acquired 'intelligence and learning, lofty aims, religious earnestness, and love of truth.' All the cousins were equally instructed in war and arms; and Arjuna distinguishes himself in every exercise, 'submissive ever to his teach.'s will, contented, modest, affable, and mild.' Their education finished, a grand tournament is held, at which all the youthful cousins display their skill in archery, in the management of chariots (Ratha-charyá), horses, and elephants, in sword, spear, and club exercises, and wrestling. The scene is graphically described (I. 5324). An immense concourse of spectators cheer the combatants. The agitation of the crowd is compared to the roar of a mighty ocean. Arjuna, after exhibiting prodigies of strength, shoots five separate arrows simultaneously into the jaws of a revolving iron boar, and twenty-one arrows into the hollow of a cow's horn suspended by a string. Suddenly there is a pause. The crowd turns as one man towards a point in the arena, where a murmur gradually rising to a clamour, which rent the sky like a thunder-clap, announces the entrance of another combatant. This proves to be a warrior named Karna, who enters the lists in full armour, and after accomplishing the same feats in archery, challenges Arjuna to single combat. But each champion is required to tell his name and pedigree; and Karna's parentage being doubtful (he was really the illegitimate child of Prithá by the sun, and therefore halfbrother of Arjuna), he is obliged to retire, "hanging his head with shame like a drooping lily." Karṇa, thus publicly humiliated, becomes afterwards a conspicuous and valuable ally of the Kurus against his own half-brothers. His character is well imagined. Feeling keenly the stain on his birth, his nature is chastened by the trial. He exhibits in a high degree fortitude, chivalrous honour, self-sacrifice, and devotion. Especially remarkable for a liberal and generous disposition*, he never stoops to ignoble practices like his friends the Kurus, who are intrinsically bad men. The superior skill of the Páṇḍavas, displayed at this public contest, * He is often to this day cited as a model of liberality. See his name, Vasu-sheņa. excited all the malevolence of their cousins, and they endeavoured to destroy them by setting fire to their house; but the Páṇḍavas, warned of their intention, escaped by an underground passage to the woods. Whilst living there disguised as mendicant Bráhmans, they were induced to join a number of other Bráhmans on their way to a Swayamvara, or public choice of a husband by a beautiful maiden named Draupadí, daughter of Drupada, king of Panchála. An immense concourse of princely suitors, with their retainers, came to the ceremony; and king Drupada (who was an old schoolfellow of the Bráhman, Droņa, but had offended him by repudiating his friendship in later years) eagerly looked for Arjuna amongst them, that, strengthened by that hero's alliance, he might defy Drona's anger. He therefore prepared an enormous bow, which he was persuaded none but Arjuna could bend, and proposed a trial of strength, promising to give his daughter to any one who could by means of this bow shoot five arrows simultaneously through a revolving ring into a target beyond. An amphitheatre was erected outside the town, surrounded by tiers of lofty seats and raised platforms, with variegated awnings. Magnificent palaces, crowded with eager spectators, overlooked the scene. Actors, conjurors, athletes, and dancers exhibited their skill before the multitude. Strains of exquisite music floated in the air. Drums and trumpets sounded. When expectation was at its height, Draupadí in gorgeous apparel entered the arena, and the bow was brought. The hundred sons of Dhritarashtra strain every nerve to bend the ponderous weapon, but without effect. Its recoil dashes them breathless to the ground, and makes them the laughing-stock of the crowd. Arjuna now advances, disguised as a Bráhman. (Adi-parva, 7049.) A moment motionless he stood and scanned The bow, collecting all his energy. Next walking round in homage, breathed a prayer To the Supreme bestower of good gifts; Then fixing all his mind on Draupadí He grasped the ponderous weapon in his hand, And with one vigorous effort braced the string. And drum and trumpet sounded forth his triumph. I need not suggest the parallel which will at once be drawn by the classical scholar, between this trial of archery and a similar scene in the Odyssey. When the suitors find themselves outdone by a mere stripling in the coarse dress of a mendicant Bráhman, their rage knows no bounds. A real battle ensues. The Pándu princes protect Drupada, and enact prodigies. Bhíma tears up a tree, and uses it as a club. Karna at last meets Arjuna in single combat, rushing on him like a young elephant. They overwhelm each other with showers of arrows, which darken the air. But not even Karna can withstand the irresistible onset of the godlike Arjuna, and he and the other suitors retire vanquished from the field*, leaving Draupadí as the bride of Arjuna. The Pándu princes, thus strengthened by Drupada's alliance, throw off their disguise, and the king, Dhṛitaráshtra, is induced to settle all differences by dividing his kingdom between them and his own sons. Soon afterwards, at a great assembly, the artful Kuru princes propose a game at dice. No Hindú is proof against the love of gambling. Yudhishthira, excellent as he is in other respects, has this one fault. By degrees he stakes every thing, and, after losing his territory and possessions, pledges himself that he and his brothers shall live for twelve years in the woods, and shall pass the thirteenth concealed under assumed names in various disguises. Their term of banishment ended, they prepare to make war on their cousins, and recover their kingdom. We have then the preparations on both sides described. Each party seeks * They console themselves by declaring that they are defeated, not by physical force, but by the divine power of the sacerdotal caste. (I. 7123.) alliances. Krishna, king of Dwaraka (worshipped in the present day as the most popular incarnation of Vishņu), takes the side of his cousins, the Páṇḍavas, and condescends to serve as the charioteer of Arjuna. The rival armies meet on a vast plain, north-west of the modern Delhi, called ‘the field of the Kurus.' Duryodhana entrusts the command of his troops to his ablest generals, and first to his grand-uncle Bhishma, the oldest warrior present. The Páṇḍavas, on the other side, are led on in the first engagement by Bhíma. And now as the hosts advanced a tumult filled the sky; the earth shook—“ Chafed by wild winds, the sands upcurled to heaven, and spread a veil before the sun." Showers of blood fell*. Shrill kites, vultures, and howling jackalls hung about the rear of the marching armies. Thunder roared, lightnings flashed, blazing meteors shot across the darkened sky; yet the chiefs, regardless of these portents, "pressed on to mutual slaughter, and the peal of shouting hosts commingling, shook the world." There is to a European a ponderous and unwieldy character about Oriental warfare, which he finds it difficult to realize; yet the battlescenes, though exaggerated, are vividly described, and carry the imagination into the midst of the conflict. Monstrous elephants career over the field, trampling on men and horses, and dealing destruction. with their huge tusks; enormous clubs and iron maces clash together with the noise of thunder; rattling chariots dash against each other; thousands of arrows hurtle in the air, darkening the sky; trumpets, kettle-drums, and horns add to the uproar; confusion, carnage, and death are every where. The individual deeds of prowess and single-combats between the heroes are sometimes graphically narrated. Each chief has a conch-shell (sankha) for a trumpet, which, as well as his principal weapon, has a name, as if personified†. Thus we read: * So Jupiter rains blood twice in the Iliad, XI. 53. and XVI. 459. †Trumpets do not appear to have been used by Homer's heroes. Whence the value of a Stentorian voice. But there is express allusion in Il. XVIII. 219. to the use of trumpets at sieges. cousin una. e com t day Arjuna blew his shell called God-given' (Deva-datta), and carried a bow called Gándíva. Krishna sounded Pánchajanya (a shell made of the bones of the demon Panchajana), Bhíma blew a great trumpet called moder Paundra, and Yudhishthira sounded his, called 'Eternal victory' (Anantavijaya). Here is a description of a single-combat between Bhíma and Salya, the king of Madra (taken from the Salya-parva, 594), which I have translated nearly literally. It will give an idea of the redundance of similes in the original. d-und er side e earth en, and 1 kites arching - acros pressed ngling about battle e ima career uction toge teach trum rnage, sand rated. well as read:! e value use of Soon as he saw his charioteer struck down, Straightway the Madra monarch grasped his mace, Advance, wielding aloft his massive club. The force of Salya." Now like two fierce bulls E |