Myths of the Hindus & Buddhists

"The Contestthe arena and crowded together to the testing-spot, it wassaid by some that they saw the gods themselves ontheir heavenly chariots mingling in the concourse. Oneafter another, with hearts beating high, under the eyes ofDrupada, in the blaze of the world and covered with glory,the candidates went forward to the shooting-place. Andsome with swelling lips and straining muscles labouredlong to string that bow, and one after another, with crownsloosened and garlands torn, had to desist without success,being tossed to the ground by the resistance of the weapon.Then Kama, seeing the mortification of his friends andeager to show the glory of the knighthood, stepped forward quickly to the place of the bow. And seeing him,five seeming Brahmans amongst the spectators drew intheir breath and gave the princess up for lost, for theyhad no manner of doubt that Kama could string the bowof Drupada.But as her eyesfell on the hero the princess exclaimed incold tones of disdain :I will not wed the son of acharioteer!" And hearing her, Kama smiled somewhatbitterly, glanced up at the sun, and cast aside the bow,already drawn to a circle.And now when the last of the monarchs was making hisattempt, and their uniform failure was being discussedhotly by the spectators, Arjuna, with his deer-skin rug, hismatted locks, and his sacred thread, rose from amongstthe crowd of Brahmans seated as onlookers on the outskirts of the arena and stepped forward to the shootingdais.Loud murmurs, some of approvaland some ofand leftdisapproval, rose from the Brahmans to rightof him as he did so. For, regarding him as one of themselves, they took his movement for the most part as oneof mere childish restlessness which would bring disgraceK 145