unto my father. Indeed, these instructions as to duty, uttered by
Vrihaspati himself, were first taught to my brothers. It was from them
that I heard these afterwards while in my father's house. And, O
Yudhishthira, while at intervals of business, I went out (of the inner
apartments) and sat on the lap of my father, that learned Brahmana used
to recite unto me these truths, sweetly consoling me therewith!'"

SECTION XXXIII

Vaisampayana said, "Hearing these words of Yajnaseni, Bhimasena, sighing
in wrath, approached the king and addressed him, saying, 'Walk, O
monarch, in the customary path trodden by good men, (before thee) in
respect of kingdoms. What do we gain by living in the asylum of
ascetics, thus deprived of virtue, pleasure, and profit? It is not by
virtue, nor by honesty, nor by might, but by unfair dice, that our
kingdom hath been snatched by Duryodhana. Like a weak offal-eating
jackal snatching the prey from mighty lions, he hath snatched away our
kingdom. Why, O monarch, in obedience to the trite merit of sticking to
a promise, dost thou suffer such distress, abandoning that wealth which
is the source of both virtue and enjoyments? It was for thy
carelessness, O king, that our kingdom protected by the wielder of the
_Gandiva_ and therefore, incapable of being wrested by Indra himself,
was snatched from us in our very sight. It was for thee, O monarch,
that, ourselves living, our prosperity was snatched away from us like a
fruit from one unable to use his arms, or like kine from one incapable
of using his legs. Thou art faithful in the acquisition of virtue. It
was to please thee, O Bharata, that we have suffered ourselves to be
overwhelmed with such dire calamity. O bull of the Bharata race, it was
because we were subject to thy control that we are thus tearing the
hearts of our friends and gratifying our foes. That we did not, in
obedience to thee, even then slay the sons of Dhritarashtra, is an act
of folly on our part that grieveth me sorely. This thy abode, O king, in
the woods, like that of any wild animal, is what a man of weakness alone
would submit to. Surely, no man of might would ever lead such a life.
This thy course of life is approved neither by Krishna, nor Vibhatsu,
nor by Abhimanyu, nor by the Srinjayas, nor by myself, nor by the sons
of Madri. Afflicted with the vows, thy cry is _Religion! Religion_! Hast
thou from despair been deprived of thy manliness? Cowards alone, unable
to win b