Text 269
mahatā hi prayatnena
hasty-aśva-ratha-pattibhiḥ
asmābhir yad anuṣṭheyaṁ
gandharvais tad anuṣṭhitam
mahatā — very great; hi — certainly; prayatnena — by endeavor; hasti — elephants; aśva — horses; ratha — chariots; pattibhiḥ — and by infantry soldiers; asmābhiḥ — by ourselves; yat — whatever; anuṣṭheyam — has to be arranged; gandharvaiḥ — by the Gandharvas; tat — that; anuṣṭhitam — done.
“ ‘What we have had to arrange with great endeavor by collecting elephants, horses, chariots and infantry soldiers has already been accomplished by the Gandharvas.’
This is a quotation from the Mahābhārata (Vana-parva 241.15). Bhīmasena made this statement when all the Pāṇḍavas were living in exile in the forest. At that time there was a fight between the Kauravas and the Gandharvas. The Kaurava soldiers were under the command of Karṇa, but the commander-in-chief of the Gandharvas was able to arrest all the Kauravas by virtue of superior military strength. At that time Duryodhana’s ministers and commanders requested Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira to help. After being thus petitioned, Bhīmasena spoke the verse given above, remembering Duryodhana’s former nefarious and atrocious activities against them. Indeed, Bhīmasena felt it very fitting that Duryodhana and his company were arrested. This could have been accomplished by the Pāṇḍavas only with great endeavor.