SECTION CCXLVI

"Duryodhana said, 'O Radheya, thou knowest not what hath happened.

Therefore, I do not resent thy words. Thou thinkest the hostile

Gandharvas to have been vanquished by me with my own energy. O thou of

mighty arms, my brothers, indeed had for a long time, aided by me fought

with the Gandharvas. The slaughtered, indeed, on both sides were great.

But when those brave Gandharvas, resorting to their many powers of

illusion, ascended the skies and began to fight with us thence, our

encounter with them ceased to be an equal one. Defeat then was ours and

even captivity. And afflicted with sorrow, we along with our attendants

and counsellors and children and wives and troops and vehicles were

being taken by them through the skies. It was then that some soldiers of

ours and some brave officers repaired in grief unto the sons of

Pandu--those heroes that never refuse succour to those that ask for it.

And having gone to them they said, "Here is king Duryodhana, the son of

Dhritarashtra, who with his younger brothers and friends and wives is

being led away a captive by the Gandharvas along the sky. Blest be ye.

Liberate the king along with the women of the royal household! Suffer no

insult to be offered unto all the ladies of the Kuru race." And when

they had spoken thus, the eldest of Pandu's sons, who is endued with a

virtuous soul then conciliated his brothers and commanded them to

liberate us. Then those bulls among men, the Pandavas, overtaking the

Gandharvas, solicited our release in soft words, although fully able to

effect it by force of arms. And when the Gandharvas, addressed in such

conciliatory words, refused to set us at liberty, then Arjuna and Bhima

and the twins endued with mighty energy, shot showers of arrows at the

Gandharvas. Then the Gandharvas, abandoning the fight, fled through the

sky, dragging our melancholy selves after them, filled with joy. Then we

beheld a network of arrows spread all around by Dhananjaya, who was also

shooting celestial weapons upon the foe. And seeing the points of the

horizon covered by Arjuna with a thick network of sharp arrows, his

friend, the chief of the Gandharvas, showed himself. And Chitrasena and

Arjuna, embracing each other, enquired after each other's welfare. And

the other sons of Pandu also embraced the chief of the Gandharvas and

were embraced by him. And enquiries of courtesy passed between them

also. And the brave Gandharvas then abandoning their weapons and mail

mingled in a friendly spirit with the Pandavas. And Chitrasena and

Dhananjaya worshipped each other with regard.'"

The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Translated into English Prose Vana Parva, Part 2 · 第 103 / 170 章