O monarch, and with diverse other articles
that each desired. Then loud shouts of "This is a blessed day" arose,
filling the entire welkin, O Bharata. Sweet to the ear, that sacred sound
was highly gratifying to the friends and well-wishers (of the Pandavas).
The king heard that sound uttered by those learned Brahmanas and that was
as loud and clear as the sound of a flock of swans. He listened also to
the speeches, fraught with melodious words and grave import, of those
persons well conversant with the Vedas. Then, O king, the peal of drums
and the delightful blare of conchs, indicative of triumph, arose. A
little while after when the Brahmanas had become silent, a Rakshasa of
the name of Charvaka, who had disguised himself as a Brahmana, addressed
the king. He was a friend of Duryodhana and stood there in the garb of a
religious mendicant. With a rosary, with a tuft of hair on his head, and
with the triple staff in his hand, he stood proudly and fearlessly in the
midst of all those Brahmanas that had come there for pronouncing
benedictions (upon the king), numbering by thousands, O king, and all of
whom were devoted to penances and vows. That wicked wight, desirous of
evil unto the high-souled Pandavas and without having consulted those
Brahmanas, said these words unto the king.'

"'Charvaka said, "All these Brahmanas, making me their spokesman, are
saying, 'Fie on thee! Thou art a wicked king. Thou art a slayer of
kinsmen.' What shalt thou gain, O son of Kunti, by having thus
exterminated thy race? Having slain also thy superiors and preceptor, it
is proper for thee to cast away thy life." Hearing these words of that
wicked Rakshasa the Brahmanas there became deeply agitated. Stung by that
speech, they made a loud uproar. And all of them, with king Yudhishthira.
O monarch, became speechless from anxiety and shame.'

"'Yudhishthira said, "I bow down to you and beseech you humbly, be
gratified with me. It doth not behove you to cry fie on me. I shall soon
lay down my life."'[122]

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Then all those Brahmanas, O king, loudly said,
"These are not our words. Prosperity to thee, O monarch!" Those
high-souled persons, conversant with the Vedas, with understanding
rendered clear by penances, then penetrated the disguise of the speaker
by means of their spiritual sight. And they said, "This is the Rakshasa
Charvaka, the friend of Duryodhana. Having put on the garb of a religious
mendicant, he seeks th