“Vaishampaayana continued, ‘O king (Janamejaya), one year after this
has happened, Dhritarashtra, moved by kindness for the people, installed
Yudhishthira, the Pandava, as the heir-apparent (Yuvaraja) of the kingdom on account of his firmness,
bravery, patience, kindness, frankness and unshakeable honesty (of heart). Within a short time Yudhishthira, the Kaunteya
(son of Kunti), by his good
behaviour, manners and close application to business, overshadowed the actions
of his father (Pandu). The second
Pandava, Vrikodara (Bhimasena),
began to receive continued lessons from Shankarshana (Balarama – Sri
Krishna’s elder brother) in encounters
with the sword, the mace (Gada in Hindi) and on the chariot. After Bhima's education was finished, he became in
strength like to Dyumatsena (King Dyumatsena is a Shaalwa king and is the
father of Satyavaan; Satyavaan weds the Madra princess Savitri) himself and continuing to live in harmony
with his brothers, he began to exert his skills. Arjuna became celebrated for
the firmness of his grasp (of weapons),
for his lightness of motion, precision of aim, and his proficiency in the use
of the Kshura, Naracha, Vala and Vipatha weapons, and indeed of all weapons,
whether straight or twisted or heavy. Drona certified that there was none in
the world who was equal to Arjuna in lightness of hand and general proficiency.
“One day, Drona addressing Arjuna before the assembled
Kaurava princes said, ‘There was a disciple of (Maharishi)
Agastya in Dhanurveda called Agnivesha.
He was my Guru and I, his disciple. By merit of Tapas, I obtained from him a
weapon called Brahmashira which could never be fruitless and which was like to Vajra
itself, capable of consuming the whole earth. O Bharata (Arjuna), that weapon from what I have done, may
now pass from disciple to disciple. While giving it to me, my Guru (Agnivesha) said, ‘O son of Bharadwaja (Drona), never you should hurl this weapon at any
human being, especially at one who is of poor energy.’ O hero (Veera in
Sanskrit), you have obtained that divine
weapon. None else deserves it. But obey the command of the Rishi (Agnivesha). Look here, Arjuna, give me now the fee (Guru
Dakshina in Sanskrit) in the presence of
these your cousins and relatives.’
“When Arjuna, on hearing this, pledged his word that
he would give what the Guru demanded, the latter (Drona) said, ‘O sinless one (Arjuna), you must fight with me when I fight with you.’
That bull among the Kuru princes (Arjuna) immediately pledged his word to Drona and touching his feet, went away
northward. Then there arose a loud shout covering the whole earth bounded by
her belt of seas to the effect that there was no bowman in the whole world like
to Arjuna. Indeed Dhananjaya (Arjuna),
in encounters with the mace (Gada in Hindi), the sword, on the chariot as also with the bow, acquired wonderful
proficiency. Sahadeva obtained the whole science of Dharma and duties from (Brihaspati) the Deva Guru, and continued to live under
the control of his brothers. Nakula, the favourite of his brothers taught by
Drona, became known as a skilful warrior and a great chariot-warrior (Ati-ratha
in Sanskrit). Indeed, Arjuna and the
other Pandava princes became so powerful that they slew in battle the great
Sauvira who had performed a yagna extending over three years, unafraid by the
raids of Gandharvas. The king of the Yavanas himself whom the powerful Pandu
had failed to bring under subjection was brought by Arjuna under control. Then
again Vipula, the king of the Sauviras, endued with great skills, who had
always shown a disregard for the Kurus, was made by the intelligent Arjuna to
feel the edge of his power. Arjuna also oppressed by means of his arrows (the
pride of) king Sumitra of Sauvira, also
known by the name of Dattamitra who had purposefully sought an encounter with
him (Arjuna). The third of the
Pandava princes (Arjuna), assisted
by Bhima, on only a single chariot subjugated all the kings of the East backed
by ten thousand chariots. In the same way, having conquered on a single chariot
the whole of the south, Dhananjaya (Arjuna) sent to the kingdom of the Kurus a large gains.
“Thus
did those foremost of men, the illustrious Pandavas, conquering the territories
of other kings, extend the limits of their own kingdom. But seeing the great skills and strength of those mighty bowmen, king
Dhritarashtra's sentiments towards the Pandavas became suddenly poisoned, and
from that day the monarch (Dhritarashtra) became so anxious that he could hardly
sleep.’”
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