ated by grief, said these words, "In
consequence of thyself having concealed thy counsels, this great
affliction has overtaken me!" Possessed of great energy, the righteous
king, then, in sorrow, cursed all the women of the world, saying,
"Henceforth no woman shall succeed in keeping a secret." The king, then,
recollecting his sons and grandsons and kinsmen and friends, became
filled with anxiety and grief. Afflicted with sorrow, the intelligent
king, resembling a fire covered with smoke, became overwhelmed with
despair.'"

SECTION VII

"Vaisampayana said, 'The righteous-souled Yudhishthira, with an agitated
heart and burning with sorrow, began to grieve for that mighty
car-warrior Karna. Sighing repeatedly, he addressed Arjuna, saying, "If,
O Arjuna, we had led a life of mendicancy in the cities of the Vrishnis
and the Andhakas, then this miserable end would not have been ours in
consequence of having exterminated our kinsmen. Our foes, the Kurus, have
gained in prosperity, while we have become divested of all the objects of
life, for what fruits of righteousness can be ours when we have been
guilty of self-slaughter?[4] Fie on the usages of Kshatriyas, fie on
might and valour, and fie on wrath, since through these such a calamity
hath overtaken us. Blessed are forgiveness, and self-restraint, and
purity, with renunciation and humility, and abstention from injury, and
truthfulness of speech on all occasions, which are all practised by
forest-recluses. Full of pride and arrogance, ourselves, however, through
covetousness and folly and from desire of enjoying the sweets of
sovereignty, have fallen into this plight. Beholding those kinsmen of
ours that were bent on acquiring the sovereignty of the world slain on
the field of battle, such grief hath been ours that one cannot gladden us
by giving the sovereignty of even the three worlds. Alas, having slain,
for the sake of the earth, such lords of earth as deserved not to be
slain by us, we are bearing the weight of existence, deprived of friends
and reft of the very objects of life. Like a pack of dogs fighting one
another for a piece of meat, a great disaster has overtaken us! That
piece of meat is no longer dear to us. On the other hand, it shall be
thrown aside. They that have been slain should not have been slain for
the sake of even the whole earth or mountains of gold, or all the horses
and kine in this world. Filled with envy and a hankering for all earthly
ob