(Swayamvara Parva continued)
" said, 'Thus addressed by the Brahmanas, the Pandavas, O , proceeded towards the country of the southern Panchalas ruled over by the king . And on their way those heroes beheld the illustrious --that Muni of pure soul, and perfectly sinless. And duly saluting the Rishi and saluted by him, after their conversation was over, commanded by him they proceeded to 's abode. And those mighty chariot-fighters proceeded by slow stages staying for some time within those beautiful woods and by fine lakes that they beheld along their way. Devoted to study, pure in their practices, amiable, and sweet-speeched, the Pandavas at last entered the country of the Panchalas. And beholding the capital, as also the fort, they took up their quarters in the house of a potter, Adopting the Brahmanical profession, they began to lead an eleemosynary life. And no men recognised those heroes during their stay in 's capital.
" always cherished the desire of bestowing his daughter on (), the son of . But he never spoke of it to anybody. And, O , the thinking of caused a very stiff bow to be made that was incapable of being bent by any except . Causing some machinery to be erected in the sky, the king set up a mark attached to that machinery. And said, 'He that will string this bow and with these well-adorned arrows shoot the mark above the machine shall obtain my daughter.'
" continued, 'With these words king proclaimed the Swayamvara. On hearing of them, O Bharata, the kings of other lands came to his capital. And there came also many illustrious Rishis desirous of beholding the Swayamvara. And there came also, O king, and the Kurus accompanied by Kama. There also came many superior Brahmanas from every country. And the monarchs who came there were all received with reverence by the illustrious . Desirous of beholding the Swayamvara, the citizens, roaring like the sea, all took their seats on the platforms that were erected around the amphitheatre. The monarch entered the grand amphitheatre by the north-eastern gate. And the amphitheatre which itself had been erected on an auspicious and level plain to the north-east of 's capital, was surrounded by beautiful mansions. And it was enclosed on all sides with high walls and a moat with arched doorways here and there. The vast amphitheatre was also shaded by a canopy of various colours. And resounding with the notes of thousands of trumpets, it was scented with black aloes and sprinkled all over with water mixed with sandal-paste and decorated with garlands of flowers. It was surrounded with high mansions perfectly white and resembling the cloud-kissing peaks of Kailasa. The windows of those mansions were covered with net works of gold; the walls were set with diamonds and precious costly carpets and cloths. All those mansions adorned with wreaths and garlands of flowers and rendered fragrant with excellent aloes, were all white and spotless, like unto to the necks of swans. And the fragrance therefrom could be perceived from the distance of a Yojana (eight miles). And they were each furnished with a hundred doors wide enough to admit a crowd of persons; they were adorned with costly beds and carpets, and beautified with various metals; they resembled the peaks of the Himavat. And in those seven-storied houses of various sizes dwelt the monarchs invited by whose persons were adorned with every ornament and who were possessed with the desire of excelling one another. And the inhabitants of the city and the country who had come to behold and taken their seats on the excellent platforms erected around, beheld seated within those mansions those lions among kings who were all endued with the energy of great souls. And those exalted sovereigns were all adorned with the fragrant paste of the black aloe. Of great liberality, they were all devoted to Brahma and they protected their kingdoms against all foes. And for their own good deeds they were loved by the whole world.
"The Pandavas, too, entering that amphitheatre, sat with the Brahmanas and beheld the unequalled affluence of the king of the Panchalas. And that concourse of princes, Brahmanas, and others, looking gay at the performances of actors and dancers (large presents of every kind of wealth being constantly made), began to swell day by day. And it lasted, O king, several days, till on the sixteenth day when it was at its full, the , O thou you bull of the Bharata race, having washed herself clean entered the amphitheatre, richly attired and adorned with every ornament and bearing in her hand a dish of gold (whereon were the usual offerings of Arghya) and a garland of flowers. Then the priest of the lunar race--a holy Brahmana conversant with all mantras--ignited the sacrificial fire and poured on it with due rites libations of clarified butter. And gratifying by these libations and making the Brahmanas utter the auspicious formula of benediction, stopped the musical instruments that were playing all around. And when that vast amphitheatre, O monarch, became perfectly still, possessed of a voice deep as the sound of the kettledrum or the clouds, taking hold of his sister's arm, stood in the midst of that concourse, and said, with a voice loud and deep as the roar of the clouds, these charming words of excellent import, 'Hear ye you assembled kings, this is the bow, that is the mark, and these are the arrows. Shoot the mark through the orifice of the machine with these five sharpened arrows. Truly do I say that, possessed of lineage, beauty of persons, and strength whoever achieveth achieves this great feat shall obtain today this my sister, for his wife.' Having thus spoken unto to the assembled monarchs 's son then addressed his sister, reciting unto to her the names and lineages and achievements of those assembled lords of the earth.'"
(Swayamvara Parva continued)
" said, ', Durvisaha, Durmukha and Dushpradharshana, Vivinsati, , Saha, and ; and Vayuvega and Bhimavegarava; Ugrayudha, Valaki, Kanakayu, and Virochana, Sukundala, , Suvarcha, and Kanakadhwaja; Nandaka, and Vahusali, and Tuhunda, and Vikata; these, O sister, and many other mighty sons of --all heroes--accompanied by , have come for thy your hand. Innumerable other illustrious monarchs all bulls among Kshatriyas--have also come for thee you. , Sauvala, Vrisaka, and Vrihadvala,--these sons of the king Gandhara--have also come. Foremost of all wielders of weapons--the illustrious and Bhoja, adorned with every ornament have also come for thee you. Vrihanta, Manimana, Dandadhara, , Jayatsena, Meghasandhi, with his two sons Sankha and Uttara, Vardhakshemi, Susarma, Senavindu, Suketu with his two sons Sunama and Suvarcha, Suchitra, Sukumara, Vrika, Satyadhriti, Suryadhwaja, Rochamana, Nila, Chitrayudha, Agsuman, , the mighty Sreniman, Chandrasena the mighty son of Samudrasena, , Vidanda, and Danda--the father and son, Paundraka, , endued with great energy, Kalinga, Tamralipta, the king of Pattana, the mighty car-warrior , the king of Madra, with his son, the heroic Rukmangada, Rukmaratha, of the Kuru race with his three sons, all mighty chariot-fighters and heroes, viz., Bhuri, Bhurisrava, and Sala, Sudakshina, Kamvoja of the race, Vrihadvala, Sushena, Sivi, the son of Usinara, Patcharanihanta, the king of Karusha, (), () the mighty son of , Samva, Charudeshna, the son of Pradyumna with Gada, Akrura, , the high-souled Uddhava, , the son of Hridika, Prithu, Viprithu, Viduratha, Kanka, Sanku with Gaveshana, Asavaha, Aniruddha, Samika, Sarimejaya, the heroic Vatapi Jhilli Pindaraka, the powerful Usinara, all these of the Vrishni race, Bhagiratha, Vrihatkshatra, the son of Sindhu, , , the mighty charioteer Srutayu, Uluka, Kaitava, and Suvangada, the highly intelligent Vatsaraja, the king of Kosala, and the powerful , these and many other great kings--all Kshatriyas celebrated throughout the world--have come, O blessed one, for thee you. Endued with prowess, these will shoot the mark. And thou you shalt shall choose him for thy your husband who amongst these will shoot the mark.'"
(Swayamvara Parva continued)
" said, 'Then those youthful princes adorned with ear-rings, vying with one another and each regarding himself accomplished in arms and gifted with might, stood up brandishing their weapons. And intoxicated with pride of beauty, prowess, lineage, knowledge, wealth, and youth, they were like Himalayan elephants in the season of rut with crowns split from excess of temporal juice. And beholding each other with jealousy and influenced by the god of desire, they suddenly rose up from their royal seats, exclaiming ' shall be mine.' And the Kshatriyas assembled in that amphitheatre, each desirous of winning the , looked like the celestial (of old) standing round Uma, the daughter of the King of mountains. Afflicted with the shafts of the god of the flowery bow and with hearts utterly lost in the contemplation of , those princes descended into the amphitheatre for winning the Panchala maiden and began to regard even their best friends with jealousy. And there came also the celestials on their cars, with the Rudras and the Adityas, the Vasus and the twin Aswins, the Swadhas and all the Marutas, and with walking ahead. And there came also the Daityas and the Suparnas, the great Nagas and the celestial Rishis, the Guhyakas and the Charanas and Viswavasu and and Parvata, and the principal Gandharvas with Apsaras. And () and () and the chief of the Vrishni, Andhaka, and Yadava tribes who obeyed the leadership of were also there, viewing the scene. And beholding those elephants in rut--the five (Pandavas)--attracted towards like mighty elephants towards a lake overgrown with lotuses, or like fire covered with ashes, the foremost of heroes began to reflect. And he said unto to Rama (), 'That is ; that is with (); and those are the twin heroes.' And Rama surveying them slowly cast a glance of satisfaction at . Biting their nether lips in wrath, the other heroes there--sons and grandsons of kings--with their eyes and hearts and thoughts set on , looked with expanded eyes on alone without noticing the Pandavas. And the sons of also, of mighty arms, and the illustrious twin heroes, beholding , were all likewise struck by the shafts of Kama. And crowded with celestial Rishis and Gandharvas and Suparnas and Nagas and Asuras and Siddhas, and filled with celestial perfumes and scattered over with celestial flowers, and resounding with the kettle-drum and the deep hum of infinite voices, and echoing with the softer music of the flute, the Vina, and the tabor, the cars of the celestials could scarcely find a passage through the firmament. Then those princes--, , Salwa, , , Kratha, Sunitha, Vakra, the ruler of Kalinga and Banga, Pandya, Paundra, the ruler of Videha, the chief of the Yavanas, and many other sons and grandsons of kings,--sovereigns of territories with eyes like lotus-petals,--one after another began to exhibit prowess for (winning) that maiden of unrivalled beauty. Adorned with crowns, garlands, bracelets, and other ornaments, endued with mighty arms, possessed of prowess and vigour and bursting with strength and energy, those princes could not, even in imagination, string that bow of extraordinary stiffness.
"And (some amongst) those kings in exerting with swelling lips each according to his strength, education, skill, and energy,--to string that bow, were tossed on the ground and lay perfectly motionless for some time. Their strength spent and their crowns and garlands loosened from their persons, they began to pant for breath and their ambition of winning that fair maiden was cooled. Tossed by that tough bow, and their garlands and bracelets and other ornaments disordered, they began to utter exclamations of woe. And that assemblage of monarchs, their hope of obtaining gone, looked sad and woeful. And beholding the plight of those monarchs, that foremost of all wielders of the bow went to where the bow was, and quickly raising it strung it and placed the arrows on the string. And beholding the son of -- of the Suta tribe--like unto to fire, or , or himself, resolved to shoot the mark, those foremost of bowmen--the sons of --regarded the mark as already shot and brought down upon the ground. But seeing , loudly said, 'I will not select a Suta for my lord.' Then , laughing in vexation and casting glance at , threw aside the bow already drawn to a circle.
Then when all those Kshatriyas gave up the task, the heroic king of the Chedis--mighty as (Pluto) himself--the illustrious and determined , the son of Damaghosa, in endeavouring to string the bow, himself fell upon his knees on the ground. Then king endued with great strength and powers, approaching the bow stood there for some moment, fixed and motionless like a mountain. Tossed by the bow, he too fell upon his knees on the ground, and rising up, the monarch left the amphitheatre for (returning to) his kingdom. Then the great hero , the king of Madra, endued with great strength, in endeavouring to string the bow fell upon his knees on the ground. At last when in that assemblage consisting of highly respectable people, all the monarchs had become subjects of derisive talk that foremost of heroes--, the son of --desired to string the bow and placed the arrows on the bow-string.'"