abounded in sacred baths, their joy was great.  And those heroes who wielded powerful bows, were specially glad to see the pleasant river Saraswati, with its limpid waters full to the brim.  And, O Janamejaya, the holiest night, that of the full moon in the month of Kartika in the season of autumn, was spent by them while dwelling there!  And the sons of Pandu, the best of the descendants of Bharata, spent that auspicious juncture with righteous and magnanimous saints devoted to penance.  And as soon as the dark fortnight set in immediately after, the sons of Pandu entered the forest named the Kamyaka, accompanied by Dhananjaya and their charioteers and cooks.”

SECTION CLXXXII

Vaisampayana said, “O son of Kuru, they, Yudhishthira and others, having reached the forest of Kamyaka, were hospitably received by hosts of saints and they lived together with Krishna.  And while the sons of Pandu were dwelling in security in that place, many Brahmanas came to wait upon them.  And a certain Brahmana said, ’He the beloved friend of Arjuna, of powerful arms and possessed of self control, descendant of Sura, of a lofty intellect, will come, for, O ye foremost of the descendants of Kuru, Hari knows that ye have arrived here.  For, Hari has always a longing for your sight and always seeks your welfare.  And Markandeya, who lived very many years devoted to great austerities, given to study and penance, will erelong come and meet you.’  And the very moment that he was uttering these words, there was beheld Krishna, coming thitherward upon a car unto which were yoked the horses Saivya and Sugriva,—­he the best of those that ride on cars, accompanied by Satyabhama, is like Indra by Sachi, the daughter of Pulaman.  And the son of Devaki came, desirous to see those most righteous of the descendants of Kuru.  And the sagacious Krishna, having alighted from the car, prostrated himself, with pleasure in his heart, before the virtuous king, in the prescribed way, and also before Bhima, that foremost of powerful men.  And he paid his respects to Dhaumya, while the twin brothers prostrated themselves to him.  And he embraced Arjuna of the curly hair; and spoke words of solace to the daughter of Drupada.  And the descendant of the chief of the Dasaraha tribe, that chastiser of foes, when he saw the beloved Arjuna come near him, having seen him after a length of time, clasped him again and again.  And so too Satyabhama also, the beloved consort of Krishna, embraced the daughter of Drupada, the beloved wife of the sons of Pandu.  Then these sons of Pandu, accompanied by their wife and priests, paid their respects to Krishna, whose eyes resembled the white lotus and surrounded him on all sides.  And Krishna, when united with Arjuna, the son of Pritha, the winner of riches and the terror of the demons assumed a beauty comparable to that of Siva, the magnanimous lord of all created beings, when he,