“Vaisampayana continued, ’Then Draupadi, accompanied by those girls entered the royal abode, desirous of appearing before Sudeshna.  And when she came before the queen, Virata’s wife addressed her at the command of the king, saying, ’Do thou, O Sairindhri, speedily go whithersoever thou likest.  The king, good betide thee, hath been filled with fear at this discomfiture at the hands of the Gandharvas.  Thou art, O thou of graceful eye-brows, young and unparalleled on earth in beauty.  Thou art, besides, an object of desire with men.  The Gandharvas again, are exceedingly wrathful.’  Thereat Sairindhri said, ’O beauteous lady, let the king suffer me to live here for only thirteen days more.  Without doubt, the Gandharvas also will be highly obliged at this.  They will then convey me hence and do what would be agreeable to Virata.  Without doubt, the king, by doing this, with his friends, will reap great benefit.’”

SECTION XXV

“Vaisampayana said, ’At the slaughter of Kichaka and brothers, people, O king, thinking of this terrible feat, were filled with surprise.  And in the city and the provinces it was generally bruited about that for bravery the king’s Vallava and Kichaka were both mighty warriors.  The wicked Kichaka, however, had been an oppressor of men and a dishonourer of other people’s wives.  And it was for this that wicked of sinful soul had been slain by the Gandharvas.  And it was thus, O king, that people began to speak, from province to province of the invincible Kichaka, that slayer of hostile ranks.

’Meanwhile, the spies employed by Dhritarashtra’s son, having searched various villages and towns and kingdoms and done all that they had been commanded to do and completed their examination, in the manner directed, of the countries indicated in their orders, returned to Nagarupa, gratified with at least one thing that they had learnt.[20] And seeing Dhritarashtra’s son king Duryodhana of the Kuru race seated in his court with Drona and Karna and Kripa, with the high-souled Bhishma, his own brothers, and those great warriors—­the Trigartas, they addressed him, saying, ’O lord of men, great hath been the care always bestowed by us in the search after the sons of Pandu in that mighty forest.  Searched have we through the solitary wilderness abounding with deer and other animals and overgrown with trees and creepers of diverse kind.  Searched have we also in arbours of matted woods and plants and creepers of every species, but we have failed in discovering that track by which Pritha’s son of irrepressible energy may have gone.  Searched have we in these and other places for their foot-prints.  Searched have we closely, O king, on mountain tops and in inaccessible fastnesses, in various kingdoms and provinces teeming with people, in encampments and cities.  No trace have yet been found of the sons of Pandu.  Good betide thee, O bull among men, it seems that they have perished without leaving