SECTION LXXVI

Vaisampayana said,—­“Then the vanquished sons of Pritha prepared for their exile into the woods.  And they, one after another, in due order, casting off their royal robes, attired themselves in deer-skins.  And Dussasana, beholding those chastisers of foes, dressed in deer-skins and deprived of their kingdom and ready to go into exile, exclaimed ’The absolute sovereignty of the illustrious king Duryodhana hath commenced.  The sons of Pandu have been vanquished, and plunged into great affliction.  Now have we attained the goal either by broad or narrow paths.  For today becoming superior to our foes in point of prosperity as also of duration of rule have we become praiseworthy of men.  The sons of Pritha have all been plunged by us into everlasting hell.  They have been deprived of happiness and kingdom for ever and ever.  They who, proud of their wealth, laughed in derision at the son of Dhritarashtra, will now have to go into the woods, defeated and deprived by us of all their wealth.  Let them now put off their variegated coats of mail, their resplendent robes of celestial make, and let them all attire themselves in deer-skins according to the stake they had accepted of the son of Suvala.  They who always used to boast that they had no equals in all the world, will now know and regard themselves in this their calamity as grains of sesame without the kernel.  Although in this dress of theirs the Pandavas seem like unto wise and powerful persons installed in a sacrifice, yet they look like persons not entitled to perform sacrifices, wearing such a guise.  The wise Yajnasena of the Somake race, having bestowed his daughter—­the princess of Panchala—­on the sons of Pandu, acted most unfortunately for the husbands of Yajnaseni—­these sons of Pritha are as eunuchs.  And O Yajnaseni, what joy will be thine upon beholding in the woods these thy husbands dressed in skins and thread-bare rags, deprived of their wealth and possessions.  Elect thou a husband, whomsoever thou likest, from among all these present here.  These Kurus assembled here, are all forbearing and self-controlled, and possessed of great wealth.  Elect thou one amongst these as thy lord, so that these great calamity may not drag thee to wretchedness.  ’The sons of Pandu now are even like grains of sesame without the kernel, or like show-animals encased in skins, or like grains of rice without the kernel.  Why shouldst thou then longer wait upon the fallen sons of Pandu?  Vain is the labour used upon pressing the sesame grain devoid of the kernel!’