Chapter 81
“Arjuna said, ‘What business brought thee here, O daughter (-in-law) ofKuru’s race, and what also is the cause of the arrival on the field ofbattle of her who is the mother of the ruler of Manipura?
“Arjuna said, ‘What business brought thee here, O daughter (-in-law) ofKuru’s race, and what also is the cause of the arrival on the field ofbattle of her who is the mother of the ruler of Manipura?
Saunaka said, “O Sauti, excellent is this narrative which thou hastrecited. Verily, these ascetics, having heard it have all been filledwith wonder.
“Kunti said, Grieve not at all, O Brahmana, on account of this danger. Isee a way by which to rescue thee from that Rakshasa. Thou hast only oneson, who, besides, is of very tender years, also only one daughter, youngand helpless, so I do not like that any of these, or thy wife, or eventhyself should go unto the Rakshasa. I have five sons, O Brahmana, letone of them go, carrying in thy behalf tribute of that Rakshasa.’
“The holy one said, It was only through affection that I said all this,desiring to know thy mind, and not from the desire of reproaching thee,nor from pride of learning, nor from wrath, nor from desire of making aspeech.
Vaisampayana said, “There observing cleanliness, those tigers among mendwelt for six nights, in expectation of beholding Dhananjaya. And it cameto pass that all of a sudden there blew a wind from the north-east andbrought a celestial lotus of a thousand petals and effulgent as the sun.
“Sanjaya said, ‘Beholding his army routed by Subhadra’s son ofimmeasurable energy, Duryodhana, filled with rage, himself proceededagainst the former.
“Vaisampayana said, ‘The (sacrificial) steed, having wandered over thewhole Earth bounded by the ocean, then ceased and turned his face towardsthe city called after the elephant. Following as he did that horse, thediadem-decked Arjuna also turned his face towards the Kuru capital.
“Nara and Narayana said, ‘Deserving art thou of the highest praise, andhighly favoured hast thou been, since thou hast beheld the puissantNarayana himself (in the form of Aniruddha).
“Arjuna said, ‘O Janardana, Yudhishthira hath already said what should besaid. But, O chastiser of foes, hearing what thou hast said, it seemethto me that thou, O lord, does not think peace to be easily obtainableeither in consequence of Dhritarashtra’s covetousness or from our presentweakness.