1 Terrible carnage.
2 The utter rout of
3 the Kurus.
4 Tho Panjib con-
5 querel by the
6 Pandus,
7 The Panjab noted
8 for its noble steeds,
9 Pourscyyers to the fact that,
10 34 HISTORY OF THE PANJAR.
11 with the dead, The “harnessed elephants” became unmanageable, and, in
12 their fury, dragged the warriors from their chariots. The contending
13 armies poured showers of arrows upon each other, the painted shields of
14 hide were perforated, and the warriors engaged in a hand-to-hand fight, like
15 “ maddened tigers.” The battle raged with great fury for eighteen days, and
16 the result was the total defeat of the Kurds. All their great generals,
17 including the veteran soldier, Bhishma, were slain and their army aunt-
18 hilated, The victors shouted, and blew their horns for joy. Immense
19 treasures in gold, silver, precious stones, rich stuffs, skins and slave girls fell
20 into their hands. The vanquished and aged king, Dhritarashtra, retired into
21 the forests of the Ganges, with his wife Gandhari, and there perished in the
22 flames. The Pandts made their triumphant entry into Hastinaptir, where
23 Yudishtir, having seated himself on the throne, received the homage of the
24 conquered kings. A great sacrifice of horses was offered in which all the
25 allied princes took part. Arjuna then conquered for Yudishtir the
26 Sindhavas, or regions of the Indus, and the Gandharas (Kandahar), the
27 country beyond that river. Yudishtir reigned for thirty-six years and
28 then died.
29 Such is the story of the Mahdbhdrata, or ‘Great War.” At the con-
30 clusion of the epic we are told: “ What the Brahmin is to the rest of
31 mankind, the cow to other quadrupeds, the ocean to the pool, such is the
32 Mahdbhérata in comparison with all other histories.”* Readers and hearers
33 of this book are said to have their home in heaven and all their sins are
34 forgiven.
35 In the Dkammapadam, an ancient hook on Hindu law, mention is made
36 of the “noble Sindhu horses.” The horses bred on the banks of the Indus
37 were considered the best in India. The Rdmdyana mentions the nation of
38 the Kaikeyas, occupying the upper course of the Iravati (Ravi) and Vipasa
39 (Bias). The King of the Kaikeyas was known by the title Asvapati, or the
40 “Lord of Horses.” He flourished in the fourth century B.c., and his metro-
41 polis is called Girivraja in the Rémdyana. On the left bank of the Indus
42 was the greatcity of Taxila, invaded in the same century by Alexander of
43 Macedon. The laws of the Brahmins prevailed in those regions, and the duty
44 of executing criminals and burying the dead was performed by the Chandalas,
45 or aborigines.
46 ‘The Brahmins of the Ganges looked on the people of the Panjab,
47 their ancient home, with scorn, They called them Palihuas, i.¢., “ excluded,”
48 ae ee a eae “Their women,” said they, “ wandered through
49 With, pe S a no adorned with garlands, intoxicated and undraped.
50 These ies ee the es of horses, they run to the bathing places.
51 of the Brant ae melts much exaggerated and show the arrogance
52 link oe a as 2 He Ganges, who thus wished to ignore the common
53 achodnts oi cent ie ves aud the Hindu tribes of the Panjab. All the
54 given of the Panjab by Western writers unite in bearing testimony
55 Brahwain. philosooh in the second half of the third century B.., the
56 Th, philosophy was predominant in the country of the five rivers.
57 1€ country was thickly inhabited. It was divided into 2 number of
58 principalities governed by warlike princes and noble families, There were
59 pe neat rae of cantons and chiefs of cities and districts. ‘There were
60 also free nations possessing f
61 7 * ortified towns, and they could alone bring armies
62 - aa into the field. They possessed cities in’ which 70,000 wer could
63 “ept prisoners of war. Both the princes and the free nations possessed
64 phe et
65 St a a a a ig ee ee
66 * Duncker,
67 Sri Satguru J agjit Singh Ji eLibrary NamdhariElibrary@ gmail.com