Maha-Bharata Epic of the Bharatas

Posted by admin_akashic on Oct 20th, 2022 in Civilization

Fair Draupadi, guised as menial, Arjun’s secret hest obeyed,
Humbly stepped before Uttara and in gentle accents prayed:

“Hear me, prince, yon Brihannala will thy battle-chariot lead,
He was Arjun’s chariot-driver, skilled to urge the flying steed,

Trained in war by mighty Arjun, trained to drive the battle-car,
He hath followed helméd Arjun in the glorious field of war,

And when Arjun conquered Khandav, this, Uttara, I have seen,
Brihannala drove his chariot, for I served Yudhishthir’s queen.”

[273] Heard Uttara hesitating, spake his faint and timid mind,
“I would trust thee, beauteous maiden, lotus-bosomed, ever kind,

But a poor and sexless creature, can he rein the warlike steed,
Can I ask him, worse than woman, in the battle’s ranks to lead?”

“Need is none,” Draupadi answered, “Brihannala’s grace to ask,
He is eager like the war-horse for this great and warlike task,

And he waits upon thy sister, she will bid the minion speed,
And he wins thy father’s cattle, and the victor’s glorious meed!”

Matsya’s princess spake to Arjun, Arjun led the battle-car,
Led the doubting prince Uttara to the dread and dubious war.

III. Arms and Weapons

Arjun drove the prince of Matsya to a darksome sami tree,
Spake unto the timid warrior in his accents bold and free:

“Prince, thy bow and shining arrows, pretty handsome toys are these,
Scarcely they beseem a warrior, and a warrior cannot please,

Thou shalt find upon this sami, mark my words which never fail,
Stately bows and wingéd arrows, banners swords and coats of mail,

And a bow which strongest warriors scarce can in the battle bend,
And the limits of a kingdom widen when that bow is strained,

Tall and slender like a palm-tree, worthy of a warrior bold,
Smooth the wood of hardened fibre, and the ends are yellow gold!”

Doubting still Uttara answered: “In this sami’s gloomy shade
Corpses hang since many seasons in their wrappings duly laid,

Now I mark them all suspended, horrent, in the open air,
And to touch the unclean objects, friend, is more than I can dare!”

[274] “Fear not warrior,” Arjun answered, “for the tree conceals no dead,
Warriors’ weapons, cased like corpses, lurk within its gloomy shade,

And I ask thee, prince of Matsya, not to touch an unclean thing,
But unto a chief and warrior weapons and his arms to bring.”

Prince Uttara gently lighted, climbed the dark and leafy tree,
Arjun from the prince’s chariot bade him speed the arms to free,

And the young prince cut the wrappings; lo! the shining bows appear,
Twisted, voiced like hissing serpents, like the bright stars glistening clear!

Seized with wonder prince Uttara silently the weapons eyed,
And unto his chariot-driver thus in trembling accents cried:

“Whose this bow so tall and stately, speak to me my gentle friend,
On the wood are golden bosses, tipped with gold is either end,

Whose this second ponderous weapon stout and massive in the hold,
On the staff are worked by artists elephants of burnished gold,

And what great and mighty monarch owns this other bow of might,
Set with golden glittering insects on its ebon back so bright,

Golden suns of wondrous brightness on this fourth their lustre lend,
Who may be the unknown archer who this stately bow can bend,

And the fifth is set with jewels, gems and stones of purest ray,
Golden fire-flies glint and sparkle in the yellow light of day!

Who doth own these shining arrows with their heads in gold encased,
Thousand arrows bright and feathered in the golden quivers placed,

Next are these with vulture-feather, golden-yellow in their hue,
Made of iron keen and whetted, whose may be these arrows true,

Next upon this sable quiver jungle tigers gleam in gold,
And these keen and boar-eared arrows speak some chieftain fierce and bold,

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