vers covered with foam and
turbid with mud; and these bearing volumes of water spread over the
frothy rafts rushed down with tremendous roar uprooting trees. And
afterwards when that sound had ceased and the air had arisen they (each
of them) cautiously came out of their coverts and met together, O
descendant of Bharata. And then the heroes started for the mountain
Gandhamadana."

SECTION CXLIII

Vaisampayana said, "When the high-souled sons of Pandu had proceeded only
two miles, Draupadi unaccustomed to travel on foot, sank down. Weary and
afflicted as she was, the poor daughter of Panchala became faint, on
account of the hailstorm and also of her extreme delicacy. And trembling
with faintness, the black-eyed one supported herself on her thighs with
her plump arms, becoming (her graceful form). And thus resting for
support on her thighs resembling the trunk of an elephant, and which were
in contract with each other, she suddenly dropped upon the ground,
trembling like a plantain tree. And finding that the beautiful one was
falling down like a twisted creeper, Nakula ran forward and supported,
her. And he said, 'O king, this black-eyed daughter of Panchala, being
weary, hath fallen down upon the ground. Do thou, therefore, tend her, O
son of Bharata. Undeserving as she is of misery, this lady of slow pace
hath been subject to great hardships, and she is also worn out with the
fatigues of the journey. O mighty king, do thou therefore, comfort her.'"

Vaisampayana said, "Having heard these words of Nakula, the king as also
Bhima and Sahadeva, became sorely afflicted, and hastily ran towards her.
And finding her weak, and her countenance pale, the pious son of Kunti
began to lament in grief, taking her on his lap. Yudhishthira said.
'Accustomed to ease, and deserving to sleep in wellprotected rooms, on
beds spread over with fine sheets, how doth this beautiful one sleep
prostrate on the ground! Alas! On my account (alone), the delicate feet
and the lotus-like face of this one deserving of all excellent things,
have contracted a dark-blue hue. O what have I done! Fool that I am,
having been addicted to dice, I have been wandering in the forest full of
wild beasts, taking Krishna in my company. This large-eyed one had been
bestowed by her father, the king of the Drupadas, in the hope that the
blessed girl would be happy, by obtaining the sons of Pandu for her
lords. It is on account of my wretched self, that without ob