ABSTRACT
At this happy time, Chakri, the Mover of Time learnt of the arrival of Ashvatthama, the incomparable hero. To avoid any grief, he had Dhrishtadhyumna, Shikhandi, Chekitana, Yudhamanyu, Uttamauja, Shrutasoma and the other Pandava sons watch over the camp, sending them to Hastinapura with elephants, arrows, chariots and infantry. The Blue-limbed One took the five Pandavas to the Nila mountain, home of wild animals, lotuses, fish, lilies and white lotuses. Meanwhile, Bhishma informed Ashvatthama of the repose of the Kaurava lord. Ashvatthama2 arrived in a rage: Dark throated with the crescent moon on his head a fiery third eye, bow in hand, bearing a bull on his flag, accompanied by Kripa and Kritavarma 266kanatkanakatāmaram dhavaḷacāmaram kaygaḷoḷ manam calise māsi tāṟida kuruḷgaḷum tanna bi nnanirda mogadin tavildire vilāsamum munde kaṇ ḍan alli kamaḷākṣiyan vṛṣabhalakṣaṇan lakṣmiyan 3 antu kumbhasambhavasambhavan kamalanābhana hṛdaya bhavanāmṛtābdhi sambhaveyan kaṇḍu-nīnārge ettaṇindam bande ellige pōdape endu besagoḷe – amṛtapayōthanade puṭṭiden abjavanāntarāḷadoḷ ramiyisi padmanābhanuradoḷ nelasirpa mahānubhāveyān kamalaeyen innegam kurumahīpatiyoḷ nelasirden īgaḷu ttamapuruśōttaman besase pāṇḍavaroḷ nelasalke pādapen 4 embudum drāṇanandanan nārāyaṇan besase pādapen enda lakṣmiya mātan avadhārisi muguḷnagenakku – caḷamatiyāde nīn jaḍadhisambhaveyappudarin sarājasaṅ kuḷarajadinde nīn poredu rājasadoḷ nelasirpe gāvugā daḷavaḻidirda kṛṣṇanoḍaniṟdudarindame gāviyādeya ggaḷada vivēkamilla ninagettaṟivā puruṣāntaraṅgaḷā 5 kali pandeyendu bageyade kulajan kulahīnan endu bageyade taruṇan sale vṛddhan endu bageyade nelasuve ninnim nikṛṣṭarembarumoḷarē 6 267Lotus-eyed Lakshmi appeared before the Bearer of the Bull Flag in a resplendent golden lotus, a white flywhisk in both hands but distressed, her hair filthy and in disarray, speechless and ungraceful.3 3
