what is proper, after this.’ Having heard
this, that lord of all the Yaksha hosts waxing wroth,
with eyes reddened in anger, exclaimed, ‘What!’
And hearing of Bhima’s second (act of) aggression,
that lord of treasures, the king of the Yakshas, was
filled with wrath, and said. ‘Yoke’
(the horses). Thereat unto a car of the hue of
dark clouds, and high as a mountain summit, they yoked
steeds having golden garments. And on being yoked
unto the car, those excellent horses of his, graced
with every noble quality and furnished with the ten
auspicious curls of hair and having energy and strength,
and adorned with various gems and looking splendid,
as if desirous of speeding like the wind, began to
neigh at each other the neighing emitted at (the hour
of) victory. And that divine and effulgent king
of the Yakshas set out, being eulogised by the celestials
and Gandharvas. And a thousand foremost Yakshas
of reddened eyes and golden lustre and having huge
bodies, and gifted with great strength, equipped with
weapons and girding on their swords, followed that
high-souled lord of treasures. And coursing through
the firmament they (the steeds) arrived at the Gandhamadana,
as if drawing forward the sky with their fleetness.
And with their down standing erect, the Pandavas saw
that large assemblage of horses maintained by the lord
of wealth and also the highsouled and graceful Kuvera
himself surrounded by the Yaksha hosts. And seeing
those mighty charioteers the son of Pandu, possessed
of great strength, equipped with bows and swords, Kuvera
also was delighted; and he was pleased at heart, keeping
in view the task of the celestials. And like
unto birds, they, (the Yakshas) gifted with extreme
celerity, alighted on the summit of the mountain and
stood before them (the Pandavas), with the lord of
treasures at their head. Then, O Bharata, seeing
him pleased with the Pandavas, the Yakshas and the
Gandharvas stood there, free from agitation. Then
thinking themselves as having transgressed, those
high-souled and mighty charioteers, the Pandavas,
having bowed down unto that lord, the giver of wealth
stood surrounding the lord of treasures with joined
hands. And the lord of treasures sat on that
excellent seat, the elegant Pushpaka, constructed
by Viswakarma, painted with diverse colours. And
thousands of Yakshas and Rakshasas, some having huge
frames and some ears resembling pegs, and hundreds
of Gandharvas and hosts of Apsaras sat in the presence
of that one seated, even as the celestials sit surrounding
him of a hundred sacrifices and wearing a beautiful
golden garland on his head and holding in his hands
his noose and sword and bow, Bhima stood, gazing at
the lord of wealth. And Bhimasena did not feel
depress either on having been wounded by the Rakshasas,
or even in that plight seeing Kuvera arrive.