Vaisampayana said, “Meanwhile those foremost of bowmen on the face of the
earth, having wandered separately and ranged in all directions, and
having slain plenty of deer and buffaloes, at length met together. And
observing that great forest, which was crowded with hosts of deer and
wild beasts, resounding with the shrill cries of birds, and hearing the
shrieks and yells of the denizens of the wilderness. Yudhishthira said
unto his brothers. ‘These birds and wild beasts, flying towards that
direction which is illuminated by the sun, are uttering dissonant cries
and displaying an intense excitement. All this only shows that this
mighty forest hath been invaded by hostile intruders. Without a moment’s
delay let us give up the chase. We have no more need of game. My heart
aches and seems to burn! The soul in my body, over-powering the
intellect, seems ready to fly out. As a lake rid by Garuda of the mighty
snake that dwells in it, as a pot drained of its contents by thirsty men,
as a kingdom reft of king and prosperity, even so doth the forest of
Kamyaka seem to me.’ Thus addressed, those heroic warriors drove towards
their abode, on great cars of handsome make and drawn by steeds of the
Saindharva breed exceedingly fleet and possessed of the speed of the
hurricane. And on their way back, they beheld a jackal yelling hideously
on the wayside towards their left. And king Yudhishthira, regarding it
attentively, said unto Bhima and Dhananjaya, ‘This jackal that belongs to
a very inferior species of animals, speaking to our left, speaketh a
language which plainly indicates that the sinful Kurus, disregarding us,
have commenced to oppress us by resorting to violence.’ After the sons of
Pandu had given up the chase and said these words, they entered the grove
which contained their hermitage. And there they found their beloved one’s
maid, the girl Dhatreyika, sobbing and weeping. And Indrasena then
quickly alighting from the chariot and advancing with hasty steps towards
her, questioned her, O king, in great distress of mind, saying, ‘What
makes thee weep thus, lying on the ground, and why is thy face so
woe-begone and colourless? I hope no cruel wretches have done any harm to
the princess Draupadi possessed of incomparable beauty and large eyes and
who is the second self of every one of those bulls of the Kuru race? So
anxious hath been Dharma’s son that if the princess hath entered the
bowels of the earth or hath soared to heaven or dived into the bottom of
the ocean, he and his brothers will go thither in pursuit of her. Who
could that fool be that would carry away that priceless jewel belonging
to the mighty and ever-victorious sons of Pandu, those grinders of foes,
and which is dear unto them as their own lives? I don’t know who the
person could be that would think of carrying away that princess who hath
such powerful protectors and who is even like a walking embodiment of the
hearts of the sons of Pandu? Piercing whose breasts will terrible shafts
stick to the ground to-day? Do not weep for her, O timid girl, for know
thou that Krishna will come back this very day, and the sons of Pritha,
having slain their foes, will again be united with Yagnaseni!’ Thus
addressed by him, Dhatreyika, wiping her beautiful face, replied unto
Indrasena the charioteer, saying, ‘Disregarding the five Indra-like sons
of Pandu, Jayadratha hath carried away Krishna by force. The track
pursued by him hath not yet disappeared, for the broken branches of trees
have not yet faded. Therefore, turn your cars and follow her quickly, for
the princess cannot have gone far by this time! Ye warriors possessed of
the prowess of Indra, putting on your costly bows of handsome make, and
taking up your costly bows and quivers, speed ye in pursuit of her, lest
overpowered by threats or violence and losing her sense and the colour of
her cheeks, she yields herself up to an undeserving wight, even as one
poureth forth, from the sacrificial ladle, the sanctified oblation on a
heap of ashes. O, see that the clarified butter is not poured into an
unigniting fire of paddy chaff; that a garland of flowers is not thrown
away in a cemetery. O, take care that the Soma juice of a sacrifice is
not licked up by a dog through the carelessness of the officiating
priests! O, let not the lily be rudely torn by a jackal roaming for its
prey in the impenetrable forest. O, let no inferior wight touch with his
lips the bright and beautiful face of your wife, fair as the beams of the
moon and adorned with the finest nose and the handsomest eyes, like a dog
licking clarified butter kept in the sacrificial pot! Do ye speed in this
track and let not time steal a march on you.’
Yudhishthira said, ‘Retire, good woman, and control thy tongue. Speak not
this way before us. Kings or princes, whoever are infatuated with the
possession of power, are sure to come to grief!’”
Vaisampayana continued, “With these words, they departed, following the
track pointed out to them, and frequently breathing deep sighs like the
hissing of snakes, and twanging the strings of their large bows. And then
they observed a cloud of dust raised by the hoofs of the steeds belonging
to Jayadratha’s army. And they also saw Dhaumya in the midst of the
ravisher’s infantry, exhorting Bhima to quicken his steps. Then those
princes (the sons of Pandu) with hearts undepressed, bade him be of good
cheer and said unto him, ‘Do thou return cheerfully!’--And then they
rushed towards that host with great fury, like hawks swooping down on
their prey. And possessed of the prowess of Indra, they had been filled
with fury at the insult offered to Draupadi. But at sight of Jayadratha
and of their beloved wife seated on his car, their fury knew no bounds.
And those mighty bowmen, Bhima and Dhananjaya and the twin brothers and
the king, called out Jayadratha to stop, upon which the enemy was so
bewildered as to lose their knowledge of directions.”