rsh words of Duryodhana. Look at thy mother Gandhari and myself
also, if thou desirest to remember only what is good. O Bharata, look at
me, who am thy father unto you and am old and blind, and still alive. It
was for seeing our friends and examining also the strength and weakness
of my children, that I had, from motives of policy, suffered this match
at dice to proceed. O king those amongst the Kurus that have thee for
their ruler, and the intelligent Vidura conversant with every branch of
learning for their counsellor, have, indeed, nothing to grieve for. In
thee is virtue, in Arjuna is patience, in Bhimasena is prowess, and the
twins, those foremost of men, is pure reverence for superiors. Blest be
thou, O Ajatasatru. Return to Khandavaprastha, and let there be brotherly
love between thee and thy cousins. Let thy heart also be ever fixed on
virtue.'"

Vaisampayana continued,--"That foremost of the Bharatas--king
Yudhishthira the just--then, thus addressed by his uncle, having gone
through every ceremony of politeness, set out with his brothers for
Khandavaprastha. And accompanied by Draupadi and ascending their cars
which were all of the hue of the clouds, with cheerful hearts they all
set out for that best of cities called Indraprastha."

SECTION LXXIII

Janamejaya said,--"How did the sons of Dhritarashtra feel, when they came
to know that the Pandavas had, with Dhritarashtra's leave, left
Hastinapore with all their wealth and jewels?"

Vaisampayana said,--"O king, learning that the Pandavas had been
commanded by the wise Dhritarashtra to return to their capital, Dussasana
went without loss of time unto his brother. And, O bull of the Bharata
race, having arrived before Duryodhana with his counsellor, the prince,
afflicted with grief, began to say,--'Ye mighty warriors, that which we
had won after so much trouble, the old man (our father) hath thrown away.
Know ye that he hath made over the whole of that wealth to the foes. At
these words, Duryodhana and Karna and Sakuni, the son of Suvala, all of
whom were guided by vanity, united together, and desirous of
counteracting the sons of Pandu, approaching in haste saw privately the
wise king Dhritarashtra--the son of Vichitravirya and spake unto him
these pleasing and artful words. Duryodhana said,--

'Hast thou not heard, O king, what the learned Vrihaspati the preceptor
of the celestials, said in course of counselling Sakra about mortals and
politics? Even th