Chapter 246

“Duryodhana said, ‘O Radheya, thou knowest not what hath happened.Therefore, I do not resent thy words. Thou thinkest the hostileGandharvas to have been vanquished by me with my own energy. O thou ofmighty arms, my brothers, indeed had for a long time, aided by me foughtwith the Gandharvas. The slaughtered, indeed, on both sides were great.But when those brave Gandharvas, resorting to their many powers ofillusion, ascended the skies and began to fight with us thence, ourencounter with them ceased to be an equal one. Defeat then was ours andeven captivity. And afflicted with sorrow, we along with our attendantsand counsellors and children and wives and troops and vehicles were beingtaken by them through the skies. It was then that some soldiers of oursand some brave officers repaired in grief unto the sons of Pandu–thoseheroes that never refuse succour to those that ask for it. And havinggone to them they said, ‘Here is king Duryodhana, the son ofDhritarashtra, who with his younger brothers and friends and wives isbeing 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 noinsult to be offered unto all the ladies of the Kuru race. And when theyhad spoken thus, the eldest of Pandu’s sons, who is endued with avirtuous soul then conciliated his brothers and commanded them toliberate us. Then those bulls among men, the Pandavas, overtaking theGandharvas, solicited our release in soft words, although fully able toeffect it by force of arms. And when the Gandharvas, addressed in suchconciliatory words, refused to set us at liberty, then Arjuna and Bhimaand the twins endued with mighty energy, shot showers of arrows at theGandharvas. Then the Gandharvas, abandoning the fight, fled through thesky, dragging our melancholy selves after them, filled with joy. Then webeheld a network of arrows spread all around by Dhananjaya, who was alsoshooting celestial weapons upon the foe. And seeing the points of thehorizon covered by Arjuna with a thick network of sharp arrows, hisfriend, the chief of the Gandharvas, showed himself. And Chitrasena andArjuna, embracing each other, enquired after each other’s welfare. Andthe other sons of Pandu also embraced the chief of the Gandharvas andwere embraced by him. And enquiries of courtesy passed between them also.And the brave Gandharvas then abandoning their weapons and mail mingledin a friendly spirit with the Pandavas. And Chitrasena and Dhananjayaworshipped each other with regard.”