he wrecketh his
vengeance. Nor is he pacified even after he has wrecked a signal
vengeance. And there, that foremost of bowmen, endued with intelligence
and renown, with senses under complete control and reverence for the
old--that brother and disciple of Yudhishthira--is my husband
Dhananjaya! Virtue he never forsaketh, from lust or fear or anger! Nor
doth he ever commit a deed that is cruel. Endued with the energy of fire
and capable of withstanding every foe, that grinder of enemies is the
son of Kunti. And that other youth, versed in every question of morality
and profit, who ever dispelleth the fears of the affrighted, who is
endued with high wisdom, who is considered as the handsomest person in
the whole world and who is protected by all the sons of Pandu, being
regarded by them as dearer to them than their own lives for his
unflinching devotion to them, is my husband Nakula possessed of great
prowess. Endued with high wisdom and having Sahadeva for his second,
possessed of exceeding lightness of hand, he fighteth with the sword,
making dexterous passes therewith. Thou, foolish man, shall witness
today his performances on the field of battle, like unto those of Indra
amid the ranks of Daityas! And that hero skilled in weapons and
possessed of intelligence and wisdom, and intent on doing what is
agreeable to the son of Dharma, that favourite and youngest born of the
Pandavas, is my husband Sahadeva! Heroic, intelligent, wise and ever
wrathful there is not another man equal unto him in intelligence or in
eloquence amid assemblies of the wise. Dearer to Kunti than her own
soul, he is always mindful of the duties of Kshatriyas, and would much
sooner rush into fire or sacrifice his own life than say anything that
is opposed to religion and morals. When the sons of Pandu will have
killed thy warriors in battle, then wilt thou behold thy army in the
miserable plight of a ship on the sea wrecked with its freight of jewels
on the back of a whale. Thus have I described unto thee the prowess of
the sons of Pandu, disregarding whom in thy foolishness, thou hast acted
so. If thou escapest unscathed from them, then, indeed thou wilt have
obtained a new lease of life.'"

Vaisampayana continued, "Then those five sons of Pritha, each like unto
Indra, filled with wrath, leaving the panic-stricken infantry alone who
were imploring them for mercy, rushed furiously upon the charioteers,
attacking them on all sides and darkening the ve