SECTION XXXII

“Vaisampayana said, ’Dismissed with salutation by the Pandavas, Sanjaya set out for (Hastinapura) having executed all the commands of the illustrious Dhritarashtra.  Reaching Hastinapura he quickly entered it, and presented himself at the gate of the inner apartments of the palace.  Addressing the porter, he said, ’O gate-keeper, say unto Dhritarashtra that I, Sanjaya, have just arrived, coming from the sons of Pandu.  Do not delay.  If the king be awake, then only shouldst thou say so, O keeper, for I like to enter having first apprised him of my arrival.  In the present instance I have something of very great importance to communicate.’  Hearing this, the gate-keeper went to the king and addressed him, saying, ’O lord of earth, I bow to thee.  Sanjaya is at thy gates, desirous of seeing thee.  He cometh, bearing a message from the Pandavas.  Issue your commands, O king, as to what he should do.’

“The king said, ’Tell Sanjaya that I am happy and hale.  Let him enter.  Welcome to Sanjaya.  I am always ready to receive him.  Why should he stay outside whose admission is never forbidden?”

“Vaisampayana continued, ’Then, with the king’s permission, having entered that spacious apartment, the Suta’s son, with joined hands, approached the royal son of Vichitravirya who was protected by many wise, valiant, and righteous persons, and who was then seated on his throne.  And Sanjaya addressed him, saying, ’I am Sanjaya, O king.  I bow unto thee.  O chief of men, proceeding hence I found the sons of Pandu.  After having paid his salutations to thee, Pandu’s son, the intelligent Yudhishthira, enquired of thy welfare.  And well-pleased, he also enquireth after thy sons, and asketh thee whether thou art happy with thy sons and grandsons and friends and counsellors, and, O king, all those that depend upon thee.’

“Dhritarashtra said, ’O child, giving my blessings to Ajatasatru, I ask thee, O Sanjaya, whether that king of the Kauravas, Pritha’s son, is well with his sons and brothers and counsellors.’

“Sanjaya said, ’Pandu’s son is well with his counsellors.  He desires possessions of that which he formerly had as his own.  He seeketh virtue and wealth without doing anything that is censurable, possesseth intelligence and vast learning, and is, besides, far-sighted and of excellent disposition.  With that son of Pandu, abstention from injury is even superior to virtue, and virtue superior to the accumulation of wealth.  His mind, O Bharata, is always inclined to happiness and joy, and to such course of action as are virtuous and conducive to the higher ends of life.  Even like doll pulled this way and that by threads, man (in this world) moveth, swayed by a force not his own.  Beholding the sufferings of Yudhishthira, I regard the force of destiny to be Superior to the effect of human exertion.  Beholding again thy unworthy deeds, which, besides,