complexion, is endued with eyes resembling the petals of the lotus.  That hero, the father of Abhimanyu, will protect the steed.  Bhimasena also is endued with great energy.  The son of Kunti is possessed of immeasurable might.  He is competent to protect the kingdom, aided by Nakula, O monarch.  Possessed of great intelligence and fame, Sahadeva will, O thou of Kuru’s race, duly attend to all the relatives that have been invited to thy capital.’  Thus addressed by the Rishi, that perpetuator of Kuru’s race, viz., Yudhishthira, accomplished every injunction duly and appointed Phalguna to attend to the horse.’

“Yudhishthira said, ’Come, O Arjuna, let the horse, O hero, be protected by thee.  Thou alone art competent to protect it, and none else.  Those kings, O mighty-armed hero, who will come forward to encounter thee, try, O sinless one, to avoid battles with them to the best of thy power.  Thou shouldst also invite them all to this sacrifice of mine.  Indeed, O mighty-armed one go forth but try to establish friendly relations with them.’

“Vaisampayana continued, ’The righteous-souled king Yudhishthira, having said so unto his brother Savyasachin, commanded Bhima and Nakula to protect the city.  With the permission of king Dhritarashtra, Yudhishthira then set Sahadeva, that foremost of warriors, to wait upon all the invited guests.’”

SECTION LXXIII

“Vaisampayana said, ’When the hour for initiation came, all those great Ritwijas duly initiated the king in view of the horse-sacrifice.  Having finished the rites of binding the sacrificial animals, the son of Pandu, viz., king Yudhishthira the just endued with great energy, the initiation being over, shone with great splendour along with those Ritwijas.  The horse that was brought for the horse-sacrifice was let loose, agreeably to the injunctions of the scriptures, that utterer of Brahma, viz., Vyasa himself of immeasurable energy.  The king Yudhishthira the just, O monarch, after his initiation, adorned with a garland of gold around his neck, shone in beauty like a blazing fire.  Having a black deer skin for his upper garment, bearing a staff in hand, and wearing a cloth of red silk, the son of Dharma, possessed of great splendour, shone like a second Prajapati seated on the sacrificial altar.  All his Ritwijas also, O king, were clad in similar robes.  Arjuna also shone like a blazing fire.  Dhananjaya, unto whose car were yoked white steeds, then duly prepared, O king, to follow that horse of the complexion of a black deer, at the command of Yudhishthira.  Repeatedly drawing his bow, named Gandiva, O king, and casing his hand in a fence made of iguana skin, Arjuna, O monarch, prepared to follow that horse, O ruler of men, with a cheerful heart.  All Hastinapore, O king, with very children, came out at that spot from desire of beholding Dhananjaya, that foremost of the Kurus on the eve of his journey.  So thick