Sahadeva set forth upon his southern march with the calm confidence of a prince destined to triumph. First, he subdued Sumithra, Surasena, Danthavaktra, and the Yavana chiefs, then the lords of Gosrungagiri and Kunthibhoja, who bowed before him in homage to the Pandava name. Thereafter, he challenged Jambhaka, son of Bhuribala and foe to Sri Krishna, and vanquished him in stern combat. On the banks of the Narmada, he crushed the Avanti brothers, Vinda and Anuvinda, and at Mahishmati, he faced the valiant Neela, a warrior of unbending courage, who met him in a fierce and flaming contest. Then, to the amazement of all, a sudden blaze of fire—Agni himself—fell upon Sahadeva’s elephants, chariots, horses, and soldiers.
Janamejaya, startled by this strange calamity, inquired of the sage Vyāsampāyana the cause of Agni’s wrath. The sage unfolded an ancient tale. Long ago in the Nishada line, there ruled a king of Mahishmati. Agni, then dwelling there in the guise of a Brahmin student of the Vedas, unwittingly entered the company of another’s wife. Brought before the court for judgment and condemned to punishment, he was seized by shame. Casting aside his mortal form, he revealed his own blazing majesty. King Nishada, struck with awe and trembling in fear, bent low and cried, “O mighty one, pardon my ignorance!” Agni, appeased, offered him a boon. The king asked that if ever a mighty foe should invade Mahishmati, Agni’s own flames might consume the enemy’s pride. Agni granted the wish, but in return sought a favor: that the women of that realm, given to amorous pursuits, should never be punished by the throne. From that day the custom endured; no ruler dared censure them for fear of Agni’s fire. It was in fulfillment of that ancient pact that the god now encircled Sahadeva’s host.
But the Pandava prince, undaunted, purified himself with holy waters, spread the sacred grass, and in flawless Vedic cadence chanted the hymn of Agni. “O friend of Vāyu, purifier of the worlds,” he prayed, “thou art the very heart of sacrifice and the essence of Dharma. The Rajasuya of the virtuous Dharmaja is undertaken in righteousness—why then shouldst thou hinder this great work?” Pleased with the purity of his invocation, Agni withdrew his blazing fury and spared the army.
Neela, heir of the Nishada kings, came forth in humble reverence, bowed before Sahadeva and offered rich tributes. The prince moved onward to Saurashtra, dispatching envoys to Rukmi, Bhishmaka, and the lords of Surparaka and Dandaka, who likewise honoured him with gifts. He sailed across the sea to subdue the island rulers—Nishada, Purushada, Ekapada, Kalamukha, Karnapravarana—kings of demon and ghostly race. Ramasaila, Kolasaila, Tamradeepa, and Samjayanthi yielded their exotic treasures and pledged allegiance to Indraprastha. Thence he passed through Talavana, Pandya, Kerala, Kalinga, Dravida, Yavana, and Karnataka, where all the kings bowed and offered tribute.
At length, he reached the southern ocean and sent word to Vibhishana, the noble son of Pulastya and grandson of Brahma. “Dharmaja, scion of virtue, prepares the Rajasuya; let thy blessings and tributes grace this rite.” Vibhishana obeyed with joy, sending gems, sandalwood, pearls and precious works of art, and blessed the Pandavas in their sacred enterprise. Sahadeva, wise in counsel and swift in action, tempered force with prudence—where persuasion served, he spoke gently; where defiance rose, he fought like a lion. His keen intelligence and steady grasp of circumstance raised his campaign to the very height of warlike strategy.
Meanwhile, Nakula rode westward with the fury of the storm. His fourfold host advanced like the roaring of the ocean—the trumpeting of elephants, the neighing of steeds, the thunder of chariots. He stormed Mahithaka ruled by Mahasena, Dattaka under King Mayuka, and the realms of Sudra, Maru, Malava, Barbara, Karbara and Dasarna. The Yadava tribes of the Pushkara forest and the scattered clans along Saraswati and Sindhu bowed to his might. He conquered Panchanada and the land of Amara and sent word even to Sri Krishna of his approach.
At Sakalapura he sought the blessings of his maternal uncle, King Salya of Madra, who embraced him with affection and bestowed immense wealth. He smote the wild Kirathas on the western coast and gathered tributes so vast that endless trains of camels and mules could scarce bear them away.
Thus from the four quarters the Pandava brothers returned, each triumphant, each laden with treasures beyond reckoning. The wealth of Dharmaja rivalled the stores of Varuna and Kubera. He decreed that the riches be guarded and spent only in accord with the ancient code of kingship and the ordinances of the scriptures. The first and hardest step toward the great Rajasuya sacrifice stood fulfilled on a scale magnificent; the Pandavas, now masters of immeasurable wealth and firmly allied with friend and vassal alike, had laid the solid foundation of a power that would shape the destiny of their realm and secure the welfare of their people.
