free, and was allowed to wander from place to place, accompanied
by the king's guard. If any neighbouring king ventured to detain the
animal, it was a signal for war. If no king ventured to restrain the
wanderer, it was considered a tacit mark of submission to the owner
of the animal. And when the horse returned from its peregrinations,
it was sacrificed with great pomp and splendour at a feast to which
all neighbouring kings were invited.

Yudhishthir allowed the sacrificial horse to wander at will, and
Arjun accompanied it. Wherever the horse was stopped, Arjun fought
and conquered, and thus proclaimed the supremacy of Yudhishthir over
all neighbouring potentates. After various wars and adventures in
various regions, Arjun at last returned victorious with the steed
to Hastinapura, and the sacrifice commenced. The description of the
sacrifice is somewhat artificial, and concerns itself with rites
and ceremonious details and gifts to Brahmans, and altogether bears
unmistakable evidence of the interpolating hand of later priestly
writers. Nevertheless we cannot exclude from this translation of
the leading incidents of the Epic the last great and crowning act
of Yudhishthir, now anointed monarch of Kuru land.

The portion translated in this Book forms Sections lxxxv. And parts
of Sections lxxxviii. and lxxxix. of Book xiv. of the original
text.

I

The Gathering

Victor of a hundred battles, Arjun bent his homeward way,
Following still the sacred charger free to wander as it may,

Strolling minstrels to Yudhishthir spake of the returning steed,
Spake of Arjun wending homeward with the victor's crown of meed,

And they sang of Arjun's triumph's in Gandhara's distant vale,
On the banks of Brahmaputra and in Sindhu's rocky dale.

Twelfth day came of _magha's_ bright moon, and auspicious was the star,
Nigher came the victor Arjun from his conquests near and far,

Good Yudhishthir called his brothers, faithful twins and Bhima true,
Spake to them in gentle accents, and his words were grave and few:

"Bhima! Now returneth Arjun with the steed from many a fray,
So they tell me, noble brother, who have met him on the way,

And the time of _aswa-medha_ day by day is drawing nigh,
_Magha's_ full moon is approaching, and the winter passeth by,

Let the Brahmans versed in Vedas choose the sacrificial site,
For the feast of many nations and performance of the rite."

Bhima heard of Arjun's coming,--hero with the curly h