Pillowed on thy gentle bosom, solaced by thy gentle love, I was soothed, and drowsy slumber fell on me from skies above. Now arise, for darkness gathers, deeper grows the gloomy night, Forest-fire is raging yonder, for I see a distant gleam, And the rising evening breezes help the red and radiant beam, Let me fetch a burning faggot and prepare a friendly light, With these fallen withered branches chase the shadows of the night, "For my parents, fondly anxious," Satyavan thus made reply, And with father's soft reproaches and with mother's loving fears, Wife beloved, I may not fathom what mishap or load of care, Gentle drops of filial sorrow trickled down his manly eye, Thus they walked the darksome jungle, silent stars looked from above, love! 1 THE BOOK VI GO-HARANA (Cattle-Lifting) 'HE conditions of the banishment of the sons of Pandu were hard. They must pass twelve years in exile, and then they must remain a year in concealment. If they were discovered within this last year, they must go into exile for another twelve years. Having passed the twelve years of exile in forests, the Pandav brothers disguised themselves and entered into the menial service of Virata, king of the Matsyas, to pass the year of concealment. Yudhishthir presented himself as a Brahman, skilled in dice, and became a courtier of the king. Bhima entered the king's service as cook. For Arjun, who was so well known, a stricter concealment was necessary. He wore conch bangles and earrings and braided his hair, like those unfortunate beings whom nature has debarred from the privileges of men and women, and he lived in the inner apartments of the king. He assumed the name of Brihannala, and taught the inmates of the royal household in music and dancing. Nakula became a keeper of the king's horses, and Sahadeva took charge of the king's cows. Draupadi too disguised herself as a waiting-woman, and served the princess of the Matsya house in that humble capacity. In these disguises the Pandav brothers safely passed a year in concealment in spite of all search which Duryodhan made after them. At last an incident happened which led to their discovery. when the year was out. Cattle-lifting was a common practice with the kings of ancient India, as with the chiefs of ancient Greece. The king of the Trigartas and the king of the Kurus combined and fell on the king of the Matsyas in order to drive off the numerous herd of fine cattle for which his kingdom was famed. The Trigartas entered the Matsya kingdom from the south-east, and while Virata went out with his troops to meet the foe, Duryodhan with his Kuru forces fell on the kingdom from the north. When news came that the Kurus had invaded the kingdom, there was no army in the capital to defend it. King Virata had gone out with most of his troops to face the Trigartas in the southeast, and the prince Uttara had no inclination to face the Kurus in the north. The disguised Arjun now came to the rescue in the manner described in this Book. The description of the bows, arrows, and swords of the Pandav brothers which they had concealed in a tree, wrapped like human corpses to frighten away inquisitive travellers, throws some light on the arts and manufactures of ancient times. The portions translated in this Book form Sections xxxv., xxxvi., xl. to xliii., a portion of Section xliv., and Sections liii. and lxxii. of Book iv. of the original text. I Complaint of the Cowherd Monarch of the mighty Matsyas, brave Virata known to fame, Came inside the city portals, came within the palace gate, Meeting there the prince Uttara, youth of beauty and of fame, Told him of the Kurus' outrage and lamented Matsya's shame : "Sixty thousand head of cattle, bred of Matsya's finest breed, To Hastina's distant empire do the Kuru chieftains lead, Glory of the Matsya nation! save thy father's valued kine, thine! 'Gainst the fierce Trigarta chieftains Matsya's warlike king is gone, Thee we count our lord and saviour as our monarch's gallant son, Rise, Uttara! beat the Kurus, homeward lead the stolen kine, As the Vina speaketh music, by musicians tuned aright, And as thunder-wielding INDRA Smote Asuras fierce and bold, But the prince went not to battle from the foe to guard the State, I would win my father's cattle from the wily foeman's greed, For my ancient chariot-driver died on battle's gory plain, I will hoist my lion-banner, to the dubious battle speed. |