the ground.  And when the brave and renowned Jimuta was thus killed, Virata and his friends were filled with great delight.  And in the exuberance of his joy, the noble-minded king rewarded Vallava then and there with the liberality of Kuvera.  And killing numerous athletes and many other men possessed of great bodily strength, he pleased the king very much.  And when no one could be found there to encounter him in the lists, the king made him fight with tigers and lions and elephants.  And the king also made him battle with furious and powerful lions in the harem for the pleasure of the ladies.  And Arjuna, too, pleased the king and all the ladies of the inner apartments by singing and dancing.  And Nakula pleased Virata, that best of kings, by showing him fleet and well-trained steeds that followed him wherever he went.  And the king, gratified with him, rewarded him with ample presents.  And beholding around Sahadeva a herd of well-trained bullocks, Virata that bull among men, bestowed upon him also wealth of diverse kinds.  And, O king, Draupadi distressed to see all those warriors suffer pain, sighed incessantly.  And it was in this way that those eminent persons lived there in disguise, rendering services unto king Virata.”

    [12] Krita—­attack; Pratikrita—­warding it off;
    Sankata—­clenched. Some texts read Sankatakais.  The
    meaning then would be ‘cased in gauntlets.’

SECTION XIV

(Kichaka-badha Parva)

Vaisampayana said, “Living in such disguise, those mighty warriors, the sons of Pritha, passed ten months in Matsya’s city.  And, O monarch, although herself deserving to be waited upon by others, the daughter of Yajnasena, O Janamejaya, passed her days in extreme misery, waiting upon Sudeshna.  And residing thus in Sudeshna’s apartments, the princess of Panchala pleased that lady as also the other females of the inner apartments.  And it came to pass that as the year was about to expire, the redoubtable Kichaka, the Commander of Virata’s forces, chanced to behold the daughter of Drupada.  And beholding that lady endued with the splendour of a daughter of the celestials, treading the earth like a goddess, Kichaka, afflicted with the shafts of Kama, desired to possess her.  And burning with desire’s flame, Virata’s general came to Sudeshna (his sister) and smilingly addressed her in these words, ’This beauteous lady had never before been seen by me in king Virata’s abode.  This damsel maddens me with her beauty, even as a new wine maddens one with its fragrance.  Tell me, who is this graceful and captivating lady possessed of the beauty of a goddess, and whose she is, and whence she hath come.  Surely, grinding my heart she hath reduced me to subjection.  It seems to me that (save her) there is no other medicine for my illness.  O, this fair hand-maid of thine seemeth to me to be possessed of the beauty of a goddess.