Chapter 35

“Vaisampayana said, ‘When the king of the Matsyas, anxious of recoveringthe kine, had set out in pursuit of the Trigartas, Duryodhana with hiscounsellors invaded the dominions of Virata. And Bhishma and Drona, andKarna, and Kripa acquainted with the best of weapons, Aswatthaman, andSuvala’s son, and Dussasana, O lord of men, and Vivingsati and Vikarnaand Chitrasena endued with great energy, and Durmukha and Dussaha,–theseand many other great warriors, coming upon the Matsya dominion speedilydrove off the cowherds of king Virata and forcibly took away the kine.And the Kauravas, surrounding all sides with a multitude of cars, seizedsixty thousands of kine. And loud was the yell of woe set up by thecowherds smitten by those warriors in that terrible conflict. And thechief of the cowherds, greatly affrighted speedily mounted on a chariotand set out for the city, bewailing in affliction. And entering the cityof the king, he proceeded to the place, and speedily alighting from thechariot, got in for relating (what had happened). And beholding the proudson of Matsya, named Bhuminjaya, he told him everything about the seizureof the royal kine. And he said, the Kauravas are taking away sixtythousand kine. Rise, therefore, O enhancer of the kingdom’s glory, forbrining back thy cattle. O prince, if thou art desirous of achieving (thekingdom’s) good set out thyself without loss of time. Indeed, the king ofthe Matsyas left thee in the empty city. The king (thy father) boastethof thee in court, saying, ‘My son, equal unto me, is a hero and is thesupporter of (the glory of) my race. My son is a warrior skilled inarrows and weapons and is always possessed of great courage.’–Oh, letthe words of that lord of men be true! O chief of herd-owners, bring thouback the kine after vanquishing the Kurus, and consume thou their troopswith the terrific energy of thy arrows. Do thou like a leader ofelephants rushing at a herd, pierce the ranks of the foe with straightarrows of golden wings, discharged from thy bow. Thy bow is even like aVina. Its two ends represent the ivory pillows; its string, the mainchord; its staff, the finger-board; and the arrows shot from it musicalnotes. Do thou strike in the midst of the foe that Vina of musicalsound.[34] Let thy steeds, O lord, of silvery hue, be yoked unto thy car,and let thy standard be hoisted, bearing the emblem of the golden lion.Let thy keen-edged arrows endued with wings of gold, shot by thy strongarms, obstruct the path of those kings and eclipse the very sun.Vanquishing all the Kurus in battle like unto the wielder of thethunderbolt defeating the Asuras, return thou again to the city havingachieved great renown. Son of Matsya’s king, thou art the sole refuge ofthis kingdom, as that foremost of virtuous warriors, Arjuna is of thesons of Pandu. Even like Arjuna of his brothers, thou art, without doubt,the refuge of those dwelling within these dominions. Indeed, we, thesubject of this realm, have our protector in thee.’

“Vaisampayana continued, ‘Thus addressed by the cowherd in the presenceof the females, in words breathing courage, the prince indulging inself-commendation within the female apartments, spoke these words.'”