Chapter 69
“Uttara said, ‘The kine have not been recovered by me, nor have the foebeen vanquished by me. All that hath been accomplished by the son of adeity.Capable of striking like a thunderbolt, that youth of celestialorigin, beholding me running away in fear, stopped me and himself mountedon my car. It was by him that the kine have been recovered and theKauravas vanquished. The deed, O father, is that hero’s and not mine. Itwas he that repulsed with arrows Kripa and Drona and Drona’s son ofpowerful energy, and the Suta’s son and Bhishma. That mighty hero thenspoke unto the affrighted prince Duryodhana who was running away like theleader of a head of elephants, these words, ‘O prince of the Kuru race, Ido not see that thou art safe by any means even at Hastinapura. Protectthy life by putting forth thy might. Thou shalt not escape me by flight.Therefore, make up thy mind for fight. If victorious, the sovereignty ofthe earth will be thine, or if slain, heaven itself will be thine.’
‘Thus addressed, king Duryodhana–that tiger among men surrounded by hiscounsellors,–sighing on his car like a snake turned back, showeredarrows endued with the speed and force of thunderbolts. Beholding allthis, venerable sire, my thighs began to quake. Then that celestial youthpierced with arrows the Kuru army consisting of leonine warriors. Andhaving pierced and afflicted that crowd of cars, that youth, stout as thelion, laughed at them and robbed them of their clothes and attires.Indeed, the six great car-warriors of the Kurus were vanquished by thathero alone, even like herds of animals ranging in the forest by a singletiger in rage.’
“Virata said, ‘Where is that mighty-armed and famous youth of celestialorigin, that hero who recovered in battle my wealth that had been seizedby the Kurus? I am anxious to behold and worship that mighty warrior ofcelestial origin who hath saved thee and my kine also.’
“Uttara replied, ‘The mighty son of a deity disappeared there and then. Ithink, however, that he will show himself either tomorrow or the dayafter.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ‘Virata, that owner of a large army, remainedignorant of the son of Pandu who was thus described unto him by Uttara,and who was living in the palace in disguise. And permitted by thehigh-souled Virata, Partha presented with his own hands the garments hehad brought, unto Virata’s daughter. And the beautiful Uttara, obtainingthose new and costly clothes of diverse kinds, became highly glad, alongwith the son of the Matsya king.'”
