Chapter 129
“Dhritarashtra said, ‘What, indeed, O Sanjaya, did Duryodhana say when hesaw that Karna turning away from the field upon whom my sons had reposedall their hopes of victory?
“Dhritarashtra said, ‘What, indeed, O Sanjaya, did Duryodhana say when hesaw that Karna turning away from the field upon whom my sons had reposedall their hopes of victory?
“Sanjaya said ‘Beholding Somadatta shaking his large bow, Satyaki,addressing his driver, said, ‘Bear me towards Somadatta.
OM! Having bowed down to Narayana, and Nara, the most exalted of malebeings, and also to the goddess Saraswati, must the word Jaya be uttered.
“Vaisampayana said,–“Then Maya Danava addressed Arjuna, that foremost of successful warriors, saying,–‘I now go with thy leave, but shall comeback soon.
“Sanjaya said, ‘On that table land at the foot of Himavat, thosewarriors, O monarch, delighting at the prospect of battle and assembledtogether, passed the night.
“Yudhishthira said, ‘Tell me O bull of Bharata’s race, how a king,without the usual aids, having obtained a kingdom that is so precious apossession, behave himself towards a powerful foe.’
“Yudhishthira said, ‘I desire to hear, O grandsire, what the merits areof that person who makes the gift of a pair of sandals unto a Brahmanawhose feet are burning or being scorched by hot sand, while he iswalking.’
“Dhritarashtra said, ‘I regard Bhimasena’s prowess to be exceedinglywonderful, inasmuch as he succeeded in battling with Karna of singularactivity and energy.
“Sanjaya said, ‘During the progress of that fierce and terrible battle,when the world was enveloped with darkness and dust, O king, thecombatants, as they stood on the field, could not see one another.
Bhima said, “I intend to present myself before the lord of Virata as acook bearing the name of Vallabha.