obliged to repair to the mountains of Gomanta, measuring three Yojanas in length.  Within each yojana have been established one and twenty posts of armed men.  And at intervals of each yojana are hundred gates with arches which are defended by valourous heroes engaged in guarding them.  And innumerable Kshatriyas invincible in war, belonging to the eighteen younger branches of the Yadavas, are employed in defending these works.  In our race, O king, there are full eighteen thousand brothers and cousins.  Ahuka hath had a hundred sons, each of whom is almost like a god (in prowess), Charudeshna with his brother Chakradeva, Satyaki, myself, Valadeva the son of Rohini, and my son Samva who is equal unto me in battle—­these seven, O king are Atirathas.  Besides these, there are others, O king, whom I shall presently name.  They are Kritavarman, Anadhrishti, Samika, Samitinjaya, Kanka, Sanku and Kunti.  These seven are Maharathas.  There are also two sons of Andhakabhoja, and the old king himself.  Endued with great energy these are all heroes, each mighty as the thunderbolt.  These Maharathas, choosing the middle country, are now living amongst the Vrishnis.  O thou best of the Bharata line, thou alone art worthy of being an emperor.  It behoveth thee, O Bharata, to establish thy empire over all the Kshatriyas.  But this is my judgment, O king, that thou wilt not be able to celebrate the Rajasuya sacrifice as long as the mighty Jarasandha liveth.  By him have been immured in his hillfort numerous monarchs, like a lion that hath deposited the slain bodies of mighty elephants within a cave of the king of mountains.  O slayer of all enemies, king Jarasandha, desirous of offering in sacrifice hundred monarchs, adored for his fierce ascetic penances the illustrious god of gods, the lord of Uma.  It is by this means that the kings of the earth have been vanquished by Jarasandha.  And, O best of monarchs, he hath by that means been able to fulfil the vow he had made relative to his sacrifice.  By defeating the kings with their troops and bringing all of them as captives into this city, he had swelled its crowds enormously.  We also, O king, from fear of Jarasandha, at one time had to leave Mathura and fly to the city of Dwaravati.  If, O great king, thou desirest to perform this sacrifice, strive to release the kings confined by Jarasandha, as also to compass his death.  O son of the Kuru race, otherwise this undertaking of thine can never be completed.  O thou foremost of intelligent men if the Rajasuya is to be performed by thee, you must do this in this way and not otherwise.  This, O king, is my view (on the matter).  Do, O sinless one, as thou thinkest.  Under these circumstances, O king, having reflected upon everything, taking note of causes, tell us what thou thyself thinkest proper.”

SECTION XV