, no grief, for thee! Thou hast
no cause to pass thy nights in sleeplessness, for thou wilt surely obtain
back the earth subjugated by thy husbands, who are all equal unto the
gods. O thou of black eyes, women endued with such disposition and
possessed of such auspicious marks, can never suffer misfortune long. It
hath been heard by me that thou shall, with thy husbands, certainly enjoy
this earth peacefully and freed from all thorns! And, O daughter of
Drupada, thou shalt certainly behold the earth ruled by Yudhishthira
after the sons of Dhritarashtra have been slain and the deeds of their
hostility avenged! Thou wilt soon behold those wives of the Kurus, who,
deprived of sense by pride, laughed at thee while on thy way to exile,
themselves reduced to a state of helplessness and despair! Know them all,
O Krishna, that did thee any injury while thou wert afflicted, to have
already gone to the abode of Yama. Thy brave sons, Prativindhya by
Yudhishthira and Sutasoma by Bhima, and Srutakarman by Arjuna, and
Satanika by Nakula, and Srutasena begot by Sahadeva, are well and have
become skilled in weapons. Like Abhimanyu they are all staying at
Dwaravati, delighted with the place. And Subhadra also, cheerfully and
with her whole soul, looketh after them like thee, and like thee joyeth
in them and deriveth much happiness from them. Indeed, she grieveth in
their griefs and joyeth in their joys. And the mother of Pradyumna also
loveth them with her whole soul. And Kesava with his sons Bhanu and
others watcheth over them with especial affection. And my mother-in-law
is ever attentive in feeding and clothing them. And the Andhakas and
Vrishnis, including Rama and others, regard them with affection. And, O
beautiful lady, their affection for thy sons is equal unto what they feel
for Pradyumna.

"Having said these agreeable and truthful and cordial words, Satyabhama
desired to go to Vasudeva's car. And the wife of Krishna then walked
round the queen of the Pandavas. And having done so the beautiful
Satyabhama mounted the car of Krishna. And the chief of the Yadavas,
comforting Draupadi with a smile and causing the Pandavas to return, set
out for his own city, with swift horses (yoked unto his car)."

SECTION CCXXXIV

(Ghosha-yatra Parva)

Janamejaya said, "While those foremost of men--the sons of Pritha--were
passing their days in the forest exposed to the inclemencies of the
winter, the summer, the wind and the sun, what di