at him by his antagonist. Having thus baffled
that cloud of arrows, the ape-bannered hero sped a
number of blazing arrows at his foe that resembled
snakes with fiery mouths. These arrows he shot
at his flag and flag-staff and car and poles and yoke
and the horses, sparing the body of his foe and his
car-driver. Though Partha who was capable of shooting
the bow with the left hand (as well as with the right)
spared the body of the prince of Magadha, yet the
latter thinking that his body was protected by his
own prowess, shot many arrows at Partha. The wielder
of Gandiva, deeply struck by the prince of Magadha,
shone like a flowering Palasa (Butea frondosa) in
the season of spring. Arjuna had no desire of
slaying the prince of Magadha. It was for this
that, having struck the son of Pandu, he succeeded
in remaining before that foremost of heroes. Then
Dhananjaya, becoming angry, drew his bow with great
force, and slew his antagonist’s steeds and
then struck off the head of his car-driver. With
a razor-headed shaft he then cut off Meghasandhi’s
large and beautiful bow, and then his leathern fence.
Then cutting off his flag and flag-staff, he caused
it to fall down. The prince of Magadha, exceedingly
afflicted, and deprived of his steeds and bow and driver,
took up a mace and rushed with great speed at the
son of Kunti. Arjuna then with many shafts of
his equipt with vulturine feathers cut off into fragments,
that mace of his advancing foe which was adorned with
bright gold. Thus cut off into fragments, that
mace with its begemmed bonds and knots all severed,
fell on the Earth like a she-snake helplessly hurled
down by somebody. When his foe became deprived
of his car, his bow, and his mace, that foremost of
warriors, viz., the intelligent Arjuna, did not
wish to strike him. The ape-bannered hero then,
comforting his cheerless foe who had been observant
of Kshatriya duties, said unto him these words, ’O
son, thou hast sufficiently displayed thy adherence
to Kshatriya duties. Go now. Great have
been the feats, O king, which thou hast accomplished
in battle although thou art very young in years.
The command I received from Yudhishthira was that
kings who oppose me should not be slain. It is
for this thou livest yet, O monarch, although thou
hast offended me in battle. Thus addressed, the
ruler of Magadha considered himself vanquished and
spared. Thinking then that it was his duty to
do so, he approached Arjuna and joining his hands
in reverence worshipped him. And he said, ’Vanquished
have I been by thee. Blessed be thou, I do not
venture to continue the battle. Tell me what I
am to do now for thee. Regard thy behest as already
accomplished. Comforting him again, Arjuna once
more said unto him, ’Thou shouldst repair to
the Horse-sacrifice of our king which takes place
at the coming full moon of Chaitra.’ Thus
addressed by him, the son of Sahadeva said, ’So
be it,’—and then duly worshipped
that horse as also Phalguna, that foremost of warriors.
The sacrificial horse then, equipt with beautiful
manes, proceeded at his will along the sea-coast,
repairing to the countries of the Bangas, the Pundras,
and the Kosalas. In those realms Dhananjaya, with
his bow Gandiva, O king, vanquished innumerable Mlechecha
armies one after another.’”