practised asceticism in former days, and
likewise virtuous rulers of men had performed sacrificial rites. There
he, possessed of long and lusty arms, beheld the celebrated altar of
Richika's son, who was the foremost of all wielders of the bow. And the
altar was girt round by hosts of ascetics, and was fit to be worshipped
by persons of a virtuous life. Then the king beheld the holy and
delightful shrines of all the gods and of the Vasus, and of the hosts of
wind and of the two celestial physicians and of Yatna, son of the sun
and of the lord of riches, and of Indra, and of Vishnu, and of the lord
Creator and of Siva, and of the moon, and of the author of day, and of
the lord of waters, and of the host of Sadhyas, and of Brahma, and of
the forefathers, and of Rudra together with all his followers, and of
the goddess of learning, and of the host of Siddhas, and of many
immortal holy gods besides. And in those shrines the king observed
various fasts, and gave away large quantities of gems. He plunged his
body in all the holy spots, and then came again to Surparaka. And he by
the same landing-place of the sea again proceeded with his uterine
brothers and came over to the holy spot Prabhasa, whereof fame hath been
spread by mighty Brahmanas throughout the world. There he, possessed of
a pair of large red eyes, washed himself with all his younger brothers,
and offered libations to the forefathers and the celestial hosts; and so
did Krishna and all those Brahmanas together with Lomasa. For twelve
days he subsisted upon air and water. And he performed ablutions for
days and nights and surrounded himself with fires kindled on all sides.
Thus that greatest of all virtuous men engaged himself in asceticism.
While he was acting thus, information reached both Valarama and Krishna
that the king was practising penances of a most austere form and these
two leaders of the entire Vrishni tribe accompanied with troops came to
Yudhishthira of Ajamidha's race. And when the Vrishnis beheld that the
sons of Pandu lay down on the ground, their bodies besmeared all over
with dirt and when they beheld the daughter of Drupada in a sad state,
their grief was great and they could not refrain from breaking out in
loud lamentations. Then the king, whose courage was such that misfortune
never could cast him down, cordially met Rama and Krishna and Samva,
Krishna's son, and the grand-son of Sini and other Vrishnis, and paid
honour to them in a suitable