forcibly carried towards the cemetery by those sons of the Suta tribe, the blameless and chaste Krishna living under the protections of her lords, then wailed aloud for the help of her husbands, saying, ’Oh, let Jaya, and Jayanta, and Vijaya and Jayatsena, and Jayadvala listen to my words.  The Sutas are taking me away.  Let those illustrious Gandharvas endued with speed of hand, the clatter of whose cars is loud and the twang of whose bowstrings in the midst of the mighty conflict are heard like the roar of thunder, listen to my words,—­the Sutas are taking me away!’”

Vaisampayana continued, “Hearing those sorrowful words and lamentations of Krishna, Bhima, without a moment’s reflection started up from his bed and said, ’I have heard, O Sairindhri the words thou hast spoken.  Thou hast, therefore, O timid lady, no more fear at the hands of the Sutas.’”

Vaisampayana continued, “Having said this, the mighty-armed Bhima desirous of slaying the Kichakas, began to swell his body.  And carefully changing his attire, he went out of the palace by a wrong egress.  And climbing over a wall by the aid of a tree, he proceeded towards the cemetery whither the Kichakas had gone.  And having leapt over the wall, and gone out of the excellent city, Bhima impetuously rushed to where the Sutas were.  And, O monarch, proceeding towards the funeral pyre he beheld a large tree, tall as palmyra-palm, with gigantic shoulders and withered top.  And that slayer of foes grasping with his arms that tree measuring ten Vyamas, uprooted it, even like an elephant, and placed it upon his shoulders.  And taking up that tree with trunk and branches and measuring ten Vyamas, that mighty hero rushed towards the Sutas, like Yama himself, mace in hand.  And by the impetus of his rush[18] banians and peepals and Kinsukas falling down on the earth lay in clusters.  And beholding that Gandharva approach them like a lion in fury, all the Sutas trembling with fear and greatly distressed, became panic-struck.  And they addressed each other, saying, ’Lo, the powerful Gandharva cometh hither, filled with rage, and with an upraised tree in hand.  Let Sairindhri, therefore, from whom this danger of ours hath arisen, be set free.’  And beholding the tree that had been uprooted by Bhimasena, they set Draupadi free and ran breathlessly towards the city.  And seeing them run away, Bhima, that mighty son of the Wind-god, despatched, O foremost of kings, by means of that tree, a hundred and five of them unto the abode of Yama, like the wielder of the thunderbolt slaying the Danavas.  And setting Draupadi free from her bonds, he then, O king, comforted her.  And that mighty-armed and irrepressible Vrikodara, the son of Pandu, then addressed the distressed princess of Panchala with face bathed in tears, saying, ’Thus, O timid one, are they slain that wrong thee without cause.  Return, O Krishna, to the city.  Thou hast no longer any fear; I myself will go to the Virata’s kitchen by another route.’”