Chapter 266

Vaisampayana said, “The daughter of Drupada, though naturally handsome,was suffused with crimson arising from a fit of anger. And with eyesinflamed and eye-brows bent in wrath, she reproved the ruler of theSuviras, saying, ‘Art thou not ashamed, O fool, to use such insultingwords in respect of those celebrated and terrible warriors, each likeunto Indra himself, and who are all devoted to their duties and who neverwaver in fight with even hosts of Yakshas and Rakshasas? O Sauvira, goodmen never speak ill of learned persons devoted to austerities and enduedwith learning, no matter whether they live in the wilderness or inhouses. It is only wretches that are mean as thou who do so. Methinksthere is none in this assemblage of Kshatriya, who is capable of holdingthee by the hand to save thee from falling into the pit thou openestunder thy feet. In hoping to vanquish king Yudhishthira the just, thoureally hopest to separate, stick in hand, from a herd roaming inHimalayan valleys, its leader, huge as a mountain peak and with thetemporal juice trickling down its rent temples. Out of childish follythou art kicking up into wakefulness the powerful lion lying asleep, inorder to pluck the hair from off his face! Thou shalt, however, have torun away when thou seest Bhimasena in wrath! Thy courting a combat withthe furious Jishnu may be likened to thy kicking up a mighty, terrible,full-grown and furious lion asleep in a mountain cave. The encounter thouspeakest of with those two excellent youths–the younger Pandavas–islike unto the act of a fool that wantonly trampleth on the tails of twovenomous black cobras with bifurcated tongues. The bamboo, the reed, andthe plantain bear fruit only to perish and not to grow in size anyfurther. Like also the crab that conceiveth for her own destruction, thouwilt lay hands upon me who am protected by these mighty heroes!’

Jayadratha replied, ‘I know all this, O Krishna, and I am well aware ofthe prowess of those princes. But thou canst not frighten us now withthese threats. We, too, O Krishna, belong by birth to the seventeen highclans, and are endowed with the six royal qualities.[89] We, therefore,look down upon the Pandavas as inferior men! Therefore, do thou, Odaughter of Drupada, ride this elephant or this chariot quickly, for thoucanst not baffle us with thy words alone; or, speaking less boastfully,seek thou the mercy of the king of the Sauviras!’

Draupadi replied, “Though I am so powerful, why doth the king of Sauvirayet consider me so powerless. Well-known as I am, I cannot, from fear ofviolence, demean myself before that prince. Even Indra himself cannotabduct her for whose protection Krishna and Arjuna would together follow,riding in the same chariot. What shall I say, therefore, of a weak humanbeing. When Kiriti, that slayer of foes, riding on his car, will, on myaccount, enter thy ranks, striking terror into every heart, he willconsume everything around like fire consuming a stack of dry grass insummer. The warring princes of the Andhaka and the Vrishni races, withJanardana at their head, and the mighty bowmen of the Kaikeya tribe, willall follow in my wake with great ardour. The terrible arrows ofDhananjaya, shot from the string of the Gandiva and propelled by his armsfly with great force through the air, roaring like the very clouds. Andwhen thou wilt behold Arjuna shooting from the Gandiva a thick mass ofmighty arrows like unto a flight of locusts, then wilt thou repent ofthine own folly! Bethink thyself of what thou wilt feel when that warriorarmed with the Gandiva, blowing his conch-shell and with glovesreverberating with the strokes of his bowstring will again and againpierce thy breast with his shafts. And when Bhima will advance towardsthee, mace in hand and the two sons of Madri range in all directions,vomiting forth the venom of their wrath, thou wilt then experience pangsof keen regret that will last for ever. As I have never been false to myworthy lords even in thought, so by that merit shall I now have thepleasure of beholding thee vanquished and dragged by the sons of Pritha.Thou canst not, cruel as thou art, frighten me by seizing me withviolence, for as soon as those Kuru warriors will espy me they will bringme back to the woods of Kamyaka.'”

Vaisampayana continued, “Then that lady of large eyes, beholding themready to lay violent hands on her, rebuked them and said, ‘Defile me notby your touch!’ And in a great alarm she then called upon her spiritualadviser, Dhaumya. Jayadratha, however, seized her by her upper garment,but she pushed him with great vigour. And pushed by the lady, that sinfulwretch fell upon the ground like a tree severed from its roots. Seized,however, once more by him with great violence, she began to pant forbreath. And dragged by the wretch, Krishna at last ascended his chariothaving worshipped Dhaumya’s feet. And Dhaumya then addressed Jayadrathaand said, ‘Do thou, O Jayadratha, observe the ancient custom of theKshatriyas. Thou canst not carry her off without having vanquished thosegreat warriors. Without doubt, thou shalt reap the painful fruits of thisthy despicable act, when thou encounterest the heroic sons of Pandu withYudhishthira the just at their head!'”

Vaisampayana continued, “Having said these words Dhaumya, entering intothe midst of Jayadratha’s infantry, began to follow that renownedprincess who was thus being carried away by the ravisher.”