Chapter 68
“Vaisampayana said, ‘Then Bhuminjaya, the eldest son of the king,entered, and having worshipped the feet of his father approached Kanka.And he beheld Kanka covered with blood, and seated on the ground at oneend of the court, and waited upon by the Sairindhri. And seeing this,Uttara asked his father in a hurry, saying, ‘By whom, O king, hath thisone been struck? By whom hath this sinful act been perpetrated?’
“Virata said, ‘This crooked Brahmana hath been struck by me. He deservetheven more than this. When I was praising thee, he praised that person ofthe third sex.’
“Uttara said, ‘Thou hast, O king, committed an improper act. Do thouspeedily propitiate him so that the virulent poison of a Brahmana’s cursemay not consume thee to thy roots!’
“Vaisampayana continued, ‘Having heard the words of his son, Virata, thatenhancer of the limits of his kingdom, began to soothe Kunti’s son, whowas like unto a fire hid in ashes, for obtaining his forgiveness. Andunto the king desirous of obtaining his pardon the Pandava replied, ‘Oking, I have long ago forgiven it. Anger I have none. Had this blood frommy nostrils fallen on the ground, then, without doubt, thou, O monarch,wouldst have been destroyed with thy kingdom. I do not, however, blamethee, O king, for having struck an innocent person. For, O king, theythat are powerful generally act with unreasoning severity.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ‘When the bleeding had stopped, Vrihannalaentered (the council-room) and having saluted both Virata and Kanka,stood silent. And the king, having appeased the chief of the Kurus, beganto praise, in Savyasachin’s hearing, Uttara who had returned from thebattle. And the king said, ‘O enhancer of the joys of Kekaya’s princess,in thee have I truly a son! I never had nor shall have, a son that isequal to thee! How, indeed, couldst thou, O Child, encounter that Karnawho leaveth not a single mark unhit amongst even a thousand that he mayaim at all at once? How couldst thou, O child, encounter that Bhishma whohath no equal in the whole world of men? How also couldst thou, O child,encounter Drona, that foremost of all wielders of weapons, that preceptorof the Vrishnis and Kauravas, twice-born one who may be regarded as thepreceptor of all the Kshatriyas? How couldst thou meet in battle thecelebrated Aswatthaman? How couldst thou, O child, encounter thatDuryodhana, the prince who is capable of piercing even a mountain withhis mighty arrows? My foes have all been thrashed. A delicious breezeseems to blow around me. And since thou hast recovered in battle thewhole of my wealth that had been seized by the Kurus, it seems that allthose mighty warriors were struck with panic. Without doubt, thou, O bullamongst men, has routed the foe and snatched away from them my wealth ofkine, like his prey from a tiger.'”
