Sexual Life in Ancient India: A Study in the Comparative History of Indian Culture v1.c5.254

v1.c5.254

Now they climbed like foes (although they were friends) on to the stage, with their burning hearts set on Draupadī. Gods, spirits, and Ṛishis came to the spectacle. “These kings, adorned with crown, necklets, and many bracelets, broad-armed, endowed with strength and stout heart, these kings, each in his turn, bellowing with might and heroism, could not even in thought put the string on to this fast-set bow. These princes, wishful to show their heroic strength, were flung away by the backward-springing stark bow, although theirs was practice, skill, and method; they sought to rise from the ground with all their might, and, forsaken by their strength, stripped of their crowns and necklets that were fallen down, and panting, they gave up. The ring of princes was now in torturing distress, they uttered anguished cries; owing to this strong bow their necklets and rows of bracelets had slipped off, and their yearning for Kṛṣṇā was gone from them. When Karṇa thus saw all the kings, he, best among bow-drawers, went there, swiftly snatched up the bow from the ground, raised it and strung it, and set the arrows on it. So soon as the sons of Pāṇḍu, the bow-bearers, saw the Sūta (Karṇa), son of the sun, who had given a passionate promise (to accomplish the task), and excelled Agni, Soma, and the sun god, they deemed the splendid mark to be already pierced through and shot down onto the ground. But when Draupadī saw him, she spoke loud the words: ‘I will choose no Sūta.’ Looking up towards the sun with an angry laugh, Karṇa let drop the springing bow.” 1