of all foes,—stood, like unto the mace-bearing king of the Dead (Yama) armed with his fierce mace, near that bull amongst men Arjuna. And beholding that feat of his brother, Jishnu of extraordinary intelligence and himself also of inconceivable feats, wondered much. And equal unto Indra himself in achievements, casting off all fear he stood with his bow ready to receive those assailants. And beholding those feats of both Jishnu and his brother, Dāmodara (Krishna) of superhuman intelligence and inconceivable feats, addressing his brother, Halāyudha (Valadeva) of fierce energy, said, 'That hero there, of treat like that of a mighty lion, who draweth the large bow in his hand full four cubits in length, is Arjuna! There is no doubt, O Sankarshana, in this, if I am Vāsudeva! That other hero who having speedily torn up the tree hath suddenly become ready to drive off the monarchs, is Vrikodara! For no one in the world, except Vrikodara, could today perform such a feat in the field of battle! And, O Achyuta, that other youth of eyes like unto lotus leaves, of full four cubits' height, of gait like that of a mighty lion and humble withal, of fair cmplexion and prominent and shining nose, who hath, a little before, left the amphitheatre, is Dharma's son (Yudhish-thira). The two other youths, like unto Kārtikeya, are, I suspect, the sons of the twin Aswinas. I heard that the sons of Pandu along with their mother Prithā had all escaped from the conflagration of the house of lac.' Then Halāyudha of complexion like unto that of clouds uncharged with rain, addressing his younger brother (Krishna), said with great satisfaction 'O, I am happy to hear, as I do from sheer good fortune, that our father's sister Prithā with the foremost of the Kaurava princes have all escaped (from death)!'" Thus ends the hundred and ninety-first Section in the Svayamvara of the Adi Parva.