INDIA. PART II.

HISTORY OF knee upon the breast of Kíchaka, and kneaded him as a baker kneads bread; and he kicked him and pommelled him until the soul of Kíchaka departed out of his body, and he broke every one of his bones into the smallest pieces, and formed his body into a large ball of flesh. Bhíma then lighted a lamp, and brought in Draupadí, and showed her all that he had done, saying:-"This will I do unto any man that offends you." And Draupadí rejoiced greatly, for she saw that she had been fully avenged.

Joy of Draupadi.

in the watch

men, and declares that Kichaka has been slain by the Gandharvas.

Great commotion in the city.

Then Bhíma departed out of the palace and went to the cook-room and fell asleep; but Draupadi went and called Draupadi calls the watchmen of the palace, saying:-" Kíchaka forced me to grant him a meeting in the music and dancing-room, notwithstanding all my warnings that the Gandharvas would slay him; and lo and behold when he came to me, the Gandharvas, who are my defenders, fell upon him and slew him, and his dead body is lying there." So the watchmen lighted a lamp and went in, and they beheld the dead body of Kíchaka like a ball of flesh, and they said one to the other:-"Surely no man hath done this; it must be the Gandharvas." And as soon as it was morning there was a great uproar amongst the people, and the whole city was in commotion, for it was said that the mighty Kíchaka, who commanded all the soldiers of the Raja, had been put to death by the Gandharvas, out of his love for a woman. And the brothers of Kíchaka hastened to the spot, and saw the dead body, and desired to take it away to the place of burning; and when they saw all the women of the palace on his funeral gathered together, their eyes fell upon Draupadí, and they said one to the other "This is the woman on whose account our brother has been murdered: We cannot kill her, because it is not proper to kill a woman: Let us then burn her with the dead body of Kíchaka, and since he died out of love for her let him espouse her in the world of ghosts." They then went into the presence of the Raja, saying:— "We wish to burn the waiting-maid, who caused the death of Kíchaka, along with the corpse of our brother." And the Raja was in awe of his wife's brethren, and he dared not

Brothers of

Kichaka carry away his dead body, and prepare to burn Draupadi alive

pile.

:

INDIA. PART II.

forbid them; for it is an old proverb that the brother-in-law HISTORY OF is master of the house. So they seized Draupadí by force, and bound her with cords and threw her upon the bier of Kíchaka, and went out of the city to burn her alive together with the dead body; and Draupadí, seeing that her life was Screams of in mortal peril, shrieked and screamed in piteous tones, and succour. the air was filled with her cries.

Draupadi for

to the rescue of

the Gandharva.

All this while Bhíma was lying asleep in the cook- Bhima hastens room, when he was awakened by the cry of Draupadí; and Draupadi. he arose up and hastened out of the palace to follow her to the burning ground; and he went to the city wall and threw himself from the ramparts, for he would not go through the city gate lest he should be known. Then Bhíma drew his hair over his face, so that no man could discover him, and tore up a large tree by the roots, and carried it on his shoulders as a club, and went with all speed to the place of burning. And as he came near, Draupadí saw him and Mistaken for knew who he was; and when the brethren of Kíchaka beheld Bhíma approaching them, they were seized with trembling, and said :-"This is the Gandharva! Let us fly and leave this woman, who is the cause of all our sorrows." Thus saying they left Draupadí and the dead body of Flight and Kíchaka, and fled towards the city, and Bhíma pursued brethren of them hotly with his club, and slew them all. And Bhíma returned to Draupadí, and released her; and they went back to the city by different ways, so that no one might know that the Raja's cook was the terrible Gandharva.

and

very

death of the

Kichaka.

turns to the

The Chieftains in their alarm

all complain to the

Raja.

Now when Draupadí had reached the palace, the city Draupadi rewas in a greater uproar than before; and when the Chief- palace. tains and Ministers saw her they were in much alarm; they went to the Raja, and said: "This woman is beautiful, and her manner and discourse are such that who see her are stricken with her; and yet if a man attempts only to speak to her he is slain by the Gandharvas; and now if she remain any longer in the city we know not how many more young men may perish in like manner." And the Raja answered not a word, for he was in a greater alarm than any of the others; but after a long while he

INDIA.

HISTORY OF Said:"I will think more of this matter; but go now, I pray you, and burn the dead bodies of Kíchaka and his brethren."

PART II.

Timid direc

tions of the

Raja to the

Rání for getting

All this while the Raja was so frightened at the Gandharvas, and so fearful lest he should offend them, that he rid of Draupadi. would consult with none of his Council respecting them. But he called for his Rání, and said to her:-" This maid servant of yours is an evil witch, who must be sent out of the city to some other quarter, so that this country may be purged from her craft: But do you break the matter to her so that she may not know that I have said it, lest the Gandharvas should wreak their vengeance upon me."

Draupadi enters the music and

Now by this time Draupadí had entered the palace, and dancing-room. proceeded to the music and dancing-room, where Arjuna was busy instructing the damsels; and the damsels came up and offered her many congratulations, seeing that she had escaped from the hands of Kíchaka and his brethren. And Arjuna feigned not to know what had happened, and he said to her :- "Tell me, I pray you, how it was that Kíchaka and his brethren have been slain." But Draupadi was very Wroth with Arjuna, for he had heard her cries and had not come to succour her, and she said to him :-" What have you to do with men and women? Your duty is to teach the damsels to sing and dance; and men and women can have no interest for you." And Draupadí turned her back upon Arjuna, and took no further heed of his words.

Manifests her

anger against

Arjuna for not coming to her

rescue.

The damsels lead Draupadi into the presence of the Rání.

The Rání dis

from her service.

After this the damsels took Draupadí by the hand, and led her away into the presence of the Rání. And when the Rání saw Draupadí, she said to her:-" Raja Viráta is in misses Draupadi great alarm at you and your Gandharvas, and has ceased to call me to his presence: This day all my brethren have been slain because of you, and to-morrow I may lose my husband likewise: So I will not keep you any longer in my service, and you must go now to some other city." And Draupadí answered :-" Your words are true, but when thirteen days are over, the year of my service will have expired, and then my Gandharvas will bestow blessings offend Drau- upon you, and lead me away to another place." And the

Draupadi's reply.

General fear to

padi.

INDIA. PART II.

Rání made no reply, but told the Raja all that Draupadí had HISTORY OF said; for since the slaughter of Kíchaka and his brethren, no one durst say a word that could offend Draupadí.

the Kauravas

teenth year.

the Pandavas.

news of the

Kichaka.

Now all this while the Kauravas had been dwelling in Proceedings of the city of Hastinápur, and they had sent spies to all the during the thirquarters of the earth to discover the city where the Pandavas Fail to discover were residing, and none had brought back any tidings of the brethren. But it so happened that certain of the spies had Spies bring the proceeded to the city of Raja Viráta, and they brought the death of news that Kíchaka had been slain on account of a woman. At this time the Raja of Trigarta, whose name was Susarman, was staying at Hastinápur; and whilst the Kauravas were consulting as to what should be done, Susarman arose Susarman, Raja and said :-" The spies from the city of Viráta have told us proposes an inthat our enemy Kíchaka is dead: Let us now join our Raj of Viráta, forces and attack the Raja of Viráta, for his army is power- proved by the less by reason of the death of their Commander." And Karna said: "The counsel of Susarman is wise: We cannot be ever thinking about the Pándavas, so let us go forth and make war against the Raja of Viráta." And Duryodhana and all the Council agreed to the war.

of Trigarta,

vasion of the

which is ap

Kauravas.

paign: Susarman to invade the Raj from Duryodhana from the south.

sarman in the northern

quarter.

After this the Kauravas assembled all their forces, and Plan of camSusarman brought up all his army: and it was agreed between them that Susarman should march out first and the north and invade the country of Viráta on the northern side, and that Duryodhana should then enter the country on the southern side and near unto the city of Viráta. And Susarman did Invasion of Suas was determined upon, and he set out on the seventh day of the full moon, and invaded the northern quarter of the Raj of Viráta with all his army, and carried away much cattle; and it so happened that the day he carried away the cattle was the last day of the thirteenth year of the exile of the Pandavas. Now when the herdsmen saw their cattle in The Herdsmen the hands of the enemy, they went with all speed to the city, ings to Raja and laid their complaints before Raja Viráta, and the Raja sent messengers to all quarters with a hue and cry to the ryots to make their escape with their flocks and herds; and the Raja mounted his chariot, and set out with a large army out to battle.

carry the tid

Viráta.

The Raja goes

INDIA. PART II.

between Susar

HISTORY OF to drive out the invaders, and all the Pándavas save Arjuna went with him. And when the day was far spent, the army of Viráta came up with the army of Susarman, and they fought fiercely one with the other, and many warriors were Single combat slain on either side. Then Raja Susarman sent a challenge man and Viráta. to Raja Viráta, and the two Rajas fell to in single combat, until the sun had long set, and the darkness prevented their seeing each other, and the fighting came to a stand. Then the ground was sprinkled with water and the dust was well laid, and presently the moon arose and the battle-field was as light as day; and the combat was renewed between the Defeat and cap- two Rajas. And Susarman prevailed against Viráta, and bound him hand and foot with a rope, and cast him upon his own chariot, and drove away with his own people.

ture of Viráta.

the Raja, and

prisoner.

When Yudhishthira saw that Raja Viráta was carried away captive by Susarman, he said to his brother Bhíma :"For one entire year have we eaten the Raja's rice, and shall we not deliver him out of the hands of his enemy ? So Yudhishthira stayed to command the army; and when the Bhima rescues morning began to dawn, Bhíma went out with his two takes Susarman brothers Nakula and Sahadeva, and set off in pursuit of Susarman; and they overtook him, and slew his charioteer, and delivered Raja Viráta out of his hands; and Bhíma seized Susarman by the hair, and put chains upon his hands and a collar upon his neck, and carried him away prisoner. And all the cattle that had been carried away by Susarman were recovered, and there was also abundance of spoil; and Raja Viráta was loud in the praises of Yudhishthira and his brethren. And Bhíma led Susarman into the presence of the Raja; and when Susarman had tendered his submission, the Raja permitted him to depart to his own country.

Invasion of Duryodhana in the southern country.

Now while Raja Viráta and all his Chieftains had gone away to the northern country to fight against Susarman, Duryodhana and the Kauravas came with a great army and invaded the southern country, and they carried away much cattle. And the Chief of the herdsmen hastened to the city No warriors left to carry the tidings to the Raja; but there were no warriors cepting Uttar in the city save the Raja's young son Uttar, and Arjuna, who

in the city ex

and Arjuna.