ARJUNAKA . A hunter. Dharmaputra was called to his side by Bhīṣma his body torn by arrows in fight and he felt very sad and sorry to see Bhīṣma in that state. To console Dharmaputra Bhīṣma related a story and this hunter was one of the characters in the story. The story may be summarised as follows:— Once, the son of an old Brahmin woman Gautamī, died on account of snake-bite. A hunter caught and brought before Gautamī the snake. His object was to kill it immediately. But the serpent proved its innocence by pleading that it bit the boy impelled and prompted by Death. At once death (mṛtyu) appeared on the scene and explained that it was prompted by the God of Death. And, it was the child who was responsible for the cause of death, and Gautamī was the cause for the birth of the child. Ultimately Gautamī herself assumed responsibility for the sin. Bhīṣma consoled Dharma- putra by telling that as in the case of Gautamī in the story, the cause for every effect was the chain of Karma. (M.B., Anuśāsana Parva, Chapter 1).