he peacock, the king at last reached the sacred lake of
Dwaitavana. And the spot which the king reached swarmed with bees
inebriate with floral honey, and echoed with the mellifluous notes of the
blue-throated jay and was shaded by Saptacchadas and punnagas and
Vakulas. And the king graced with high prosperity proceeded thither like
the thunder-wielding chief of the celestials himself. And, O thou best of
the Kuru race, King Yudhishthira the just, endued with high intelligence,
was then, O monarch, residing in the vicinity of that lake at will and
celebrating with his wedded wife, the daughter of Drupada, the diurnal
sacrifice called Rajarshi, according to the ordinance sanctioned for the
celestials and persons living in the wilderness. And, O monarch, having
reached that spot, Duryodhana commanded his men by thousands, saying,
'Let pleasure-houses be constructed soon.' Thus commanded, those doers of
the king's behests replying to the Kruru chief with the words, 'So be
it,' went towards the banks of the lake for constructing pleasure-houses.
And as the picked soldiers of Dhritarashtra's son, having reached the
region of the lake, were about to enter the gates of the wood, a number
of Gandharvas appeared and forbade them to enter. For, O monarch, the
king of the Gandharvas accompanied by his followers, had come thither
beforehand, from the abode of Kuvera. And the king of the Gandharvas had
also been accompanied by the several tribes of Apsaras, as also by the
sons of the celestials And intent upon sport, he had come to that place
for merriment, and occupying it, had closed it against all comers. And
the attendants of the (Kuru) king, finding the lake closed by the king of
the Gandharvas, went back, O monarch, to where the royal Duryodhana was.
And Duryodhana having heard these words, despatched a number of his
warriors difficult of being subjugated in battle, commanding them to
drive away the Gandharvas. And those warriors who formed the vanguard of
the Kuru army, hearing these words of the king, went back to the lake of
Dwaitavana and addressing the Gandharvas, said, 'The mighty king
Duryodhana--the son of Dhritarashtra--is coming, hither for sport. Stand
ye aside, therefore!' Thus addressed by them, O king, the Gandharvas
laughed and replied unto those men in these harsh words: 'Your wicked
king Duryodhana must be destitute of sense. How else could he have thus
commanded us that are dwellers of heaven, as if indeed, we w