then, having made over his gem to
the high-souled Pandavas, cheerlessly proceeded, before their eyes, to
the forest. The Pandavas who had killed and chastised all their foes,
placed Govinda and the island-born Krishna and the great ascetic Narada
at their head, and taking the gem that was born with Ashvatthama, quickly
came back to the intelligent Draupadi who was sitting in observance of
the praya vow.

"Those tigers among men, borne by their excellent steeds resembling the
wind in fleetness, came back with him of Dasharha's race to their
encampment. Speedily alighting from their cars, those great car-warriors,
themselves much more afflicted, beheld Drupada's daughter Krishna
afflicted with woe. Approaching the cheerless princess stricken with
sorrow and grief, the Pandavas with Keshava, sat round her.

"Then the mighty Bhimasena, desired by the king, gave that celestial gem
unto her and said these words: 'This gem, O amiable lady, is thine. The
slayer of thy sons hath been vanquished. Rise, casting off thy sorrow,
and recollect the duties of a Kshatriya lady. O thou of black eyes, when
Vasudeva was about to set out (from Upaplavya) on his mission of peace,
thou hadst, O timid lady, said even these words unto the slayer of Madhu,
'I have no husbands! I have no sons, nor brothers! Nor art thou alive, O
Govinda, since the king desires for peace!' Those bitter words were
addressed by thee to Krishna, that foremost of persons! It behoveth thee
to recollect those words of thine that were so consistent with Kshatriya
usages.

"'The wretched Duryodhana, that obstacle on the way of our sovereignty, has
been slain. I have quaffed the blood of the living Duhshasana. We have
paid off the debt we owed to our enemy. People, while talking, will not
be able to censure us any longer. Having vanquished Drona's son, we have
set him free for the sake of his being a Brahmana and of the respect that
should be shown to our deceased preceptor. His fame hath been destroyed,
O goddess, only his body remains! He has been divested of his gem and on
earth he has been reft of his weapons!'

"Draupadi said, 'I desired to only pay off our debt for the injury we have
sustained. The preceptor's son is worthy of my reverence as the preceptor
himself. Let the king bind this gem on his head, O Bharata!' The king
then, taking that gem, placed it on his head, at the desire of Draupadi
and regarding it as a gift from the preceptor. Holding on his head th