backs, they
surrounded that horse, O king, and endeavoured to capture it. The
diadem-decked Arjuna, reflecting on that endeavour of theirs, forbade
those heroes, with conciliatory speeches, O chastiser of foes.
Disregarding Arjuna's message, they assailed him with their shafts. The
diadem-decked Arjuna resisted those warriors who were under the sway of
darkness and passion. Jishnu addressed them smilingly and said, "Desist,
ye unrighteous ones. Life is a benefit (that should not be thrown away)."
At the time of his setting out, he had been earnestly ordered by king
Yudhishthira the just, not to slay those Kshatriyas whose kinsmen had
been slain before on the field of Kurukshetra. Recollecting these
commands of king Yudhishthira the just who was endued with great
intelligence, Arjuna asked the Trigartas to forbear. But they disregarded
Arjuna's injunction. Then Arjuna vanquished Suryavarman, the king of the
Trigartas, in battle, by shooting countless shafts at him and laughed in
scorn. The Trigarta warriors, however, filling the ten points with the
clatter of their cars and car-wheels, rushed towards Dhananjaya. Then
Suryavarman, displaying his great lightness of hand, pierced Dhananjaya
with hundreds of straight arrows, O monarch. The other great bowmen who
followed the king and who were all desirous of compassing the destruction
of Dhananjaya, shot showers of arrows on him. With countless shafts shot
from his own bow-string, the son of Pandu, O king, cut off those clouds
of arrows; upon which they fell down. Endued with great energy,
Ketuvarman, the younger brother of Suryavarman, and possessed of youthful
vigour, fought, for the sake of his brother, against Pandu's son
possessed of great fame. Beholding Ketuvarman approaching towards him for
battle, Vibhatsu, that slayer of hostile heroes, slew him with many
sharp-pointed arrows. Upon Ketuvarman's fall, the mighty car-warrior
Dhritavarman, rushing on his car towards Arjuna, showered a perfect
downpour of arrows on him. Beholding that lightness of hand displayed by
the youth Dhritavarman, Gudakesa of mighty energy and great prowess
became highly gratified with him. The son of Indra could not see when the
young warrior took out his arrows and when he placed them on his
bow-string aiming at him. He only saw showers of arrows in the air. For a
brief space of time, Arjuna gladdened his enemy and mentally admired his
heroism and skill. The Kuru hero, smiling the while, fought