ed with joy."

Janamejaya said, "When were those heroes, the sons of Pandu, at that
time? And from whom did they hear this welcome news? And what also did
they do, when the twelfth year of their exile passed away? Do thou, O
illustrious one, tell me all this!"

Vaisampayana said, "Having defeated the chief of the Saindhavas, and
rescued Krishna, and having outlived the entire term of their painful
exile in the woods, and having listened to the ancient stories about
gods and _Rishis_ recited by Markandeya, those heroes among men returned
from their asylum in Kamyaka to the sacred Dwaitavana, with all their
cars, and followers, and accompanied by their charioteers, their kine,
and the citizens who had followed them."

SECTION CCCIX

(_Aranya Parva_)

Janamejaya said, "Having felt great affliction on account of the
abduction of their wife and having rescued Krishna thereafter, what did
the Pandavas next do?"

Vaisampayana said, "Having felt great affliction on account of the
abduction of Krishna, king Yudhishthira of unfading glory, with his
brothers, left the woods of Kamyaka and returned to the delightful and
picturesque Dwaitavana abounding in trees and containing delicious
fruits and roots. And the sons of Pandu with their wife Krishna began to
reside there, living frugally on fruits and practising rigid vows. And
while those repressers of foes, the virtuous king Yudhishthira, the son
of Kunti, and Bhimasena, and Arjuna, and those other sons of Pandu born
of Madri, were dwelling in Dwaitavana, practising rigid vows, they
underwent, for the sake of a Brahmana, great trouble, which, however,
was destined to bring about their future happiness. I will tell thee all
about the trouble which those foremost of Kurus underwent while living
in those woods, and which in the end brought about their happiness. Do
thou listen to it! Once on a time, as a deer was butting about, it
chanced that the two sticks for making fire and a churning staff
belonging to a Brahmana devoted to ascetic austerities, struck fast into
its antlers. And, thereupon, O king, that powerful deer of exceeding
fleetness with long bounds, speedily went out of the hermitage, taking
those articles away. And, O foremost of Kurus, seeing those articles of
his thus carried away, the Brahmana, anxious on account of his
_Agnihotra_, quickly came before the Pandavas. And approaching without
loss of time Ajatasatru seated in that forest with his brothers, the