he did it without hurting him much.  And when Salya was thus thrown down and Karna was struck with fear, the other monarchs were all alarmed.  And they hastily surrounded Bhima and exclaimed, ’Surely these bulls amongst Brahmanas are excellent (warriors)!  Ascertain in what race they have been born and where they abide.  Who can encounter Karna, the son of Radha, in fight, except Rama or Drona, or Kiriti, the son of Pandu?  Who also can encounter Duryodhana in battle except Krishna, the son of Devaki, and Kripa, the son of Saradwan?  Who also can overthrow in battle Salya, that first of mighty warriors, except the hero Valadeva or Vrikodara, the son of Pandu, or the heroic Duryodhana?  Let us, therefore, desist from this fight with the Brahmanas.  Indeed, Brahmanas, however offending, should yet be ever protected.  And first let us ascertain who these are; for after we have done that we may cheerfully fight with them.’

“Vaisampayana continued, ’And Krishna, having beheld that feat of Bhima, believed them both to be the son of Kunti.  And gently addressing the assembled monarchs, saying, ’This maiden hath been justly acquired (by the Brahmana),’ he induced them to abandon the fight.  Accomplished in battle, those monarchs then desisted from the fight.  And those best of monarchs then returned to their respective kingdoms, wondering much.  And those who had come there went away saying.  ’The festive scene hath terminated in the victory of the Brahmanas.  The princess of Panchala hath become the bride of a Brahmana.’  And surrounded by Brahmanas dressed in skins of deer and other wild animals, Bhima and Dhananjaya passed with difficulty out of the throng.  And those heroes among men, mangled by the enemy and followed by Krishna, on coming at last out of that throng, looked like the full moon and the sun emerging from the clouds.

“Meanwhile Kunti seeing that her sons were late in returning from their eleemosynary round, was filled with anxiety.  She began to think of various evils having overtaken her sons.  At one time she thought that the sons of Dhritarashtra having recognised her sons had slain them.  Next she feared that some cruel and strong Rakshasas endued with powers of deception had slain them.  And she asked herself, ’Could the illustrious Vyasa himself (who had directed my sons to come to Panchala) have been guided by perverse intelligence?’ Thus reflected Pritha in consequence of her affection for her offspring.  Then in the stillness of the late afternoon, Jishnu, accompanied by a body of Brahmanas, entered the abode of the potter, like the cloud-covered sun appearing on a cloudy day.’”

SECTION CLXLIII

(Swayamvara Parva continued)