oes, on the other hand, O thou best of
the Bharata race, beholding king Jarasandha, said,--'Let salvation be
attained by thee, O king, without difficulty.' And, O tiger among kings,
having said this unto the monarch, they stood looking at each other. And,
O king of kings, Jarasandha then said unto those sons of Pandu and him of
the Yadu race, all disguised as Brahmanas--'Take your seats.' And those
bulls among men sat themselves down, and like the three priests of a
great sacrifice blazed forth in their beauty. And king Jarasandha, O thou
of the Kuru race, firmly devoted to truth, censuring the disguised
guests, said unto them,--'It is well known to me that in the whole world
Brahmanas in the observance of Snataka vow never deck their persons with
garlands and fragrant paste unseasonably. Who are ye, therefore, thus
decked with flowers, and with hands bearing the marks of the bow-string?
Attired in coloured robes and decked unseasonably with flowers and paste,
ye give me to understand that ye are Brahmanas, although ye bear
Kshatriya energy. Tell me truly who ye are. Truth decks even kings.
Breaking down the peak of the Chaityaka hill, why have ye, in disguise,
entered (the city) by an improper gate without fear of the royal wrath?
The energy of a Brahmana dwelleth in his speech, (not in act). This your
feat is not suited to the order to which ye profess to belong. Tell us
therefore, the end ye have in view. Arrived here by such an improper way,
why accept ye not the worship I offer? What is your motive for coming to
me? Thus addressed by the king, the high-souled Krishna, well-skilled in
speech, thus replied unto the monarch in a calm and grave voice.

"Krishna said,--'O king, know us for Snataka Brahmanas. Brahmanas and
Kshatriyas and Vaishyas are all, O monarch, competent to observe the vow
of Snataka. This vow, besides, hath (many) especial and general rules. A
Kshatriya observing this vow with especial rules always achieve
prosperity. Therefore, have we decked ourselves with flowers. Kshatriyas
again, O king, exhibit their energy by their arms and not in speech. It
is, therefore, O son of Vrihadratha, that the speeches uttered by a
Kshatriya are never audacious. O monarch, the creator hath planted his
own energy in the aim of the Kshatriya. If thou wishest to behold it,
thou shalt certainly behold it today. These are the rules of the
ordinance, viz., that an enemy's abode should be entered through a wrong
gate and a