Chapter 222

“Vaisampayana said, ‘Then Dhananjaya, informed of the assent ofYudhishthira, and ascertaining, O Janamejaya, that the maiden had gone tothe Raivataka hill, obtained the assent of Vasudeva also, after havingsettled in consultation with him all that required to be done.

Then thatbull of Bharata’s race, that foremost of men, with Krishna’s assent,riding in his well-built car of gold equipped with rows of small bellsand with every kind of weapon and the clatter of whose wheels resembledthe roar of the clouds and whose splendour was like unto that of ablazing fire and which struck terror into the hearts of all foes and untowhich were yoked the steeds Saivya and Sugriva, himself accoutred in mailand armed with sword and his fingers encased in leathern gloves, set out,as it were, on a hunting expedition. Meanwhile Subhadra, having paid herhomage unto that prince of hills, Raivataka and having worshipped thedeities and made the Brahmanas utter benedictions upon her, and havingalso walked round the hill, was coming towards Dwaravati. The son ofKunti, afflicted with the shafts of the god of desire, suddenly rushedtowards that Yadava girl of faultless features and forcibly took her intohis car. Having seized that girl of sweet smiles, that tiger among menproceeded in his car of gold towards his own city (Indraprastha).Meanwhile, the armed attendants of Subhadra, beholding her thus seizedand taken away, all ran, crying towards the city of Dwaraka. Reaching alltogether the Yadava court called by the name of Sudharma, theyrepresented everything about the prowess of Partha unto the chief officerof the court. The chief officer of the court, having heard everythingfrom those messengers, blew his gold-decked trumpet of loud blare,calling all to arms. Stirred up by that sound, the Bhojas, the Vrishnis,and the Andhakas began to pour in from all sides. Those that were eatingleft their food, and those that were drinking left their drink. Thosetigers among men, those great warriors of the Vrishni and the Andhakatribes, took their seats upon their thousand thrones of gold covered withexcellent carpets and variegated with gems and corals and possessed ofthe lustre of blazing fire. Indeed they took their seats upon thosethrones, like blazing fires receiving faggots to increase theirsplendour. And after they were seated in that court which was like unto aconclave of the celestials themselves, the chief officer of the court,assisted by those that stood at his back, spoke of the conduct of Jishnu.The proud Vrishni heroes, of eyes red with wine, as soon as they heard ofit, rose up from their seats, unable to brook what Arjuna had done. Someamongst them said, ‘Yoke our cars’, and some, ‘Bring our weapons’ andsome said, ‘Bring our costly bows and strong coats of mail; and someloudly called upon their charioteers to harness their cars, and some,from impatience, themselves yoked their horses decked with gold untotheir cars. And while their cars and armours and standards were beingbrought, loud became the uproar of those heroes. Then Valadeva, white andtall as the peak of Kailasa, decked with garlands of wild flowers andattired in blue robes, and proud and intoxicated with drink, said thesewords:

‘Ye senseless men, what are ye doing, when Janardana sitteth silent?Without knowing what is in his mind, vainly do we roar in wrath! Let thehigh-souled Krishna give out what he proposeth. Accomplish promptly whathe desireth to do.’ Then all of them, hearing those words of Halayudhathat deserved to be accepted, exclaimed, ‘Excellent! Excellent!’ Theythen all became silent. Silence having been restored by the words of theintelligent Valadeva, they took their seats once more in that assembly.Then Rama, that oppressor of foes, spoke unto Vasudeva, saying, ‘Why, OJanardana, sittest thou, gazing silently? O Achyuta, it was for thy sakethat the son of Pritha had been welcomed and honoured by us. It seemeth,however, that that vile wretch deserved not our homage. What man is thereborn of a respectable family that would break the plate after havingdined from it! Even if one desireth to make such an alliance, yetremembering all the services he hath received, who is there, desirous ofhappiness, that acts so rashly? That Pandava disregarding us and thee toohath today outraged Subhadra, desiring (to compass) his own death. Hehath placed his foot on the crown of my head. How shall I, O Govinda,tamely bear it? Shall I not resent it, even like a snake that is troddenupon? Alone shall I today make the earth destitute of Kauravas! Nevershall I put up with this transgression by Arjuna.’ Then all the Bhojas,Vrishnis, and Andhakas, present there, approved of everything thatValadeva had said, deeply roaring like unto a kettle-drum or the clouds.'”