st Vrihannala to hold the reins of my horses.'

"Draupadi said, 'Vrihannala, O hero, will without doubt, obey the words
of thy younger sister[35]--that damsel of graceful hips. If he consents
to be thy charioteer, thou wilt, without doubt, return, having
vanquished the Kurus and rescued thy kine.'

[35] Some read _kaniasi_ for _vaviasi_. Both words are the same,
and mean the same thing.

"Thus addressed by the _Sairindhri_, Uttara spake unto his sister, 'Go
thyself, O thou of faultless beauty, and bring Vrihannala hither.' And
despatched by her brother, she hastily repaired to the dancing-hall
where that strong-armed son of Pandu was staying in disguise."

SECTION XXXVII

Vaisampayana said, "Thus despatched by her elder brother, the far-famed
daughter of king Matsya, adorned with a golden necklace, ever obedient
to her brother and possessed of a waist slender as that of the wasp,[36]
endued with the splendour of Lakshmi herself,[37] decked with the plumes
of the peacock of slender make and graceful limbs, her hips encircled by
a zone of pearls, her eye-lashes slightly curved, and her form endued
with every grace, hastily repaired to the dancing-hall like a flash of
lightning rushing towards a mass of dark clouds.[38] And the faultless
and auspicious daughter of Virata, of fine teeth and slender-waist, of
thighs close unto each other and each like the trunk of an elephant, her
person embellished with an excellent garland, sought the son of Pritha
like a she-elephant seeking her mate. And like unto a precious gem or
the very embodiment of prosperity of Indra, of exceeding beauty and
large eyes, that charming and adored and celebrated damsel saluted
Arjuna. And saluted by her, Partha asked that maiden of close thighs and
golden complexion, saying 'What brings thee hither, a damsel decked in a
necklace of gold? Why art thou in such a hurry, O gazelle-eyed maiden?
Why is thy face, O beauteous lady, so cheerless? Tell me all this
without delay!'"

[36] _Vedi-Vilagnamadhya_--Vedi in this connection means a wasp
and not, as explained by Mallinatha in his commentary of the
_Kumarasambhava_, a sacrificial platform. I would remark in
passing that many of the most poetic and striking adjectives in
both the Raghu and the _Kumarasambhava_ of Kalidasa are borrowed
unblushingly from the _Ramayana_ and the _Mahabharata_.

[37] _Padma patrabha-nibha_ may also mean 'of the splendour of
the