including the foot-soldiers, the elephant-warriors, and the car-men, failed to rescue those Vrishni women that were being snatched away by the robbers.  The concourse was very large.  The robbers assailed it at different points.  Arjuna tried his best to protect it, but could not succeed.  In the very sightof all the warriors, many foremost of ladies were dragged away, while others went away with the robbers of their own accord.  The puissant Arjuna, supported by the servants of the Vrishnis, struck the robbers with shafts sped from Gandiva.  Soon, however.  O king, his shafts were exhausted.  In former days his shafts had been inexhaustible.  Now, however, they proved otherwise.  Finding his shafts exhausted, he became deeply afflicted with grief.  The son of Indra then began to strike the robbers with the horns of his bow.  Those Mlecchas, however, O Janamejaya, in the very sight of Partha, retreated, taking away with them many foremost ladies of the Vrishnis and Andhakas.  The puissant Dhananjaya regarded it all as the work of destiny.  Filled with sorrow he breathed heavy sighs at the thought of the non-appearance of his (celestial) weapons, the loss of the might of his arms, the refusal of his bow to obey him, and the exhaustion of his shafts.  Regarding it all as the work of destiny, he became exceedingly cheerless.  He then ceased, O king, to make further efforts, saying, he had not the power which he had before.  The high-souled one, taking with him the remnant of the Vrishni women, and the wealth that was still with them, reached Kurukshetra.  Thus bringing with him the remnant of the Vrishnis. he established them at different places.  He established the son of Kritavarma at the city called Marttikavat, with the remnant of the women of the Bhoja king.  Escorting the remainder, with children and old men and women, the son of Pandu established them, who were reft of heroes, in the city of Indraprastha.  The dear son of Yuyudhana, with a company of old men and children and women, the righteous-souled Arjuna established on the banks of the Sarasvati.  The rule of Indraprastha was given to Vajra.  The widows of Akrura then desired to retire into the woods.  Vajra asked them repeatedly to desist, but they did not listen to him.  Rukmini, the princess of Gandhara, Saivya, Haimavati, and queen Jamvabati ascended the funeral pyre.  Satyabhama and other dear wives of Krishna entered the woods, O king, resolved to set themselves to the practice of penances.  They began to live on fruits and roots and pass their time in the contemplation of Hari.  Going beyond the Himavat, they took up their abode in a place called Kalpa.  Those men who had followed Arjuna from Dwaravati, were distributed into groups, and bestowed upon Vajra.  Having done all these acts suited to the occasion, Arjuna, with eyes bathed in tears, then entered the retreat of Vyasa.  There he beheld the Island-born Rishi seated at his ease.”

8

Vaishampayana said:  “As Arjuna entered the asylum of the truthful Rishi, he beheld the son of Satyavati seated in a secluded spot.