tial sages. And
seeing that hermitage inhabited by the Brahmarshis and containing fruits
dropping honey, the Pandavas were filled with delight. And having
reached that place, the high-souled ones began to dwell with the
Brahmanas. There beholding the holy lake Vinda, and the mountain
Mainaka, of golden summits and inhabited by various species of birds,
the magnanimous ones lived happily with joy. The son of Pandu together
with Krishna took pleasure in ranging excellent and captivating woods,
shining with flowers of every season; beauteous on all sides with trees
bearing blown blossoms; and bending down with the weight of fruits and
attended by the numerous male _kokilas_ and of glossy foliage; and thick
and having cool shade and lovely to behold. They took delight in
beholding diverse beautiful lakes of limpid water and shining all round
with lotuses and lilies. And there, O lord, the balmy breeze bearing
pure fragrance, blew gladdening all the Pandavas, together with Krishna.
And hard by the gigantic jujube, the mighty son of Kunti saw the
Bhagirathi of easy descent and cool and furnished with fresh lotuses and
having stairs made of rubies and corals and graced with trees and
scattered over with celestial flowers, and gladsome to the mind. And at
that spot, frequented by celestials and sages, and extremely
inaccessible, they, after having purified themselves offered oblations
unto the _pitris_ and the gods and the _rishis_ in the sacred waters of
the Bhagirathi. Thus those bulls among men the heroic perpetuators of
the Kuru race, began to reside there with the Brahmanas offering
oblations and practising meditation. And those tigers among men, the
Pandavas of the god-like appearance, felt delight in witnessing the
various amusements of Draupadi."

SECTION CXLV

Vaisampayana said, "There observing cleanliness, those tigers among men
dwelt for six nights, in expectation of beholding Dhananjaya. And it
came to pass that all of a sudden there blew a wind from the north-east
and brought a celestial lotus of a thousand petals and effulgent as the
sun. And Panchali saw that pure and charming lotus of unearthly
fragrance, brought by the wind and left on the ground. And having
obtained that excellent and beautiful lotus, that blessed one became
exceedingly delighted, O king, and addressed Bhimasena in the following
words, 'Behold, O Bhima, this most beautiful unearthly flower having
within it the very source of fragrance. It