Vaishampayana said : Having heard the words of Yudhishthira, those foremost of men headed by Bhimasena rose up in great delight.

O descendant of Bharata, those great carwarriors then put on impenetrable armours that were a decked with gold.

They armed themselves with celestials weapons of various kinds. Thus armed, they ascended the cars furnished with flag-staffs with bows and arrows in their hands. The Pandavas looked like so many blazing fires.

Those foremost of car-warriors, riding on those well-furnished cars drawn by fleet horses, went to the place where the Gandharvas were) without the least delay.

Thereupon, the Kuru soldiers sent up a very loud shout. O seeing the great car-warriors the sons of Pandu going to fight with the Gandharvas). Those rangers of the sky (Gandharvas), the great car-warriors, were flushed with victory. Those warriors, the Pandavas, fearlessly encountered one other in the forest.

The Gandharvas, seeing the four sons of Pandu coming to battle on their cars, all turned son back towards the advancing combatants. Seeing the Pandavas looking like the blazing Lokapalas, those dwellers of Gandhamadana (Gandharva) were inflamed with anger and they stood in battle array.

In accordance with the command of the greatly intelligent of Dharma, Yudhishthira, O descendant of Bharata, the battle that took place was but a skirmish.

But the foolish minded soldiers of the Gandharva chief were seen by that chastiser of foes Savyasachi (Arjuna) that they could not be by means of a light skirmish made to understand what was good for them. He thus spoke to those rangers of the sky in these conciliatory words, “Let off my brother, the king Duryodhana.”

Having been thus addressed by that illustrious Pandava, the Gandharvas laughed aloud. They thus replied to Partha,

"O child, there is that one whose command we obey and living under whose rule we pass our days being free from all miseries. O descendant of Bharata, we always act as that person commands us.”

Having been thus addressed by the Gandharvas in these words, the son of Kunti, Dhananjaya, thus replied to the Gandharvas in these words,

"This contact with other females and this fight with men are not proper for the Gandharva king.

Therefore let off all these mighty sons of Dhritarashtra. Let off also these ladies at the command of Dharmaraja (Yudhishthira).

O Gandharva, if you do not set the sons of Dhritarashtra free in peace, I shall certainly rescue Duryodhana by my prowess.

Having said this, the son of Pritha Savyasachi Dhananjaya (Arjuna) hurled a shower of sky-ranging and sharp arrows on those sky-rangers.

Thus attacked, those greatly powerful Gandharvas then rushed on the Pandavas and showered on them innumerable arrows. The Pandavas also in their turn attacked those dwellers of heaven. O descendant of Bharata, then a very fearful battle was fought between the active and energetic Gandharvas and the impetuous Pandavas.