who obeyed the leadership of Krishna were also there, viewing the
scene. And beholding those elephants in rut--the five
(Pandavas)--attracted towards Draupadi like mighty elephants towards a
lake overgrown with lotuses, or like fire covered with ashes, Krishna the
foremost of Yadu heroes began to reflect. And he said unto Rama
(Valadeva), 'That is Yudhishthira; that is Bhima with Jishnu (Arjuna);
and those are the twin heroes.' And Rama surveying them slowly cast a
glance of satisfaction at Krishna. Biting their nether lips in wrath, the
other heroes there--sons and grandsons of kings--with their eyes and
hearts and thoughts set on Krishna, looked with expanded eyes on Draupadi
alone without noticing the Pandavas. And the sons of Pritha also, of
mighty arms, and the illustrious twin heroes, beholding Draupadi, 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--Karna, Duryodhana, Salwa, Salya,
Aswatthaman, 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
o