great ascetic merit, who
with senses under control, ever goeth to the gates of all the world from
the world of the gods unto that of Brahma, including that of the
Gandharvas and Apsaras! And thou knowest, without doubt, the opinions of
the Brahmanas, and, O king, their prowess also! And O monarch, thou
knowest what is calculated to do us good! And O great king, we will live
wherever thou likest! Here is this lake, full of sacred water, called
_Dwaitavana_, abounding with flowers, and delightful to look at, and
inhabited by many species of birds. If, O king, it pleaseth thee, here
should we like to dwell these twelve years! Thinkest thou otherwise?'
Yudhishthira replied, 'O Partha, what thou hast said recommendeth itself
to me! Let us go that sacred and celebrated and large lake called
_Dwaitavana_!'"

Vaisampayana continued, "Then the virtuous son of Pandu, accompanied by
numerous Brahmanas, all went to the sacred lake called _Dwaitavana_. And
Yudhishthira was surrounded by numerous Brahmanas some of whom
sacrificed with fire and some without it and some of whom, devoted to
the study of the Vedas, lived upon alms or were of the class called
_Vanaprasthas_. And the king was also surrounded by hundreds of
_Mahatmas_ crowned with ascetic success and of rigid vows. And those
bulls of the Bharata race, the sons of Pandu setting out with those
numerous Brahmanas, entered the sacred and delightful woods of _Dwaita_.
And the king saw that mighty forest covered on the close of summer with
_Salas_, and palms, and mangoes, and _Madhukas_, and _Nipas_ and
_Kadamvas_ and _Sarjjas_ and _Arjunas_, and _Karnikars_, many of them
covered with flowers. And flocks of peacocks and _Datyuhas_ and
_Chakoras_ and _Varhins_ and _Kokilas_, seated on the tops of the
tallest trees of that forest were pouring forth their mellifluous notes.
And the king also saw in that forest mighty herds of gigantic elephants
huge as the hills, with temporal juice trickling down in the season of
rut, accompanied by herds of she-elephants. And approaching the
beautiful Bhogavati (Saraswati), the king saw many ascetics crowned with
success in the habitations in that forest, and virtuous men of
sanctified souls clad in barks of trees and bearing matted locks on
their heads. And descending from their cars, the king that foremost of
virtuous men with his brothers and followers entered that forest like
Indra of immeasurable energy entering heaven. And crowds of _Charana