, saying, 'Disregarding the five Indra-like sons
of Pandu, Jayadratha hath carried away Krishna by force. The track
pursued by him hath not yet disappeared, for the broken branches of trees
have not yet faded. Therefore, turn your cars and follow her quickly, for
the princess cannot have gone far by this time! Ye warriors possessed of
the prowess of Indra, putting on your costly bows of handsome make, and
taking up your costly bows and quivers, speed ye in pursuit of her, lest
overpowered by threats or violence and losing her sense and the colour of
her cheeks, she yields herself up to an undeserving wight, even as one
poureth forth, from the sacrificial ladle, the sanctified oblation on a
heap of ashes. O, see that the clarified butter is not poured into an
unigniting fire of paddy chaff; that a garland of flowers is not thrown
away in a cemetery. O, take care that the Soma juice of a sacrifice is
not licked up by a dog through the carelessness of the officiating
priests! O, let not the lily be rudely torn by a jackal roaming for its
prey in the impenetrable forest. O, let no inferior wight touch with his
lips the bright and beautiful face of your wife, fair as the beams of the
moon and adorned with the finest nose and the handsomest eyes, like a dog
licking clarified butter kept in the sacrificial pot! Do ye speed in this
track and let not time steal a march on you.'

Yudhishthira said, 'Retire, good woman, and control thy tongue. Speak not
this way before us. Kings or princes, whoever are infatuated with the
possession of power, are sure to come to grief!'"

Vaisampayana continued, "With these words, they departed, following the
track pointed out to them, and frequently breathing deep sighs like the
hissing of snakes, and twanging the strings of their large bows. And then
they observed a cloud of dust raised by the hoofs of the steeds belonging
to Jayadratha's army. And they also saw Dhaumya in the midst of the
ravisher's infantry, exhorting Bhima to quicken his steps. Then those
princes (the sons of Pandu) with hearts undepressed, bade him be of good
cheer and said unto him, 'Do thou return cheerfully!'--And then they
rushed towards that host with great fury, like hawks swooping down on
their prey. And possessed of the prowess of Indra, they had been filled
with fury at the insult offered to Draupadi. But at sight of Jayadratha
and of their beloved wife seated on his car, their fury knew no bounds.
And those mighty