Chapter 27

Vaisampayana said,–“that heroic and foremost of the Pandavas endued withgreat energy, crossing the White mountains, subjugated the country of theLimpurushas ruled by Durmaputra, after a collision involving a greatslaughter of Kshatriyas, and brought the region under his complete sway.

Having reduced that country, the son of Indra (Arjuna) with a collectedmind marched at the head of his troops to the country called Harataka,ruled by the Guhakas. Subjugating them by a policy of conciliation, theKuru prince beheld (in that region) that excellent of lakes called Manasaand various other lakes and tanks sacred to the Rishis. And the exaltedprince having arrived at the lake Manasa conquered the regions ruled bythe Gandharvas that lay around the Harataka territories. Here theconqueror took, as tribute from the country, numerous excellent horsescalled Tittiri, Kalmasha, Manduka. At last the son of the slayer of Paka,arriving in the country of North Harivarsha desired to conquer it.Thereupon certain frontier-guards of huge bodies and endued with greatstrength and energy, coming to him with gallant hearts, said, ‘O son ofPritha, this country can be never conquered by thee. If thou seekest thygood, return hence. He that entereth this region, if human, is sure toperish. We have been gratified with thee; O hero, thy conquests have beenenough. Nor is anything to be seen here, O Arjuna, that may be conqueredby thee. The Northern Kurus live here. There cannot be war here. Even ifthou enterest it, thou will not be able to behold anything, for withhuman eyes nothing can be seen here. If, however thou seekest anythingelse, O Bharata tell us, O tiger among men, so that we may do thybidding. Thus addressed by them, Arjuna smilingly addressing them,said,–‘I desire the acquisition of the imperial dignity by Yudhishthirathe just, of great intelligence. If your land is shut against humanbeings, I shall not enter it. Let something be paid unto Yudhishthira byye as tribute. Hearing these words of Arjuna, they gave him as tributemany cloths and ornaments of celestial make, silks of celestial textureand skins of celestial origin.

“It was thus that tiger among men subjugated the countries that lay tothe North, having fought numberless battles with both Kshatriya androbber tribes. And having vanquished the chiefs and brought them underhis sway he exacted from them much wealth, various gems and jewels, thehorses of the species called Tittiri and Kalmasha, as also those of thecolour of the parrot’s wings and those that were like the peacocks in hueand all endued with the speed of the wind. And surrounded, O king, by alarge army consisting of the four kinds of forces, the hero came back tothe excellent city of Sakraprastha. And Partha offered the whole of thatwealth, together with the animals he had brought, unto Yudhishthira thejust. And commanded by the monarch, the hero retired to a chamber of thepalace for rest.”