“Akritavrana said, ’Thy journey to this spot is already known to Rama, whose soul spontaneously knows everything.  And he is in every way well-pleased with thee, and he will show himself readily to thee.  And the saints who practise penances here, are permitted to see him on the fourteenth and the eighth day of the lunar course.  On the morrow at the end of this very night there will set in the fourteenth day of the lunar course.  On that occasion thou wilt have a sight of him, clad in a sable deerskin, and wearing his hair in the form of a matted mass.’

“Yudhishthira said, ’Thou hast been a follower of the mighty Rama, Jamadagni’s son; thou must, therefore, have been the eye-witness of all the deeds achieved by him in former days.  I, therefore, request thee to narrate to me how the members of the military caste were vanquished by Rama on the field of battle, and what the original cause of those conflicts was.’

“Akritavrana said, ’With pleasure shall I recite to thee that excellent story, O Bharata’s son, O chief of kings, the story of the godlike deeds of Rama, the son of Jamadagni, who traced his origin to Bhrigu’s race.  I shall also relate the achievements of the great ruler of the Haihaya tribe.  That king, Arjuna by name, the mighty lord of the Haihaya tribe was killed by Rama.  He, O Pandu’s son, was endued with a thousand arms; and by the favour of Dattatreya he likewise had a celestial car made of gold.  And, O protector of the earth, his rule extended over the entire animated world, wheresoever located on this earth.  And the car of that mighty monarch could proceed everywhere in an unobstructed course.  And grown resistless by the virtue of a granted boon, he ever mounted on that car, trampled upon gods and Yakshas and saints on all sides round.  And all the born beings wheresoever placed, were harassed by him.  Then the celestials and the saints of a rigidly virtuous life, met together, and thus spake to Vishnu, the god of gods, the slayer of demons, and possessed of prowess that never failed, saying.  “O blessed and revered lord, for the purpose of preserving all the born beings, it is necessary that Arjuna should be killed by thee.”  And the mighty ruler of the Haihaya tribe placing himself on his celestial car, affronted Indra, while that deity was enjoying himself with Sachi, his queen.  Then, O Bharata’s son, the blessed and the revered god (Vishnu) held a consultation with Indra, with a view to destroying Kartavirya’s son.  And on that occasion, all that was for the good of the world of beings, was communicated by the lord of gods; and the blessed god worshipped by the world, to do all that was necessary, went to the delightful Vadari wood which was his own chosen retreat for practising penances.  And at this very time there lived on the earth a mighty monarch in the land of Kanyakuvja, a sovereign whose military force was exceedingly great.  And his name of Gadhi was famous in the world.  He,