ing a son on Divodasa. As the result
thereof, unto Divodasa was born a son named Pratarddana. Immediately on
his birth he grew up like a boy of full three and ten years and quickly
mastered the entire Vedas and the whole of arms. Aided by his Yoga
powers, Bharadwaja of great intelligence had entered into the prince.
Indeed, collecting all the energy that occurs in the object of the
universe, Bharadwaja put them together in the body of prince Pratarddana.
Put on shining mail on his person and armed with the bow, Pratarddana,
his praises sung by bards and the celestial Rishis, shone resplendent
like the risen star of day. Mounted on his car and with the scimitar tied
to his belt, he shone like a blazing fire. With scimitar and shield and
whirling his shield as he went, he proceeded to the presence of his sire.
Beholding the prince, the son of Sudeva, viz., king Divodasa, became
filled with joy. Indeed, the old king thought the sons of his enemy
Vitahavya as already slain. Divodasa then installed his son Pratarddana
as Yuvaraja, and regarding himself crowned with success became
exceedingly happy. After this, the old king commanded that chastiser of
foes, viz., prince Pratarddana to march against the sons of Vitahavya and
slay them in battle. Endued with great powers, Pratarddana, that
subjugator of hostile cities speedily crossed Ganga on his car and
proceeded against the city of the Vitahavyas. Hearing the clatter
produced by the wheels of his car, the sons of Vitahavya, riding on their
own cars that looked like fortified citadels and that were capable of
destroying hostile vehicles, issued out of their city. Issuing out of
their capital, those tigers among men, viz., the sons of Vitahavya, who
were all skilful warriors cased in mail, rushed with uplifted weapons
towards Pratarddana, covering him with showers of arrows. Encompassing
him with innumerable cars, O Yudhisthira, the Vitahavyas poured upon
Pratarddana showers of weapons of various kinds like clouds pouring
torrents of rain on the breast of Himavat. Baffling their weapons with
his own, prince Pratarddana endued with mighty energy slew them all with
his shafts that resembled the lighting fire of Indra. Their heads struck
off, O king, with hundreds and thousands of broad-headed arrows, the
warriors of Vitahavya fell down with blood-dyed bodies like Kinsuka trees
felled by woodmen with their axes on every side. After all his warriors
and sons had fallen in battle, ki