01.178
Core-Pancharatra: Several kings cannot string the bow.
Vaiśampāyana said.
The young men, adorned with earrings, assembled together, each competing with one another. Thinking themselves possessed of weapons and strength, all of them rose up, filled with pride.
By their form, strength, lineage, righteousness, and youth, prosperous and proud, broken by the force of intoxication, they are intoxicated just like the lordly elephants of the Himalayas.
They looked at each other with rivalry, their bodies agitated by resolve; saying, "This Kṛṣṇā is mine," they suddenly rose from the royal seats.
Those warriors, assembled in the arena and eager to win Drupada's daughter, shone like the hosts of gods gathered around Uma, the daughter of the mountain king.
Afflicted by the arrows of love, the kings, their hearts drawn by Kṛṣṇa, entered the arena for Drupada's daughter; there, even friends became enemies.
Then the hosts of gods arrived in their aerial cars: Rudras, Ādityas, Vasus, the Aśvins, Sādhyas, and all the Maruts likewise, with Yama and the lord of wealth at their head.
The Daityas, Suparṇas, and great serpents; the divine sages, Guhyakas, and Āraṇas; Viśvāvasu, Nārada, and Parvata; and the chief Gandharvas together with the Apsarases (celestial nymphs) were present.
Halāyudha (Balarāma), Keśava (Kṛṣṇa), and the chief Vṛṣṇis and Andhakas assembled there; as leaders, they observed the scene. The foremost of the Yadus stood firm, acting according to Kṛṣṇa's counsel.
Seeing the Pāṇḍavas, who appeared like intoxicated lordly elephants, five like lotuses, like lordly elephants, with bodies covered in ashes like fire-gods, Kṛṣṇa, the foremost of the Yadus, contemplated them.
He praised Rāma, Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīma, Arjuna, and the heroic twins. Then, after slowly observing them, Rāma saw Janārdana (Kṛṣṇa) with a pleased heart.
But others—various kings, their sons and grandsons—whose eyes, minds, and natures were darkened, saw her wandering, displaying coppery faces with bitten lips.
In the same way, the sons of Pṛthā, broad-armed and heroic, the two sons of Yama, men of great dignity, when they saw Draupadī at that moment, all were struck as if by Cupid's arrows.
That place was crowded with divine sages and gandharvas, enjoyed by Garuḍa, nāgas, asuras, and siddhas. It was also filled with divine fragrance and was being strewn with divine garlands.
The sky was filled with great sounds and the beating of drums; it became crowded with aerial cars, and everywhere resounded with the music of flutes, lutes, and drums.
Then, O king, those groups of kings, one after another, striving for the sake of Kṛṣṇa, were not able, even with force, to string that bow endowed with strength.
The kings, striding forward with firm but quivering bows, were dragged and struggled on the ground; dejected and with broken spirits, they were seen.
The field resounded with cries of distress caused by the firm bow; armlets and earrings were crushed and broken. Because of Kṛṣṇa, the kings' emotions subsided; then the circle of kings was afflicted.
But in that assembly, when the kings had set aside their arguments and confusion prevailed, Kuntī's heroic son Arjuna, the conqueror, desired to act; he strung his bow with an arrow.
