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45. MATSYA DEFENDED
I shall put on armor and go in
a chariot and drive away your enemies.
Please instruct that your horse keeper
Dharmagranthi, your chief cook Valala,
and your stable herd Tantripala may also
get into chariots and help us. I have heard
that they are great fighters. Kindly give
orders that the necessary chariots and the
weapons may be given to us."
Delighted, Virata was only too willing to
accept the offer. The chariots were ready.
All the Pandavas excepting Arjuna went
out with the army of Virata to oppose
Susarma and his men.
A fierce fight ensued between the armies
of Virata and Susarma, with much loss of
life on both sides. Susarma attacked
Virata and surrounded his chariot,
compelling him to get down and fight on
foot.
Susarma captured Virata and held him
captive in his chariot. With the capture of
Virata, the army of Matsya lost heart and
began to scatter in all directions, when
Yudhishthira commanded Bhima to attack
Susarma and release Virata and rally the
scattered Matsya forces.
At these words of Yudhishthira, Bhima
was about to uproot a tree, but
Yudhishthira stopped him and said: "No
such tricks, please, and no battle cry or
your identity will be revealed. Fight like
anybody else from the chariot with your
bows and arrows."
Bhima accordingly got into the chariot
attacked the enemy, set Virata free and
captured Susarma. The dispersed forces of
Matsya rallied into new formations
charged and defeated the army of
Susarma.
As soon as the news of Susarma's defeat
reached the city, the people were
extremely jubilant. They decorated the
city and went forth to welcome their
victorious king back home.
When they were thus making preparations
to receive king Virata, the big army of
Duryodhana came down on them from the
north, and began despoiling the cattle
ranches on the outskirts of the city.
The Kaurava army marched in force and
rounded up the countless cows that were
there. The leader of the cowherds ran to
the city and said to the prince Uttara: "O
prince, the Kauravas are marching on,
robbing us of our cows. King Virata has
gone south to fight against the Trigarta.
We are in consternation as there is no one
to protect us.
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