Chapter 25

“Vaisampayana said, ‘At the slaughter of Kichaka and brothers, people, Oking, thinking of this terrible feat, were filled with surprise. And inthe city and the provinces it was generally bruited about that forbravery the king’s Vallava and Kichaka were both mighty warriors. Thewicked Kichaka, however, had been an oppressor of men and a dishonourerof other people’s wives. And it was for this that wicked of sinful soulhad been slain by the Gandharvas. And it was thus, O king, that peoplebegan to speak, from province to province of the invincible Kichaka, thatslayer of hostile ranks.

‘Meanwhile, the spies employed by Dhritarashtra’s son, having searchedvarious villages and towns and kingdoms and done all that they had beencommanded to do and completed their examination, in the manner directed,of the countries indicated in their orders, returned to Nagarupa,gratified with at least one thing that they had learnt.[20] And seeingDhritarashtra’s son king Duryodhana of the Kuru race seated in his courtwith Drona and Karna and Kripa, with the high-souled Bhishma, his ownbrothers, and those great warriors–the Trigartas, they addressed him,saying, ‘O lord of men, great hath been the care always bestowed by us inthe search after the sons of Pandu in that mighty forest. Searched havewe through the solitary wilderness abounding with deer and other animalsand overgrown with trees and creepers of diverse kind. Searched have wealso in arbours of matted woods and plants and creepers of every species,but we have failed in discovering that track by which Pritha’s son ofirrepressible energy may have gone. Searched have we in these and otherplaces for their foot-prints. Searched have we closely, O king, onmountain tops and in inaccessible fastnesses, in various kingdoms andprovinces teeming with people, in encampments and cities. No trace haveyet been found of the sons of Pandu. Good betide thee, O bull among men,it seems that they have perished without leaving a mark behind. Oforemost of warriors, although we followed in the track of thosewarriors, yet, O best of men, we soon lost their footprints and do notknow their present residence. O lord of men, for some time we followed inthe wake of their charioteers. And making our inquiries duly, we trulyascertained what we desired to know. O slayer of foes, the charioteersreached Dwaravati without the sons of Pritha among them. O king, neitherthe sons of Pandu, nor the chaste Krishna, are in that city of Yadavas. Obull of the Bharata race, we have not been able to discover either theirtrack or their present abode. Salutations to thee, they are gone forgood. We are acquainted with the disposition of the sons of Pandu andknow something of the feats achieved by them. It behoveth thee,therefore, O lord of men, to give us instructions, O monarch, as to whatwe should next do in the search after the sons of Pandu. O hero, listenalso to these agreeable words of ours, promising great good to thee. KingMatsya’s commander, Kichaka of wicked soul, by whom the Trigartas, Omonarch, were repeatedly vanquished and slain with mighty force, nowlieth low on the ground with all his brothers, slain, O monarch, byinvisible Gandharvas during the hours of darkness, O thou of unfadingglory. Having heard this delightful news about the discomfiture of ourenemies, we have been exceedingly gratified, O Kauravya. Do thou nowordain what should next be done.'”