been able to regain his kingdom free from all enemies
(thorns), and it was by the action of righteousness
that king Suyodhana has been killed in battle, and,
O son of Pritha and pillar of the Kuru race, the wicked
sons of Dhritarashtra, avaricious, always rude in
speech, and bent upon an unrighteous course of conduct,
having been exterminated with their followers, the
king, the son of Dharma and lord of the earth, now
peaceably enjoys the entire kingdom of the earth with
thy aid, and I too, O son of Pandu, have been pleasantly
whiling away my time in thy company, amidst woodland
scenes. O terror of thine enemies, what more
need I tell thee, but that where thou and Pritha,
and the king, the son of Dharma, and the mighty Bhimasena
and the two sons of Madri are, there am I attracted
with exquisite delight. O descendant of Kuru,
in these delightful and sacred and heaven-like halls
of assembly a long time hath fleeted away in thy company
without my seeing Vasudeva, Valadeva and other leaders
of the Vrishni race. And now I am desirous of
repairing to the city of Dwaravati. Do thou therefore,
O most valorous of men, assent to my departure.
When king Yudhishthira was smitten heavily with affliction,
I with Bhishma, have recited to him many appropriate
legends suited to the occasion with a view of assuaging
his grief, and the pliant and high-minded Yudhishthira,
though our sovereign and versed in all lore paid due
heed to our words. That son of Dharma honours
truth, and is grateful and righteous, therefore will
his virtue and good sense and the stability of his
power always endure. And now, O Arjuna, if it
pleases thee, do thou go to that high-minded prince
and tell him of my intention to depart from this place.
For, O thou of mighty arms, even if death cometh to
me, I am unwilling to do anything that may displease
him, leaving alone my going to the city of Dwaravati.
O son of Pritha and descendant of Kuru, I now tell
thee truly, desiring to do only what is good and agreeable
to thee, and there can be nothing equivocal in it
in any way, that the necessity for my staying here
no longer exists, because, O Arjuna, that monarch
the son of Dhritarashtra bath been slain with his
armies and attendants, and the earth, my friend, with
its girdle of seas and its mountains and woods and
forests, and the kingdom of the Kuru king filled with
various gems, have passed under the sway of that wise
son of Dharma. And O foremost prince of Bharata’s
race, may that virtuous prince administer the entire
kingdom of the earth in righteousness, and with the
respect and approbation of numerous high-souled Siddhas,
and having his praises always extolled by the court
heralds. Do thou, O chieftain of Kuru’s
race, accompany me to-day to the presence of the king,
the great aggrandiser of the Kuru race, and sound
him of my intended return to Dwaraka. As Yudhishthira
the high-souled king of the Kurus always commands
my love and respect, I have, O son of Pritha, placed
this my body and all the wealth that I have in my house,