Arjuna Conquers the Northern Mountains and Kingdoms

Protected by Kubera, the lord of riches, Arjuna turned his army north. The sound that moved with them was immense: the thunder of supreme war-drums, the clatter of a thousand chariot wheels, the ground-shaking roar of elephants. His mission was to bring the mountains and their kings under his brother Yudhishthira’s sway. He began with the mountains themselves — the inner ranges, the outer ranges, the highest peaks — conquering them and the kings who ruled there, extracting their wealth and their loyalty. With these new forces added to his own, he marched on Kuluta, where the young King Brihanta ruled. Brihanta came out from his city with his entire fourfold army to meet the invader. The battle was great, but Brihanta could not withstand Arjuna’s valour. Realizing he could not be beaten, the mountain lord — whose intelligence, the text notes, was limited — surrendered and brought all his riches to Arjuna. Having secured Kuluta, Arjuna moved swiftly. He threw Senabindu out of his own kingdom. He subjugated Modapura, Vamadeva, Sudamana, Susamkula and the northern Kulutas. He brought all these men under Dharmaraja Yudhishthira’s rule, then conquered five more countries. He established a base at Divahprastha, Senabindu’s great capital, and from there marched against King Vishvagashva Pourava. After conquering the brave mountain warriors in battle, he used his flag-bearing troops to subjugate Pourava’s city. With Pourava vanquished, Arjuna defeated the seven mountain-dwelling dacoit tribes known as Utsavasamketa. The campaign became a relentless procession of conquest. The valorous kshatriyas from Kashmir and Lohita fell before him, defeated by ten encircling armies. The Trigartas, the Darvas, the Kokanadas and many other kshatriyas who attacked him collectively were taken on and overcome. He conquered the charming city of Abhisari and defeated in battle Rochamana, who lived in Urasha. He took beautiful Simhapure, which was protected by Chitrayudhasura. Kiriti — Arjuna, the crowned one — then conquered the Suhmas and the Cholas with his entire army. He turned his supreme valour on Bahlika; they were difficult to defeat, and a great battle ensued before they too were subdued. Taking a select force, Arjuna defeated the Daradas and the Kambojas. He defeated the bandits who lived towards the north-east and those who lived in the forests. He subjugated the Lohas, the superior Kambojas and the northern Rishikas. The battle against the Rishikas was fearful, compared in the text to the cosmic battle known as tarakamaya. After defeating them on the field, Arjuna extracted from them a tribute of extraordinary horses: eight with the colour of a parrot’s breast, others with the colours of peacocks, and still others that bore both colours. Having thus conquered in battle the Himalaya and Nishkuta Mountains, the bull among men arrived at the white mountains. He had secured the entire northern quarter, its vast wealth and its fierce kings, for his brother’s coming Rajasuya. And there, amid the conquered peaks, Arjuna took up residence.