Vaisampayana continued, “Thus addressed by Bhima, king Yudhishthira the just, smelt the crown of that son of Pandu, and pacifying him said, ’O mighty-armed one, without doubt, thou wilt, assisted by the wielder of the Gandiva, slay Suyodhana at the expiry of the thirteenth year.  But, O son of Pritha, as for thy assertion, ‘O Lord, the time is complete’, I cannot dare tell an untruth, for untruth is not in me.  O son of Kunti, without the help of fraud, wilt thou kill the wicked and irrepressible Duryodhana, with his allies.’

“While Yudhishthira the just, was speaking unto Bhima thus, there came the great and illustrious Rishi Vrihadaswa before them.  And beholding that virtuous ascetic before him, the righteous king worshipped him according to the ordinance, with the offering of Madhuparka.  And when the ascetic was seated and refreshed, the mighty-armed Yudhishthira sat by him, and looking up at the former, addressed him thus in exceedingly piteous accents: 

’O holy one, summoned by cunning gamblers skilled at dice, I have been deprived of wealth and kingdom through gambling.  I am not an adept at dice, and am unacquainted with deceit.  Sinful men, by unfair means, vanquished me at play.  They even brought into the public assembly my wife dearer unto me than life itself.  And defeating me a second time, they have sent me to distressful exile in this great forest, clad in deer skins.  At present I am leading a distressful life in the woods in grief of heart.  Those harsh and cruel speeches they addressed me on the occasion of that gambling match, and the words of my afflicted friends relating to the match at dice and other subjects, are all stored up in my remembrance.  Recollecting them I pass the whole night in (sleepless) anxiety.  Deprived also (of the company) of the illustrious wielder of the Gandiva, on whom depend the lives of us all, I am almost deprived of life.  Oh, when shall I see the sweet-speeched and large-hearted Vibhatsu so full of kindness and activity, return to us, having obtained all weapons?  Is there a king on this earth who is more unfortunate than myself?  Hast thou ever seen or heard of any such before?  To my thinking, there is no man more wretched than I am.’

“Vrihadaswa said, ’O great king, O son of Pandu, thou sayest, ’There is no person more miserable than I am’ O sinless monarch, if thou wilt listen, I will relate unto thee the history of a king more wretched than thyself?

Vaisampayana continued, “And thereupon the king said unto the ascetic, ’O illustrious one, tell me, I desire to hear the history of the king who had fallen into such a condition.’

“Vrihadaswa said, ’O king, O thou that never fallest off, listen attentively with thy brothers, I will narrate the history of a prince more miserable than thyself.  There was a celebrated king among the Nishadhas, named Virasena.  He had a son named Nala, versed in (the knowledge of) virtue and wealth.  It hath been heard by us that, that king was deceitfully defeated by Pushkara, and afflicted with calamity, he dwelt in the woods with his spouse.  And, O king, while he was living in the forest, he had neither slaves nor cars, neither brother nor friends with him.  But thou art surrounded by thy heroic brothers like unto the celestials, and also by foremost regenerate ones like unto Brahma himself.  Therefore, it behoveth thee not to grieve.’