And, O foremost of Kurus, seeing those articles of
his thus carried away, the Brahmana, anxious on account of his
_Agnihotra_, quickly came before the Pandavas. And approaching without
loss of time Ajatasatru seated in that forest with his brothers, the
Brahmana, in great distress, spake these words, 'As a deer was butting
about, it happened, O king, that my fire-sticks and churning staff which
had been placed against a large tree stuck fast to its antlers. O king,
that powerful deer of exceeding fleetness hath speedily gone out of the
hermitage with long bounds, taking those articles away. Tracking that
powerful deer, O king, by its foot-prints, do ye, ye sons of Pandu,
bring back those articles of mine, so that my _Agnihotra_ may not be
stopped!' Hearing these words of the Brahmana, Yudhishthira became
exceedingly concerned. And the son of Kunti taking up his bow sallied
out with his brothers. And putting on their corselets and equipped with
their bows, those bulls among men, intent upon serving the Brahmana,
swiftly sallied out in the wake of the deer. And descrying the deer at
no great distance, those mighty warriors discharged at it barbed arrows
and javelins and darts, but the sons of Pandu could not pierce it by any
means. And as they struggled to pursue and slay it, that powerful deer
became suddenly invisible. And losing sight of the deer, the
noble-minded sons of Pandu, fatigued and disappointed and afflicted with
hunger and thirst, approached a banian tree in that deep forest, and sat
down in its cool shade.
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