ifts of water and roots and fruits. It has been said, O king, that
one's guest should take that which one takes oneself." Thus addressed,
Dharma's son answered the king, saying,--"So be it." The mighty-armed
king ate the fruits and roots which the monarch gave him. Then they all
spread their beds under a tree and passed that night thus, having eaten
fruits and roots and drunk the water that the old king had given them.'"

SECTION XXVII

"Vaisampayana said, 'They passed that night which was characterised by
auspicious constellations even thus, O king, in that retreat of righteous
ascetics. The conversation that occurred was characterised by many
reflections on morality and wealth. Consisting of delightful and sweet
words, it was graced with diverse citations from the Srutis. The
Pandavas, O king, leaving costly beds, laid themselves down, near their
mother, on the bare ground. Indeed, those heroes passed that night,
having eaten the food which was the food of the high-souled king
Dhritarashtra. After the night had passed away, king Yudhishthira, having
gone through his morning acts, proceeded to survey that retreat in the
company of his brothers. With the ladies of his household, the servants,
and his priest, the king roved about the retreat in all directions, as he
pleased, at the command of Dhritarashtra. He beheld many sacrificial
altars with sacred fires blazing on them and with many ascetics seated on
them, that had performed their oblations and poured libations in honour
of the deities. Those altars were overspread with fruits and roots of the
forest, and with heaps of flowers. The smoke of clarified butter curled
upwards from them. They were graced, besides, with many ascetics
possessed of bodies that looked like the embodied Vedas and with many
that belonged to the lay brotherhood. Herds of deer were grazing, or
resting here and there, freed from every fear. Innumerable birds also
were there, engaged in uttering their melodious notes, O king. The whole
forest seemed to resound with the notes of peacocks and Datyuhas and
Kokilas and the sweet songs of other warblers.[43] Some spots echoed with
the chant of Vedic hymns recited by learned Brahmanas. Some were adorned
with large heaps of fruits and roots gathered from the wilderness. King
Yudhishthira then gave those ascetics jars made of gold or copper which
he had brought for them, and many deer-skins and blankets and sacrificial
ladles made of wood, and Kamand