The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Translated into English Prose: Virata Parva
Religion
The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Translated into English Prose: Virata Parva
Epic literature, Sanskrit
shaped as a toad's mouth, strong and irresistible belongeth to Arjuna.
Cased in a sheath of tiger-skin, of long blade, handsome and
irresistible, and terrible to adversaries, this sword belongeth to
Bhimasena. Of excellent blade and cased in a well-painted sheath, and
furnished with a golden hilt, this handsome sword belongeth to the wise
Kaurava--Yudhishthira the just. And this sword of strong blade,
irresistible and intended for various excellent modes of fight and cased
in a sheath of goat-skin, belongeth to Nakula. And this huge scimitar,
cased in a sheath of cow-skin, strong and irresistible belongeth to
Sahadeva.'"
[48] From the colour of his steeds.
[49] Nilakantha spends much learning and ingenuity in making out
that sixty-five years in this connection means thirty-two years
of ordinary human computation.
SECTION XLIV
"Uttara said, 'Indeed, these weapons adorned with gold, belonging to the
light-handed and high-souled Partha, look exceedingly beautiful. But
where are that Arjuna, the son of Pritha, and Yudhishthira of the Kuru
race, and Nakula, and Sahadeva, and Bhimasena, the sons of Pandu? Having
lost their kingdom at dice, the high-souled Pandavas, capable of
destroying all foes, are no longer heard of. Where also is Draupadi, the
princess of _Panchala_, famed as the gem among women, who followed the
sons of Pandu after their defeat at dice to the forest?'
"Arjuna said, 'I am Arjuna, called also Partha. Thy father's courtier is
Yudhishthira and thy father's cook Vallava is Bhimasena, the groom of
horses is Nakula, and Sahadeva is in the cow-pen. And know thou that the
_Sairindhri_ is Draupadi, for whose sake the Kichakas have been slain.'
"Uttara said, 'I would believe all this if thou canst enumerate the ten
names of Partha, previously heard by me!'
"Arjuna said, 'I will, O son of Virata, tell thee my ten names. Listen
thou and compare them with what thou hadst heard before. Listen to them
with close attention and concentrated mind. They are _Arjuna, Phalguna,
Jishnu, Kiritin, Swetavahana, Vibhatsu, Vijaya, Krishna, Savyasachin_
and _Dhananjaya_.'
"Uttara said, 'Tell me truly why art thou called Vijaya, and why
Swetavahana. Why art thou named Krishna and why Arjuna and Phalguna and
Jishnu and Kiritin and Vibhatsu, and for what art thou Dhananjaya and
Savyasachin? I have heard before about the origin of the several names
of that hero, and can put faith in thy words if thou canst tell me all
about them.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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