said,--'Wait a little, thou you worst of men, thou you wicked-minded . I have an act to perform--a high duty that hath has not been performed by me yet. Dragged forcibly by this wretch's strong arms, I was deprived of my senses. I salute these reverend seniors in this assembly of the Kurus. That I could not do this before cannot be my fault.'"
said,--"Dragged with greater force than before, the afflicted and helpless , undeserving of such treatment, falling down upon the ground, thus wept in that assembly of the Kurus,--
"'Alas, only once before, on the occasion of the Swayamvara, I was beheld by the assembled kings in the amphitheatre, and never even once beheld afterwards. I am to-day brought before this assembly. She whom even the winds and the sun had seen never before in her palace is to-day before this assembly and exposed to the gaze of the crowd. Alas, she whom the sons of could not, while in her palace, suffer to be touched even by the wind, is to-day suffered by the Pandavas to be seized and dragged by this wretch. Alas, these Kauravas also suffer their daughter-in-law, so unworthy of such treatment, to be thus afflicted before them. It seemeth seems that the times are out of joint. What can be more distressing to me, than that though high-born and chaste, I should yet be compelled to enter this public court? Where is that virtue for which these kings were noted? It hath has been heard that the kings of ancient days never brought their wedded wives into the public court. Alas, that eternal usage hath has disappeared from among the Kauravas. Else, how is it that the chaste wife of the Pandavas, the sister of 's son, the friend of , is brought before this assembly? Ye you Kauravas, I am the wedded wife of king the just, hailing from the same dynasty to which the King belonged. Tell me now if I am a serving-maid or otherwise. I will cheerfully accept your answer. This mean wretch, this destroyer of the name of the Kurus, is afflicting me hard. Ye you Kauravas, I cannot bear it any longer. Ye you kings, I desire ye you to answer whether ye you regard me as won or unwon. I will accept your verdict whatever it be.'
"Hearing these words, answered, I have already said, O blessed one that the course of morality is subtle. Even the illustrious wise in this world fail to understand it always. What in this world a strong man calls morality is regarded as such by others, however otherwise it may really be; but what a weak man calls morality is scarcely regarded as such even if it be the highest morality. From the importance of the issue involved, from its intricacy and subtlety, I am unable to answer with certitude the question thou you hast have asked. However, it is certain that as all the Kurus have become the slaves of covetousness and folly, the destruction of this our race will happen on no distant date. O blessed one, the family into which thou you hast have been admitted as a daughter-in-law, is such that those who are born in it, however much they might be afflicted by calamities, never deviate from the paths of virtue and morality. O Princess of Panchala, this conduct of thine yours also, viz. that though sunk in distress, thou you still easiest thy your eyes on virtue and morality, is assuredly worthy of thee you. These persons, and others, of mature years and conversant with morality, sit heads downwards like men that are dead, with bodies from which life hath has departed. It seemeth seems to me, however, that is an authority on this question. It behoveth behooves him to declare whether thou you art won or not won."
said,--"The kings present in that assembly, from tear of , uttered not a word, good or ill, although they beheld crying piteously in affliction like a female osprey, and repeatedly appealing to them. And the son of beholding those kings and sons and grand sons of kings all remaining silent, smiled a little, and addressing the daughter of the , said,--O , the question thou you hast have put dependeth depends on thy your husbands--on of mighty strength, on , on , on . Let them answer thy your question. O , let them for thy your sake declare in the midst of these respectable men that is not their lord, let them thereby make king the just a liar. Thou you shalt shall then be freed from the condition of slavery. Let the illustrious , always adhering to virtue, who is even like , himself declare whether he is not thy your lord. At his words, accept thou you the Pandavas or ourselves without delay. Indeed, all the Kauravas present in this assembly are floating in the ocean of thy your distress. Endued with magnanimity, they are unable to answer thy your question, looking at thy your unfortunate husbands.'"
continued,--"Hearing these words of the Kuru king, all who were present in the assembly loudly applauded them. And shouting approvingly, they made signs unto to one another by motions of their eyes and lips. And amongst some that were there, sounds of distress such as 'O! and 'Alas!" were heard. And at these words of , so delightful (to his partisans), the Kauravas present in that assembly became exceedingly glad. And the kings, with faces turned sideways, looked upon conversant with the rules of morality, curious to hear what he would say. And every one present in that assembly became curious to hear what , the son of never defeated in battle, and what , and what the twins also would say. And when that busy hum of many voices became still, , waving his strong and well-formed arms smeared with sandalpaste spake spoke these words,--'If this high-souled king the just, who is our eldest brother, had not been our lord, we would never have forgiven the Kuru race (for all this). He is the lord of all our religious and ascetic merits, the lord of even our lives. If he regardeth regards himself as won, we too have all been won. If this were not so, who is there amongst creatures touching the earth with their feet and mortal, that would escape from me with his life after having touched those locks of the princess of Panchala? Behold these mighty, well-formed arms of mine, even like maces of iron. Having once come within them, even he of a hundred sacrifices is incapable of effecting an escape. Bound by the ties of virtue and the reverence that is due to our eldest brother, and repeatedly urged by to remain silent, I am not doing anything terrible. If however, I am once commanded by king the just, I would slay these wretched sons of , making slaps do the work of swords, like a lion slaying a number of little animals."
continued,--"Unto to who had spoken these words and and said, 'Forbear, O . Everything is possible with thee you.'"
" said,--'Of all the persons in the assembly, three, viz., , , and of the Kurus () appear to be independent; for they always speak of their master as wicked, always censure him, and never wish for his prosperity. O excellent one, the slave, the son, and the wife are always dependent. They cannot earn wealth, for whatever they earn belongeth belongs to their master. Thou you art the wife of a slave incapable of possessing anything on his own account. Repair now to the inner apartments of king and serve the king's relatives. We direct that that is now thy your proper business. And, O princess, all the sons of and not the sons of are now thy your masters. O handsome one, select thou you another husband now,--one who will not make thee you a slave by gambling. It is well-known that women, especially that are slaves, are not censurable if they proceed with freedom in electing husbands. Therefore let it be done by thee you. hath has been won, as also , and also, and , and . And, O , thou you art now a slave. Thy your husbands that are slaves cannot continue to be thy your lords any longer. Alas, doth does not the son of regards life, prowess and manhood as of no use that he offereth offers this , the , in the presence of all this assembly, as a stake at dice?'"
continued,--"Hearing these words, the wrathful breathed hard, a very picture of woe. Obedient to the king and bound by the tie of virtue and duty, burning everything with his eyes inflamed by anger, he said,--'O king, I cannot be angry at these words of this son of a Suta, for we have truly entered the state of servitude. But O king, could our enemies have said so unto to me, it thou you hadst had not played staking this princess?'"
continued,--"Hearing these words of king addressed who was silent and deprived of his senses, saying,--'O king, both and , and the twins also, are under thy your sway. Answer thou you the question (that hath has been asked by ). Say, whether thou you regardest regard as unwon.' And having spoken thus unto to the son of , . desirous of encouraging the and insulting , quickly uncovered his left thigh that was like unto to the stem of a plantain tree or the trunk of an elephant and which was graced with every auspicious sign and endued with the strength of thunder, and showed it to in her very sight. And beholding this, expanding his red eyes, said unto to in the midst of all those kings and as if piercing them (with his dart-like words),--'Let not attain to the regions, obtained by his ancestors, if he doth does not break that thigh of thine yours in the great conflict. And sparkles of fire began to be emitted from every organ of sense of filled with wrath, like those that come out of every crack and orifice in the body of a blazing tree.
then, addressing everybody, said,--'Ye you kings of 's race, behold the great danger that ariseth arises from . Know ye you for certain that this great calamity that threatens to overtake the Bharatas hath has been sent by Destiny itself. The sons of have, indeed, gambled disregarding every proper consideration. They are even now disputing in this assembly about a lady (of the royal household). The prosperity of our kingdom is at an end. Alas, the Kauravas are even now engaged in sinful consultations. Ye you Kauravas, take to your heart this high precept that I declare. If virtue is persecuted, the whole assembly becometh becomes polluted. If had staked her before he was himself won, he would certainly have been regarded as her master. If, however a person staketh stakes anything at a time when he himself is incapable of holding any wealth, to win it is very like obtaining wealth in a dream. Listening to the words of the king of Gandhara, fall ye you not off from this undoubted truth.'
", hearing thus speak, said,--'I am willing to abide by the words of , of and of the twins. Let them say that is not their master. will then be freed from her state of bondage."
" at this, said,--"This illustrious son of , king the just, was certainly our master before he began to play. But having lost himself, let all the Kauravas judge whose master he could be after that."
continued,--"Just then, a jackal began to cry loudly in the homa-chamber of king 's palace. And, O king, unto to the jackal that howled so, the asses began to bray responsively. And terrible birds also, from all sides, began to answer with their cries. And conversant with everything and the daughter of , both understood the meaning of those terrible sounds. And and and the learned loudly cried,--Swashti! Swashti![1] Then and the learned beholding that frightful omen, represented everything, in great affliction, unto to the king. And the king () thereupon then said,--
'Thou you wicked-minded , thou you wretch, destruction hath has all ready overtaken thee you when thou you insultest insult in language such as this the wife of these bulls among the Kurus, especially their wedded wife . And having spoken those words, the wise endued with knowledge, reflecting with the aid of his wisdom and desirous of saving his relatives and friends from destruction, began to console , the princess of Panchala, and addressing her, the monarch said,--'Ask of me any boon, O princess of Panchala, that thou you desirest, Chaste and devoted to virtue, thou you art the first of all my daughters-in-law.
" said,--'O bull of the Bharata race, if thou you will grant me a boon, I ask the handsome , obedient to every duty, be freed from slavery. Let not unthinking children call my child endued with great energy of mind as the son of a slave. Having been a prince, so superior to all men, and nurtured by kings it is not proper that he should be called the child of a slave.
" said unto to her,--'O auspicious one, let it be as thou you sayest say. O excellent one, ask thou you another boon, for I will give it. My heart inclineth inclines to give thee you a second boon. Thou you dost do not deserve only one boon.
" said,--'I ask, O king, that and and the twins also, with their cars and bows, freed from bondage, regain their liberty.'
' said,--'O blessed daughter, let it be as thou you desirest. Ask thou you a third boon, for thou you hast have not been sufficiently honoured with two boons. Virtuous in thy your behaviour, thou you art the foremost of all my daughters-in-law.
said,--'O best of kings, O illustrious one, covetousness always bringeth brings about loss of virtue. I do not deserve a third boon. Therefore I dare not ask any. O king of kings, it hath has been said that a Vaisya may ask one boon; a Kshatriya lady, two boons; a Kshatriya male, three, and a Brahmana, a hundred. O king, these my husbands freed from the wretched state of bondage, will be able to achieve prosperity by their own virtuous acts!'"