re tell an untruth, for untruth is not in me. O son of Kunti,
without the help of fraud, wilt thou kill the wicked and irrepressible
Duryodhana, with his allies.'

"While Yudhishthira the just, was speaking unto Bhima thus, there came
the great and illustrious Rishi Vrihadaswa before them. And beholding
that virtuous ascetic before him, the righteous king worshipped him
according to the ordinance, with the offering of _Madhuparka_. And when
the ascetic was seated and refreshed, the mighty-armed Yudhishthira sat
by him, and looking up at the former, addressed him thus in exceedingly
piteous accents:

"'O holy one, summoned by cunning gamblers skilled at dice, I have been
deprived of wealth and kingdom through gambling. I am not an adept at
dice, and am unacquainted with deceit. Sinful men, by unfair means,
vanquished me at play. They even brought into the public assembly my
wife dearer unto me than life itself. And defeating me a second time,
they have sent me to distressful exile in this great forest, clad in
deer skins. At present I am leading a distressful life in the woods in
grief of heart. Those harsh and cruel speeches they addressed me on the
occasion of that gambling match, and the words of my afflicted friends
relating to the match at dice and other subjects, are all stored up in
my remembrance. Recollecting them I pass the whole night in (sleepless)
anxiety. Deprived also (of the company) of the illustrious wielder of
the Gandiva, on whom depend the lives of us all, I am almost deprived of
life. Oh, when shall I see the sweet-speeched and large-hearted Vibhatsu
so full of kindness and activity, return to us, having obtained all
weapons? Is there a king on this earth who is more unfortunate than
myself? Hast thou ever seen or heard of any such before? To my thinking,
there is no man more wretched than I am.'

"Vrihadaswa said, 'O great king, O son of Pandu, thou sayest, "There is
no person more miserable than I am." O sinless monarch, if thou wilt
listen, I will relate unto thee the history of a king more wretched than
thyself.'"

Vaisampayana continued, "And thereupon the king said unto the ascetic,
'O illustrious one, tell me, I desire to hear the history of the king
who had fallen into such a condition.'

"Vrihadaswa said, 'O king, O thou that never fallest off, listen
attentively with thy brothers, I will narrate the history of a prince
more miserable than thyself. There was a celebrated king among the