ways spoke for his master's good;
Vidura's coming to the Pandavas and his return to Dhritarashtra at the
solicitation of the latter; the wicked Duryodhana's plottings to destroy
the forest-ranging Pandavas, being incited thereto by Karna; the
appearance of Vyasa and his dissuasion of Duryodhana bent on going to the
forest; the history of Surabhi; the arrival of Maitreya; his laying down
to Dhritarashtra the course of action; and his curse on Duryodhana;
Bhima's slaying of Kirmira in battle; the coming of the Panchalas and the
princes of the Vrishni race to Yudhishthira on hearing of his defeat at
the unfair gambling by Sakuni; Dhananjaya's allaying the wrath of
Krishna; Draupadi's lamentations before Madhava; Krishna's cheering her;
the fall of Sauva also has been here described by the Rishi; also
Krishna's bringing Subhadra with her son to Dwaraka; and Dhrishtadyumna's
bringing the son of Draupadi to Panchala; the entrance of the sons of
Pandu into the romantic Dwaita wood; conversation of Bhima, Yudhishthira,
and Draupadi; the coming of Vyasa to the Pandavas and his endowing
Yudhishthira with the power of Pratismriti; then, after the departure of
Vyasa, the removal of the Pandavas to the forest of Kamyaka; the
wanderings of Arjuna of immeasurable prowess in search of weapons; his
battle with Mahadeva in the guise of a hunter; his meeting with the
lokapalas and receipt of weapons from them; his journey to the regions of
Indra for arms and the consequent anxiety of Dhritarashtra; the wailings
and lamentations of Yudhishthira on the occasion of his meeting with the
worshipful great sage Brihadaswa. Here occurs the holy and highly
pathetic story of Nala illustrating the patience of Damayanti and the
character of Nala. Then the acquirement by Yudhishthira of the mysteries
of dice from the same great sage; then the arrival of the Rishi Lomasa
from the heavens to where the Pandavas were, and the receipt by these
high-souled dwellers in the woods of the intelligence brought by the
Rishi of their brother Arjuna staving in the heavens; then the pilgrimage
of the Pandavas to various sacred spots in accordance with the message of
Arjuna, and their attainment of great merit and virtue consequent on such
pilgrimage; then the pilgrimage of the great sage Narada to the shrine
Putasta; also the pilgrimage of the high-souled Pandavas. Here is the
deprivation of Karna of his ear-rings by Indra. Here also is recited the
sacrificial magnifi