multitude that surrounded those high-souled ones in the forest of Kamyaka
looked extraordinary. And Yudhishthira, honouring those high-minded
Brahmanas, in due time ordered his men, saying 'Make ready the car.'"

SECTION XXIII

Vaisampayana continued, "After the chief of the Dasharhas had departed,
the heroic Yudhishthira, and Bhima, and Arjuna, and the twins, each
looking like unto Shiva, and Krishna, and their priest, ascending costly
cars unto which were yoked excellent steeds, together went into the
forest. And at time of going they distributed Nishkas of gold and clothes
and kine unto Brahmanas versed in Siksha and Akshara and mantras. And
twenty attendants followed them equipped with bows, and bowstrings, and
blazing weapons, and shafts and arrows and engines of destruction. And
taking the princess's clothes and the ornaments, and the nurses and the
maid-servants, Indrasena speedily followed the princes on a car. And then
approaching the best of Kurus, the high-minded citizens walked round him.
And the principal Brahmanas of Kurujangala cheerfully saluted him. And
together with his brothers, Yudhishthira the just, on his part saluted
them cheerfully. And the illustrious king stopped there a little,
beholding the concourse of the inhabitants of Kurujangala. And the
illustrious bull among the Kurus felt for them as a father feeleth for
his sons, and they too felt for the Kuru chief even as sons feel for
their father! And that mighty concourse, approaching the Kuru hero, stood
around him. And, O king, affected, with bashfulness, and with tears in
their eyes, they all exclaimed, 'Alas, O lord! O Dharma!' And they said,
'Thou art the chief of the Kurus, and the king of us, thy subjects! Where
dost thou go, O just monarch, leaving all these citizens and the
inhabitants of the country, like a father leaving his sons? Fie on the
cruel-hearted son of Dhritarashtra! Fie on the evil-minded son of Suvala!
Fie on Karna! For, O foremost of monarchs, those wretches ever wish unto
thee who art firm in virtue! Having thyself established the unrivalled
city of Indraprastha of the splendour of Kailasa itself, where dost thou
go, leaving it, O illustrious and just king, O achiever of extraordinary
deeds! O illustrious one, leaving that peerless palace built by Maya,
which possesseth the splendour of the palace of the celestials
themselves, and is like unto a celestial illusion, ever guarded by the
gods, where dost thou go, O so