o his naked sword, set out for that
lake of waters. And reaching that spot, he whose car was drawn by white
steeds beheld those tigers among men, his two younger brothers who had
come to fetch water, lying dead there. And seeing them as if asleep,
that lion among men, exceedingly aggrieved, raised his bow and began to
look around that wood. But he found none in that mighty forest. And,
being fatigued, he who was capable of drawing the bow by his left hand
as well, rushed in the direction of the water. And as he was rushing
(towards the water), he heard these words from the sky, 'Why dost thou
approach this water? Thou shalt not be able to drink of it by force. If
thou, O Kaunteya, can answer the question I will put to thee, then only
shalt thou drink of the water and take away as much as thou requirest, O
Bharata!' Thus forbidden, the son of Pritha said, 'Do thou forbid me by
appearing before me! And when thou shalt be sorely pierced with my
arrows, thou wilt not then again speak in this way!' Having said this,
Partha covered all sides with arrows inspired by _mantras_. And he also
displayed his skill in shooting at an invisible mark by sound alone.
And, O bull of the Bharata race, sorely afflicted with thirst, he
discharged barbed darts and javelins and iron arrows, and showered on
the sky innumerable shafts incapable of being baffled. Thereupon, the
invisible Yaksha said, 'What need of all this trouble, O son of Pritha?
Do thou drink only after answering my questions! If thou drink, however,
without answering my questions, thou shalt die immediately after.' Thus
addressed, Pritha's son Dhananjaya capable of drawing the bow with his
left hand as well, disregarding those words, drank of the water, and
immediately after dropped down dead. And (seeing Dhananjaya's delay)
Kunti's son Yudhishthira addressed Bhimasena, saying, 'O represser of
foes, it is a long while that Nakula and Sahadeva and Vibhatsu have gone
to fetch water, and they have not come yet, O Bharata! Good betide thee!
Do thou bring them back, together with water!' Thereupon saying, 'So be
it,' Bhimasena set out for that place where those tigers among men, his
brothers, lay dead. And beholding them, Bhima afflicted though he was
with thirst, was exceedingly distressed. And that mighty armed hero
thought all that to have been the act of some Yaksha or Rakshasa. And
Pritha's son Vrikodara thought, 'I shall surely have to fight today. Let
me, therefore, first app