who bore a
circlet of crowns on his head, gave an account of what had happened to
him in the forest to Krishna, the elder brother of Gada. And Arjuna
asked, saying, 'How is Subhadra, and her son Abhimanyu?' And Krishna, the
slayer of Madhu, having paid his respects in the prescribed form to the
son of Pritha, and to the priest, and seating himself with them there,
spoke to king Yudhishthira, in words of praise. And he said, 'O king,
Virtue is preferable to the winning of kingdoms; it is, in fact, practice
of austerities! By you who have obeyed with truth and candour what your
duty prescribed, have been won both this world and that to come! First
you have studied, while performing religious duties; having acquired in a
suitable way the whole science of arms, having won wealth by pursuing the
methods prescribed for the military caste, you have celebrated all the
time-honoured sacrificial rites. You take no delight in sensual
pleasures; you do not act, O lord of men, from motives of enjoyment, nor
do you swerve from virtue from greed of riches; it is for this, you have
been named the Virtuous King, O son of Pritha! Having won kingdoms and
riches and means of enjoyment, your best delight has been charity and
truth and practice of austerities, O King, and faith and meditation and
forbearance and patience! When the population of Kuru-jangala beheld
Krishna outraged in the assembly hall, who but yourself could brook that
conduct, O Pandu's son, which was so repugnant both to virtue and usage?
No doubt, you will, before long, rule over men in a praiseworthy way, all
your desires being fulfilled. Here are we prepared to chastise the Kurus,
as soon as the stipulation made by you is fully performed! And Krishna,
the foremost of the Dasarha tribe, then said to Dhaumya and Bhima and
Yudhishthira, and the twins and Krishna, 'How fortunate that by your
blessing Arjuna the bearer of the coronet, has arrived after having
acquired the science of arms!" And Krishna, the leader of the Dasarha
tribe, accompanied by friends, likewise spoke to Krishna, the daughter of
Yajnasena, saying, 'How fortunate that you are united, safe and secure,
with Arjuna, the winner of riches!' And Krishna also said, 'O Krishna, O
daughter of Yajnasena, those sons of yours, are devoted to the study of
the science of arms, are well-behaved and conduct themselves on the
pattern, O Krishna, of their righteous friends. Your father and your
uterine brothers proffer the