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492
MAHABHARATA

was like that of an elephant in rut. Possessed of a face handsome as the tull-moon, and of a voice deep as the sound of the drum or the clouds, he was equal unto Krishna in bravery and energy, in beauty and in features. The auspicious Panchali also, from her five husbands, obtained five soos all of whom were heroes of the foremost rank and immovable in battle like the hills. Partivindhya by Yudhishthira, Sutasoma by Vrikodora, Srutakarman by Arjuna, Satanika by Nakula, and Srutasena by Sabadeva,-these were the five heroes and great warriors that Panchali brought forth, like Aditi bringing forth the Adityas. And the Brahmanas, from their fore knowledge, said unto Yudhishthira that, as the son of his would be capable of bearing like the Vindhya mountains the weapons of the foe, he should be called Prati. vindhya. And because the child that Draupadi bore to Bhimasepa was born after Bhima had performed a thousand Soma sacrifices, he came to be called Sutasoma. And because Arjuna's son was born upon his return from exile during which he had achieved many celebrated feats, that child came to be called Srutakarman. While Nakula named his son Satanika after a royal sage of that name, in the illustrious race of Kuru. Again the son that Draupadi bore to Sahadeva was born under the constellation called Vahni-daivata (Kirtika), therefore was he called after the generalissimo of the celestial host, Srutasena (Kartikeya). The sons of Draupadi were born, each at the interval of one year, and all of them became renowned and much attached to one another. And. O monarch, all their rites of intancy and childhood, such as Chudakarana and Upanyana (first shave of the head and investiture with the sacred threads) were performed by Dhaumya according to the ordinance. All of them, of excellent behaviour and vows, after having studied the Vedas, acquired from Arjuna a knowledge of all the weapons celestials and human. And, O tiger among kings, the Pandavas, having obtained sons all of whom were equal unto the children of the celestials and endued with broad chests, and all of whom became great warriors, were filled with joy."

Thus ends the two hundred and twenty-third section in the Haranaharana Parva of the Adi Parva.