He is your brother-in-law and your friend, and you are as dear to him as life itself. His affection for you is unmatched, and your friendship with him is firmly established. Between you and him, there will never be battle, not even in jest; indeed, once before, for your sake, he was urged by Shakra himself. Growing up in Gokula, because of Nanda the cowherd, my portion—best among men, O Pandava—has appeared on earth. The illustrious Arjuna, younger brother of the sons of Kunti and mighty in valor, will aid you in removing the burden of the earth. Therefore, for this purpose, grant him fearlessness and protect him for our sake, O Lord. Thus did Shakra speak to Phalguna, O lotus-eyed one. Then, the glorious bearer of the conch, discus, and mace replied, “I know the son of my father’s sister, born in the Pandava line, O Partha. He is supremely righteous, the best among all wielders of weapons. I will protect that portion of you, the mighty-armed one, lord of all worlds. There will not be, in this world, a friendship like ours. Whoever is devoted to him is equally devoted to me; whoever hates him, hates me as well. What is mine is his; without him, I would not live.” Thus, O Partha, did Hari, the Lord of all, speak to Shakra long ago. Therefore, there will not be, in this world, a man equal or superior to him; take refuge in him alone. Janardana, the god of gods, is the refuge of all beings. Having promised thus, the best of the Kurus bowed to Drona and, grasping his feet, Yudhishthira became submissive. By his own nature, the sound of Arjuna’s bow encircled the earth girdled by the ocean; in the world, there was no archer equal to Arjuna. In mace combat, sword fighting, and chariot warfare, the son of Pandu excelled; and Dhananjaya became accomplished in archery. Sahadeva, possessing all the wisdom of the king of the gods, mastered weapons, scriptures, and the arts of chariots, elephants, and horses, and became obedient to his brothers. Nakula, trained by Drona and beloved of his brothers, was renowned as a distinguished warrior and was called an atiratha. In the Gandharva conflict, Sauvira, who had performed sacrifices for three years, was slain in battle by the Pandavas led by Arjuna. Even the mighty Pandu could not subdue the king of the Yavanas, but Arjuna brought him under control. A man of great strength, always proud before the Kurus, named Vipula of Sauvira, was defeated by the wise Partha. In battle, Arjuna subdued with his irresistible arrows the resolute Sauvira named Sumitra, known as Dattamitra. With Bhimasena as his ally, Arjuna, alone on his chariot, conquered all the eastern kings and their ten thousand chariots in battle. Likewise, going alone on his chariot, Dhananjaya conquered the southern direction and brought great wealth to the Kuru kingdom. All this he accomplished in his fifteenth year; seeing this, fear arose among the sons of Dhritarashtra. Bhimasena, of mighty arms and foremost among the strong, subdued all the sons of Dhritarashtra by force. Though he was blameless in intent, the sons of Dhritarashtra, out of fear of Bhima’s deeds, found fault with him, their minds filled with malice. Seeing the Pandavas, marked by great deeds and excelling in strength and virtues, those of evil mind feared them. Thus, all the great-souled Pandavas, best among men, having conquered foreign kingdoms, prospered their own realm in former times. Then, recognizing the extraordinary strength of these mighty archers, King Dhritarashtra’s feelings toward the Pandavas suddenly soured; overwhelmed by anxiety, he could not sleep at night. Duryodhana, observing Bhimasena as dearer than life and Dhananjaya accomplished in all arts, was deeply troubled in mind. Then Karna, son of Vikartana, and Shakuni, son of Subala, sought to destroy the Pandavas by various means. The Pandavas, too, responded to all this as best they could, refraining from boasting, and abiding by Vidura’s counsel. The citizens, seeing the Pandava sons endowed with virtues, began to speak of their qualities among themselves, O Bharata. They spoke together in the squares and assemblies about the eldest Pandava’s attainment of the kingdom. “Dhritarashtra, the king, though wise, was blind; he had not previously obtained the kingdom, so how could he now become ruler? Similarly, Bhishma, son of Shantanu, steadfast in truth and great vows, had once renounced the kingdom and would never accept it. Therefore, let us anoint the eldest Pandava, young yet possessing the conduct of elders, who knows truth and compassion. He will honor Bhishma, son of Shantanu, and Dhritarashtra, the knower of dharma, along with his sons, with various enjoyments.” Hearing these words spoken by those devoted to Yudhishthira, Duryodhana, of evil mind, was greatly distressed. Tormented, wicked-hearted, he could not endure their words; burning with envy, he approached Dhritarashtra. Seeing his father alone, he paid his respects; afflicted by the citizens’ affection for the Pandavas, he then spoke as follows.