ning a large army,
enquired after Uttara, saying, 'Where hath Uttara gone?' And the women
and the maidens of the palace and the other females living in the inner
apartments joyfully said unto him, 'Our kine having been seized by the
Kurus, Bhuminjaya incensed at this and from excess of bravery hath
issued forth alone with only Vrihannala as his second, for vanquishing
the six mighty car-warriors, Bhishma the son of Santanu, and Kripa, and
Karna, and Duryodhana, and Drona, and Drona's son who have all come with
the Kuru army.'"

Vaisampayana continued, "Then king Virata, hearing that his brave son
had gone forth with only one car and with Vrihannala as his car-driver,
became filled with grief, and addressing his chief counsellors, said,
'Without doubt, the Kauravas and other lords of earth, learning the
defeat of the Trigartas, will never keep their ground. Therefore, let
those of my warriors that have not been wounded by the _Trigartas_ go
out, accompanied by a mighty force, for the protection of Uttara.' And
saying this, the king speedily despatched, for the sake of his son,
horses and elephants and cars and a large number of foot-soldiers,
equipped and decked with various kinds of weapons and ornaments. And it
was thus that Virata, the king of the Matsyas, owning a large army,
quickly ordered out a large division consisting of four kinds of troops.
And having done this, he said, 'Learn ye, without loss of time whether
the prince liveth still or not! I myself think that he who hath got a
person of the neuter sex for his car-driver is not alive.'"

Vaisampayana continued, "Then king Yudhishthira the just, smilingly said
unto the afflicted king Virata, 'If, O monarch, Vrihannala hath been his
charioteer, the foe will never be able to take away thy kine today.
Protected by that charioteer, thy son will be able to vanquish in battle
all the lords of earth allied with the Kurus, indeed, even the gods and
the _Asuras_ and the _Siddhas_ and the _Yakshas_ together.'"

Vaisampayana continued, "Meanwhile, the swift-footed messengers
despatched by Uttara, having reached Virata's city, gave tidings of the
victory. And the minister-in-chief then informed the king of everything,
viz., the great victory that had been won, the defeat of the Kurus, and
the expected arrival of Uttara. And he said, 'All the kine have been
brought back, the Kurus have been defeated, and Uttara, that slayer of
foes, is well with his car-driver.' Then Yud