hou art afraid, I am here to
render thee assistance in the battle. The assistance I will give thee
will be unbearable by thy foes. There is no man in this world who is
equal to me in prowess. I will slay those foes of thine whom thou, O son
of Pandu, wilt assign to me. I will slay one of those heroes, viz., Drona
and Kripa, and Bhishma, and Karna. Or, let all these kings of the earth
stand aside. Slaying in battle thy foes myself, I will give thee Earth.'
And he said this in the presence of king Yudhishthira the Just and of
Kesava and in the hearing of the (assembled) monarchs and all others (in
the camp). Then casting his eyes on Vasudeva and Pandu's son king
Yudhishthira the Just, Dhananjaya the intelligent son of Kunti smilingly
but in a friendly voice said these words, 'Born in the race of Kuru,
being especially the son of Pandu, naming Drona as my preceptor, having
Vasudeva for my ally, and bearing, besides the bow called Gandiva, how
can I say that I am afraid? O hero, when on the occasion of the tale of
cattle, I fought with the mighty Gandharvas, who was there to assist me?
In that terrific encounter also with the Gods and Danavas banded together
in great numbers at Khandava, who was my ally when I fought? When, again,
I fought with the Nivatakavachas and with those other Danavas called
Kalakeyas, who was my ally? When, again, at Virata's city I fought with
the numberless Kurus, who was my ally in that battle? Having paid my
respects, for battle's sake, to Rudra, Sakra, Vaisravana, Yama, Varuna,
Pavaka, Kripa, Drona, and Madhava, and wielding that tough celestial bow
of great energy called Gandiva, and accoutred with inexhaustible arrows
and armed with celestial weapons, how can a person like me, O tiger among
men, say, even unto Indra armed with the thunderbolt, such words as I am
afraid!--words that rob one of all his fame? O thou of mighty arms, I am
not afraid, nor have I any need of thy assistance. Go therefore, or stay,
as it pleaseth or suiteth thee.' Hearing these words of Arjuna, Rukmi
taking away with him his army vast as the sea, repaired then, O bull of
Bharata's race, to Duryodhana. And king Rukmi, repairing thither, said
the same words unto Duryodhana. But that king proud of his bravery,
rejected him in the same way.

"Thus, O king, two persons withdrew from the battle, viz., Rohini's son
(Rama) of Vrishni's race and king Rukmi. And after Rama had set out on
his pilgrimage to the tirthas, and Bhishm