Thou art always dear to me!  By good luck thou art devoted to the five;[119] and by good luck also thou hast conquered the six.[120] Of the six, two appear in the first part of life; two in the middle part thereof; and the remaining two at the end, in order to make men repair to the next world.  I am, good betide thee, the lord of justice!  I came hither to test thy merit.  I am well-pleased to witness thy harmlessness; and, O sinless one, I will confer boons on thee.  Do thou, O foremost of kings, ask of me boons.  I shall surely confer them, O sinless one!  Those that revere me, never come by distress!’ Yudhishthira said,—­’A deer was carrying away the Brahmana’s fire-sticks.  Therefore, the first boon that I shall ask, is, may that Brahmana’s adorations to Agni be not interrupted!’ The Yaksha said,—­’O Kunti’s son endued with splendour, it was I who for examining thee, was carrying away, in the guise of a deer, that Brahmana’s fire-sticks!”

Vaisampayana continued,—­“Thereupon that worshipful one said,—­’I give thee this boon!  Good betide thee!  O thou that are like unto an immortal, ask thou a fresh boon!  Yudhishthira said,—­’We have spent these twelve years in the forest; and the thirteenth year is come.  May no one recognise us, as we spend this year somewhere.’

Vaisampayana continued,-’Thereat that worshipful one replied,—­’I give this boon unto thee!’ And then reassuring Kunti’s son having truth for prowess, he also said, ’Even if, O Bharata, ye range this (entire) earth in your proper forms none in the three worlds shall recognise you.  Ye perpetuators of the Kuru race, through my grace, ye will spend this thirteenth year, secretly and unrecognised, in Virata’s kingdom!  And every one of you will be able at will to assume any form he likes!  Do ye now present the Brahmana with his fire-sticks.  It was only to test you that I carried them away in the form of a deer!  O amiable Yudhishthira, do thou ask for another boon that thou mayst like!  I will confer it on thee.  O foremost of men, I have not yet been satisfied by granting boons to thee!  Do thou my son, accept a third boon that is great and incomparable!  Thou, O king, art born of me, and Vidura of portion or mine!” Thereat Yudhishthira said,—­’It is enough that I have beheld thee with my senses, eternal God of gods as thou art!  O father, whatever boon thou wilt confer on me I shall surely accept gladly!  May I, O lord, always conquer covetousness and folly and anger, and may my mind be ever devoted to charity, truth, and ascetic austerities!  The Lord of justice said,—­’Even by nature, O Pandava, hast thou been endued with these qualities, for thou art the Lord of justice himself!  Do thou again attain what thou asked for!”