to their relationship with him.  And that illustrious grinder of foes, honoured and worshipped by Dhritarashtra, came out with the king’s permission.  And Madhava having duly greeted all the Kurus in their assembly, then went to the delightful abode of Vidura; and Vidura, having approached Janardana of Dasarha’s race thus arrived at his abode, worshipped him with every auspicious and desirable offering.  And he said, ’What use, O lotus-eyed one, in telling thee of the joy I feel at this advent of thine, for thou art the inner Soul of all embodied creatures.’  And after the hospitable reception was over, Vidura, conversant with all the principles of morality, enquired of Govinda, the slayer of Madhu, about the welfare of Pandavas.  And that scion of Dasarha’s race, that chief of the Vrishnis, unto whom the past and the future were as the present, knowing that Vidura was loved by the Pandavas and friendly towards them, and learned, and firm in morality, and honest, and harbouring no wrath (against the Pandavas), and wise, began to tell him everything in detail about the doings of the sons of Pandu.’”

SECTION XC

“Vaisampayana said, ’Janardana, the chastiser of foes, after his meeting with Vidura, went then in the afternoon to his paternal aunt, Pritha.  And beholding Krishna whose countenance beamed with the effulgence of the radiant sun arrived at her abode, she encircled his neck with her arms and began to pour forth her lamentations remembering her sons.  And at the sight, after a long time, of Govinda of Vrishni’s race, the companion of those mighty children of hers, the tears of Pritha flowed fast.  And after Krishna, that foremost of warriors, had taken his seat having first received the rites of hospitality, Pritha, with a woe-begone face and voice choked with tears addressed him, saying.  They, who, from their earliest years have always waited with reverence on their superiors; they, who, in friendship are attached to one another; they, who, deprived deceitfully of their kingdom had gone to seclusion, however worthy of living in the midst of friends and attendants,—­they, who have subjugated both wrath and joy, are devoted to Brahman’s, and truthful in speech,—­those children of mine, who, abandoning kingdom and enjoyments and leaving my miserable self behind, had gone to the woods, plucking the very roots of my heart,—­those illustrious sons of Pandu, O Kesava, who have suffered woe however undeserving of it,—­how, alas, did they live in the deep forest abounding with lions and tigers and elephants?  Deprived in their infancy of their father, they were all tenderly brought up by me.  How, also, did they live in the mighty forest, without seeing both their parents?  From their infancy, O Kesava, the Pandavas were aroused from their beds by the music of conchs and drums and flutes.  That they who while at home, used to sleep in high palatial chambers on soft blankets and skins of the Runku deer and were waked up in the morning