se up, his heart burning in grief. And that bull
among men, the royal son of Kunti thought within himself. 'Is this forest
under some malign influence? Or, is it infested by some wicked beasts?
Or, have they all fallen, in consequence of having disregarded some
mighty being? Or, not finding water in the spot whither those heroes had
first repaired, they have spent all this time in search through the
forest? What is that reason for which those bulls among men do not come
back?' And speaking in this strain, that foremost of monarchs, the
illustrious Yudhishthira, entered into that mighty forest where no human
sound was heard and which was inhabited by deer and bears and birds, and
which was adorned with trees that were bright and green, and which echoed
with the hum of the black-bee and the notes of winged warblers. As he was
proceeding along, he beheld that beautiful lake which looked as if it had
been made by the celestial artificer himself. And it was adorned with
flowers of a golden hue and with lotuses and Sindhuvars. And it abounded
with canes and Ketakas and Karaviras and Pippalas, and fatigued with
toil, Yudhishthira saw that tank and was struck with wonder."

SECTION CCCXI

Vaisampayana said, "Yudhishthira saw his brothers, each possessed of the
glory of Indra himself, lying dead like the Regents of the world dropped
from their spheres at the end of the Yuga. And beholding Arjuna lying
dead, with his bow and arrows dropped on the ground, and also Bhimasena
and the twins motionless and deprived of life, the king breathed a hot
and long sigh, and was bathed in tears of grief. And beholding his
brothers lying dead, the mighty armed son of Dharma with heart racked in
anxiety, began to lament profusely, saying, 'Thou hadst, O mighty-armed
Vrikodara, vowed, saying,--I shall with mace smash the thighs of
Duryodhana in battle! O enhancer of the glory of the Kurus, in thy death,
O mighty-armed and high-souled one, all that hath become fruitless now!
The promises of men may be ineffectual; but why have the words of the
gods uttered in respect of thee been thus fruitless? O Dhananjaya, while
thou wert in thy mother's lying-in-room, the gods had said,--O Kunti,
this thy son shall not be inferior to him of a thousand eyes! And in the
northern Paripatra mountains, all beings had sung, saying,--The
prosperity (of this race), robbed by foes will be recovered by this one
without delay. No one will be able to vanquish him in b