nda said, "Ye
kings, until we come back having informed the king of Karna's slaughter
by Arjuna, stand ye here with care." Having received the permission of
these heroes, he then set out for the quarters of the king. With Partha
in his company, Govinda beheld Yudhishthira, that tiger among kings,
lying on an excellent bed of gold. Both of them then, with great joy,
touched the feet of the king. Beholding their joy and the extraordinary
wounds on their bodies, Yudhishthira regarded the son of Radha to be dead
and rose quickly from his bed. That chastiser of foes, the mighty-armed
monarch, having risen from his bed, repeatedly embraced Vasudeva and
Arjuna with affection. That descendant of Kuru's race then asked Vasudeva
(the particulars of Karna's death). Then the sweet-speeched Vasudeva that
descendant of the Yadu race, spoke to him of Karna's death exactly as it
had happened. Smiling then, Krishna, otherwise called Acyuta, joined his
palms and addressed king Yudhishthira whose foes had been killed saying,
"By good luck, the wielder of Gandiva, and Vrikodara, the son of Pandu,
and thyself, and the two sons of Madri, are all safe, having been freed
from this battle that has been so destructive of heroes and that made the
very hair of the body to stand on end. Do thou those acts, O son of
Pandu, which should next be done. The Suta's son Karna, possessed of
great might and otherwise called Vaikartana, hath been slain. By good
luck, victory hath become thine, O king of kings. By good luck, thou
growest, O son of Pandu! The Earth drinketh today the blood of that
Suta's son, that wretch among men, who had laughed at the dice-won
Krishna. That foe of thine, O bull of Kuru's race, lieth today on the
bare ground, pierced all over with arrows. Behold that tiger among men,
pierced and mangled with shafts. O thou of mighty arms, rule now, with
care, this earth that is divested of all thy foes, and enjoy with us, all
kinds of enjoyable articles!"'"

"Sanjaya continued, 'Having heard these words of the high-souled Keshava,
Yudhishthira, with great joy, worshipped in return that hero of
Dasharha's race. "Good luck, Good luck!" were the words, O monarch, that
he said. And he added, "It is not wonderful, O mighty-armed one, in thee,
O son of Devaki, that Partha, having obtained thee for his charioteer,
should achieve feats that are even super-human." Then that chief of
Kuru's race, that righteous son of Pritha, taking hold of Keshava's r