erent sacred waters, thou wilt be cleansed from
thy sins, and the fever of thy heart will abate. And then thou wilt be
able to enjoy thy kingdom, happy in the thought that thy sins have been
washed off. And, O foremost of Brahmanas, endued with ascetic power, it
behoveth thee also to protect Yudhishthira during his wandering over the
earth. Fierce Rakshasas ever live in mountain fastnesses and rugged
steppes. Protect thou the king from those cannibals.'

"After Mahendra had spoken thus unto Lomasa, Vibhatsu also reverently
addressed that Rishi, saying, 'Protect thou ever the son of Pandu. O
best of men, let the king, O great Rishi, protected by thee, visit the
various places of pilgrimage and give away unto Brahmanas in charity.'"

Vaisampayana continued, "The mighty ascetic Lomasa, having answered both
saying, 'So be it,' set out for the earth, desirous of arriving at
Kamvaka. And having arrived at those woods, he beheld the slayer of foes
and son of Kunti, king Yudhishthira the just, surrounded by ascetics and
his younger brothers."

SECTION XLVIII

Janamejaya said, "These feats of Pritha's son endued with immeasurable
energy, were certainly marvellous. O Brahmana, what did Dhritarashtra of
great wisdom say, when he heard of them?"

Vaisampayana said, "Amvika's son, king Dhritarashtra, having heard of
Arjuna's arrival and stay at Indra's abode, from Dwaiparana, that
foremost of Rishis, spake unto Sanjaya, saying, 'O charioteer, dost thou
know in detail the acts of the intelligent Arjuna, of which I have heard
from beginning to end? O charioteer, my wretched and sinful son is even
now engaged in a policy of the most vulgar kind. Of wicked soul, he will
certainly depopulate the earth. The illustrious person whose words even
in jest are true, and who hath Dhananjaya to fight for him, is sure to
win the three worlds. Who that is even beyond the influence of Death and
Decay will be able to stay before Arjuna, when he will scatter his
barbed and sharp-pointed arrows whetted on stone? My wretched sons, who
have to fight with the invincible Pandavas are indeed, all doomed.
Reflecting day and night, I see not the warrior amongst us that is able
to stay in battle before the wielder of the _Gandiva_. If Drona, or
Karna, or even Bhishma advance against him in battle, a great calamity
is likely to befall the earth. But even in that case, I see not the way
to our success. Karna is kind and forgetful. The preceptor Drona is ol