Vaisampayana continued, “Agreeable to Arjuna’s words, Uttara speedily ordered the messengers, saying, ’Go ye and proclaim the king’s victory.  The foe hath been routed, and the kine have been recovered.’  And the Matsya and the Bharata princes having thus consulted together re-approached the same Sami tree.  And gratified with the victory they had won, and arrived at the foot of the Sami tree, they wore on their persons and took up on their car the ornaments and robes they had left there.  And having vanquished the whole hostile army and recovered the whole of the wealth from the Kurus, the heroic son of Virata returned to the city with Vrihannala as his car-driver.”

SECTION LXVII

Vaisampayana said, “Having speedily recovered his wealth Virata owning a large army entered his city with a cheerful heart, accompanied by the four Pandavas.  And having vanquished the Trigartas in battle and recovered all the kine, that mighty monarch, along with the sons of Pritha, looked resplendent and blazed forth in beauty.  And as the brave king, that enhancer of the joys of friends, was seated on his throne, all his subjects headed by the Brahmanas stood before him.  And worshipped by them, the king of the Matsyas, at the head of his army, saluted the Brahmanas and his subjects in return and dismissed them cheerfully.  And Virata, the king of the Matsyas owning a large army, enquired after Uttara, saying, ‘Where hath Uttara gone?’ And the women and the maidens of the palace and the other females living in the inner apartments joyfully said unto him, ’Our kine having been seized by the Kurus, Bhuminjaya incensed at this and from excess of bravery hath issued forth alone with only Vrihannala as his second, for vanquishing the six mighty car-warriors, Bhishma the son of Santanu, and Kripa, and Karna, and Duryodhana, and Drona, and Drona’s son who have all come with the Kuru army.’”

Vaisampayana continued, “Then king Virata, hearing that his brave son had gone forth with only one car and with Vrihannala as his car-driver, became filled with grief, and addressing his chief counsellors, said, ’Without doubt, the Kauravas and other lords of earth, learning the defeat of the Trigartas, will never keep their ground.  Therefore, let those of my warriors that have not been wounded by the Trigartas go out, accompanied by a mighty force, for the protection of Uttara.’  And saying this, the king speedily despatched, for the sake of his son, horses and elephants and cars and a large number of foot-soldiers, equipped and decked with various kinds of weapons and ornaments.  And it was thus that Virata, the king of the Matsyas, owning a large army, quickly ordered out a large division consisting of four kinds of troops.  And having done this, he said, ’Learn ye, without loss of time whether the prince liveth still or not!  I myself think that he who hath got a person of the neuter sex for his car-driver is not alive.’”