oes with Draupadi and the high-souled Brahmanas
were exceedingly delighted at heart, and they were not satiated by
beholding that monarch of mountains. Thereafter they saw the hermitage of
the royal sage Arshtishena, furnished with flowers and trees bearing
fruits. Then they went to Arshtishena versed in all duties of rigid
austerities, skeleton-like, and having muscles bare."

SECTION CLVIII

Vaisampayana continued, "Having approached that one, whose sins had been
consumed by asceticism, Yudhishthira announced his name, and gladly
greeted him, bending his head. And then Krishna, and Bhima, and the
devout twins, having bowed down their heads unto the royal sage, stood
(there) surrounding him. And that priest of the Pandavas, the virtuous
Dhaumya, also duly approached that vow-observing sage. And by his
prophetic eye that virtuous Muni had already known (the identity of)
those foremost of the Kurus, the sons of Pandu. And he said unto them.
'Be ye seated.' And that one of rigid austerities, after having duly
received that chief of the Kurus, when the latter with his brothers had
seated himself enquired after his welfare saying, 'Dost thou not turn thy
inclination upon untruth? And art thou intent upon virtue? And. O Partha,
hath not thy attention to thy father and thy mother diminished? Are all
thy superiors, and the aged, and those versed in the Vedas, honoured by
thee? And O Pritha's son, dost thou not turn thy inclination unto sinful
acts? And dost thou, O best of the Kurus, properly know how to perform
meritorious acts, and to eschew wicked deeds? Dost thou not exalt
thyself? And are pious men gratified, being honoured by thee? And even
dwelling in the woods, dost thou follow virtue alone? And, O Partha, doth
not Dhaumya grieve at thy conduct? Dost thou follow the customs of thy
ancestors, by charity, and religious observances, and asceticism, and
purity, and candour, and forgiveness? And dost thou go along the way
taken by the royal sages? On the birth of a son in their (respective)
lines, the Pitris in their regions, both laugh and grieve, thinking--Will
the sinful acts of this son of ours harm us, or will meritorious deeds
conduce to our welfare? He conquereth both the worlds that payeth homage
unto his father, and mother, and preceptor, and Agni, and fifthly, the
soul.' Yudhishthira said, 'O worshipful one, those duties have been
mentioned by thee as excellent. To the best of my power I duly and
properly dis