and withered top.  And that slayer of foes grasping with his arms that tree measuring ten Vyamas, uprooted it, even like an elephant, and placed it upon his shoulders.  And taking up that tree with trunk and branches and measuring ten Vyamas, that mighty hero rushed towards the Sutas, like Yama himself, mace in hand.  And by the impetus of his rush[18] banians and peepals and Kinsukas falling down on the earth lay in clusters.  And beholding that Gandharva approach them like a lion in fury, all the Sutas trembling with fear and greatly distressed, became panic-struck.  And they addressed each other, saying, ’Lo, the powerful Gandharva cometh hither, filled with rage, and with an upraised tree in hand.  Let Sairindhri, therefore, from whom this danger of ours hath arisen, be set free.’  And beholding the tree that had been uprooted by Bhimasena, they set Draupadi free and ran breathlessly towards the city And seeing them run away, Bhima, that mighty son of the Wind-god, despatched, O foremost of kings, by means of that tree, a hundred and five of them unto the abode of Yama, like the wielder of the thunderbolt slaying the Danavas.  And setting Draupadi free from her bonds, he then, O king, comforted her.  And that mighty-armed and irrepressible Vrikodara, the son of Pandu, then addressed the distressed princess of Panchala with face bathed in tears, saying, ’Thus, O timid one, are they slain that wrong thee without cause.  Return, O Krishna, to the city.  Thou hast no longer any fear; I myself will go to the Virata’s kitchen by another route.’

“Vaisampayana continued, ’It was thus, O Bharata, that a hundred and five of those Kichakas were slain.  And their corpses lay on the ground, making the place look like a great forest overspread with uprooted trees after a hurricane.  Thus fell those hundred and five Kichakas.  And including Virata’s general slain before, the slaughtered Sutas numbered one hundred and six.  And beholding that exceedingly wonderful feat, men and women that assembled together, were filled with astonishment.  And the power of speech, O Bharata, was suspended in every one.’”

SECTION XXIV

“Vaisampayana said, ’And beholding the Sutas slain, the citizens went to the king, and represented unto him what had happened, saying, ’O king, those mighty sons of the Sutas have all been slain by the Gandharvas.  Indeed, they lie scattered on the earth like huge peaks of mountains riven by thunder.  Sairindhri also, having been set free, returneth to thy palace in the city.  Alas, O king, if Sairindhri cometh, thy entire kingdom will be endangered.  Sairindhri is endued with great beauty; the Gandharvas also here exceedingly powerful.  Men again, without doubt, are naturally sexual.  Devise, therefore, O king, without delay, such means that in consequence of wrongs done to Sairindhri, thy kingdom may not meet with destruction.’  Hearing those words of theirs, Virata, that lord of