of hand). Indeed, in weapons as in devotion to his preceptor, he became the foremost of them all. And amongst all the princes, Arjuna alone became an Aliratha (a car-warrior capable of fighting at one time with sixty thousand foes). And the wicked sons of Dhritarashtra, beholding Bhimasena endued with great strength and Arjuna accomplished in all arms, became very jealous of them.
"O bull among men one day Drona desirous of testing the comparative excellence of all his pupils in the use of arms, collected them all together after their education had been completed. And before assembling them together, he had caused an artificial bird, as the would be aim, to be placed on the top of a neighbouring tree. And when they were all together, Drona said unto them,-"Take up your bows quickly and stand here aiming at that bird on the tree, with arrows fixed on your bowstrings: shoot and cut off the bird's head, as soon as I give the order. I shall give each of you a turn, one by one, my children."
Vaisampayana continued, "Then Drona, that foremost of all Angira's sons first addressed Yudhishthira saying. 'O irrepressible one, aim with thy arrow' and shoot as soon as I give the order. Yudhishthira took up the bow first, as desired, o king, by his preceptor, and stood aiming at the bird. But, O bull of Bharata's race. Drona in an instant, addressing the Kuru prince standing with bow in hand, said-'Behold. O prince, that bird on the top of the tree.' Yudhishthira replied unto his preceptor, saying, 'I do. But the instant after, Drona again asked him.-'What dost thou see now, O prince? Seest thou the tree, myself or thy brothers ?' Yudhishthria answered.-'I see the tree, myself, my brothers, and the bird! Drona repeated his question, but was answered as often in the same words. Drona then, vexed with Yudhishthira, reproachingly told him.-'Stand thou apart. It is not for thee to strike ithe aim.' Then Drona repeated the experiment with Duryyodhana and the other sons of Dhritarashtra, one after another, as also with his other pupils, Bhima and the rest, including the princes that had come unto him from other lands. But the answer in every case was the same as Yudhishtbira's viz., (We behold the tree. thyself, our fellow-pupils, and the bird). And reproached by their preceptor, they were all ordered, one after another, to stand apart.
Thus ends the hundred and thirty-fourth section in the Sambhava Parva of the Adi Parva.
