SECTION XLIII

“Vaisampayana said, ’After this king Yudhishthira of magnanimous soul caused the Sraddha rites to be performed of every one of his kinsmen slain in battle.  King Dhritarashtra also of great fame, gave away, for the good of his sons in the other world, excellent food, and kine, and much wealth, and many beautiful and costly gems (unto the Brahmanas).  Yudhishthira accompanied by Draupadi, gave much wealth for the sake of Drona and the high-souled Karna, of Dhrishtadyumna and Abhimanyu, of the Rakshasa Ghatotkacha, the son of Hidimva, and of Virata, and his other well-wishers that had served him loyally, and of Drupada and the five sons of Draupadi.  For the sake of each of these, the king gratified thousands of Brahmanas with gifts of wealth and gems, and kine and clothes.  The king performed the Sraddha rite for the good in the next world, of every one of those kings also who had fallen in the battle without leaving kinsmen or friends behind.  And the king also, for the good of the souls of all his friends, caused houses to be founded for the distribution of food, and places for the distribution of water, and tanks to be excavated in their names.  Thus paying off the debt he owed to them and avoiding the chance of censure in the world,[126] the king became happy and continued to protect his subjects religiously.  He showed due honour, as before, unto Dhritarashtra, and Gandhari, and Vidura, and unto all the superior Kauravas and unto all the officers.  Full of kindness, the Kuru king honoured and protected all those ladies also who had, in consequence of the battle, been deprived of their heroic husbands and sons.  The puissant king, with great compassion, extended his favours to the destitute and the blind and the helpless by giving them food, clothes and shelter.  Freed from foes and having conquered the whole Earth, king Yudhishthira began to enjoy great happiness.’”

SECTION XLIV

“Vaisampayana said, ’Having got back the kingdom, king Yudhishthira of great wisdom and purity, after the ceremony of installation had been over, joining his hands together, addressed the lotus-eyed Krishna of Dasarha’s race, saying, ’Through thy grace, O Krishna, through thy policy and might and intelligence and prowess, O tiger among the Yadus, I have got back this ancestral kingdom of mine.  O thou of eyes like lotus leaves, I repeatedly bow to thee, O chastiser of foes!  Thou hast been called the One only Being.  Thou hast been said to be the refuge of all worshippers.  The regenerate ones adore thee under innumerable names.[127] Salutations to thee, O Creator of the Universe!  Thou art the soul of the Universe and the Universe hath sprung from thee.  Thou art Vishnu, thou art Jishnu, thou art Hari, thou art Krishna, thou art Vaikuntha, and thou art the foremost of all beings.  Thou hast, as said in the Puranas, taken thy birth seven