d by the foe with all his might, my body mangled with their
arrows, I sought safety in flight. This however, O Bharata, seemed to me
to be a great marvel that I behold you all come safe and sound in body,
with your wives, troops, and vehicles, out of that super-human
encounter. O Bharata, there is another man in this world who can achieve
what thou, O king, hast achieved in battle to-day with thy brothers.'"

Vaisampayana continued, "Thus addressed by Karna, king Duryodhana
replied unto the ruler of the Angas in a voice choked with tears."

SECTION CCXLVI

"Duryodhana said, 'O Radheya, thou knowest not what hath happened.
Therefore, I do not resent thy words. Thou thinkest the hostile
Gandharvas to have been vanquished by me with my own energy. O thou of
mighty arms, my brothers, indeed had for a long time, aided by me fought
with the Gandharvas. The slaughtered, indeed, on both sides were great.
But when those brave Gandharvas, resorting to their many powers of
illusion, ascended the skies and began to fight with us thence, our
encounter with them ceased to be an equal one. Defeat then was ours and
even captivity. And afflicted with sorrow, we along with our attendants
and counsellors and children and wives and troops and vehicles were
being taken by them through the skies. It was then that some soldiers of
ours and some brave officers repaired in grief unto the sons of
Pandu--those heroes that never refuse succour to those that ask for it.
And having gone to them they said, "Here is king Duryodhana, the son of
Dhritarashtra, who with his younger brothers and friends and wives is
being led away a captive by the Gandharvas along the sky. Blest be ye.
Liberate the king along with the women of the royal household! Suffer no
insult to be offered unto all the ladies of the Kuru race." And when
they had spoken thus, the eldest of Pandu's sons, who is endued with a
virtuous soul then conciliated his brothers and commanded them to
liberate us. Then those bulls among men, the Pandavas, overtaking the
Gandharvas, solicited our release in soft words, although fully able to
effect it by force of arms. And when the Gandharvas, addressed in such
conciliatory words, refused to set us at liberty, then Arjuna and Bhima
and the twins endued with mighty energy, shot showers of arrows at the
Gandharvas. Then the Gandharvas, abandoning the fight, fled through the
sky, dragging our melancholy selves after them, filled with joy. Then we