ORIENTAL SERIES.

i88 MAHA-BHARA TA.
agreed to act as charioteer of his especial friend Arjuna. It was
in this capacity that he is represented to have spoken the divine
song Bhagavad-glta, when the rival armies were drawn up for
battle at Kuru-kshetra, a plain north of Delhi. Many battles
follow. The army of Dur-yodhana is commanded in. succession
by his great-uncle Bhishma, Drowa his military preceptor, Kama,
king of Anga, and $alya, king of Madra and brother of Madri.
Bhishma was wounded by Arjuna, but survived for a time. All
the others fell in succession, and at length only three of the
Kuru warriors Kripa, Aswatthaman, and Knta-varma were
left alive with Dur-yodhana. Bhlrna and Dur-yodhana fought in
single combat with maces, and Dur-yodhana had his thigh broken
and was mortally wounded. The three surviving Kauravas fell
by night upon the camp of the Pamfovas and destroyed five
children of the Pandavas, and all the army except the five bro-
thers themselves. These five boys were sons of Draupadi, one
by
each of the five brothers. Yudhi-shtfhira's son was Prati-
vindhya, Bhima's was $rata-soma, Arjuna's was /Sruta-kirtti,
Nakula's was $atan!ka, and Saha-deva's was /Sruta-karman.
Yudhi-shftiira and his brothers then went to Hastina-pura, and
after a reconciliation with Dhn'ta-rashfra, Yudhi-sMiira was
crowned there. But he was greatly depressed and troubled at
the loss of kindred and friends. Soon after he was seated on
the throne, the Aswa-medha sacrifice was performed with great
ceremony, and the Pa^davas lived in peace and prosperity.
The old blind king Dhrita-rashfra could not forget or forgive
the loss of his sons, and mourned especially for Dur-yodhana.
Bitter reproaches and taunts passed between him and Bhlma ;
at length he, with his wife Gandharl, with Kunti, mother of
the Pa?^avas, and with some of his ministers, retired to a
hermitage in the woods, where, after two years' residence, they
perished in a forest fire. Deep sorrow and remorse seized
upon the Paraavas, and after a while Yudhi-shifhira abdicated
his throne and departed with his brothers to the Himalayas, in
order to reach the heaven of Indra on Mount Meru. A dog
followed them from Hastina-pura. The story of this journey is
full of grandeur and tenderness, and has been most effectively
rendered into English by Professor Goldstucker. Sins and
moral defects now prove fatal to the pilgrims. First fell Drau-
padi : "too great was her love for Arjuna." Next Saha-deva:
"he esteemed none equal to himself." Then Nakula : "ever