form. And they also in return paid honour
to all the sons of Pritha, and were similarly honoured by Pandu's sons.
And they seated themselves round about Yudhishthira, as round Indra, O
king! are seated the celestial hosts. And highly pleased, he recounted
to them all the machinations of his adversaries, and how also he had
resided in the forest, and how Arjuna had gone to Indra's abode in order
to learn the science of arms--all this he related with a gladdened
heart. And they were happy to learn all this news from him; but when
they saw the Pandavas so exceedingly lean, the majestic and magnanimous
Vrishnis could not forbear shedding tears, which spontaneously gushed
from their eyes on account of the agony they felt."

SECTION CXIX

Janamejaya said, "O thou of ascetic wealth! when the sons of Pandu and
the Vrishnis reached the holy spot Prabhasa, what did they do and what
conversation was held there by them, for all of them were of mighty
souls, proficient in all the branches of science and both the Vrishnis
and the sons of Pandu held one another in friendly estimation."

Vaisampayana said, "When the Vrishnis reached the holy spot Prabhasa, the
sacred landing-place on the coast of the sea, they surrounded the sons
of Pandu and waited upon them. Then Valarama, resembling in hue the milk
of the cow and the Kunda flower and the moon and the silver and the
lotus root and who wore a wreath made of wild flowers and who had the
ploughshare for his arms, spake to the lotuseyed one, saying, 'O
Krishna, I do not see that the practice of virtue leads to any good or
that unrighteous practices can cause evil, since the magnanimous
Yudhishthira is in this miserable state, with matted hair, a resident of
the wood, and for his garment wearing the bark of trees. And Duryodhana
is now ruling the earth, and the ground doth not yet swallow him up.
From this, a person of limited sense would believe a vicious course of
life is preferable to a virtuous one. When Duryodhana is in a
flourishing state and Yudhishthira, robbed of his throne, is suffering
thus, what should people do in such a matter?--This is the doubt that is
now perplexing all men. Here is the lord of men sprung from the god of
virtue, holding fast to a righteous path, strictly truthful and of a
liberal heart. This son of Pritha would give up his kingdom and his
pleasure but would not swerve from the righteous path, in order to
thrive. How is it that Bhishma and Kripa and th