ha was. Touching the feet of his mother, he
began to weep aloud. With tears gushing down her cheeks, she saw her
darling child. Raising her son up and embracing him with her arms, she
informed Gandhari of Sahadeva's arrival. Then seeing the king and
Bhimasena and Arjuna, and Nakula, Pritha endeavoured to advance quickly
towards them. She was walking in advance of the childless old couple, and
was dragging them forward. The Pandavas, beholding her, fell down on the
earth. The puissant and high-souled monarch, endued with great
intelligence, recognising them by their voices and also by touch,
comforted them one after another. Shedding tears, those high-souled
princes, with due formalities, approached the old king and Gandhari, as
also their own mother. Indeed, regaining their senses, and once more
comforted by their mother, the Pandavas took away from the king and their
aunt and mother the jars full of water which they had been carrying,
forbearing them themselves. The ladies of those lions among men, and all
the women of the royal household, as also all the inhabitants of the city
and provinces, then beheld the old king. King Yudhishthira presented all
those individuals one after another to the old king, repeating their
names and races, and then himself worshipped his eldest sire with
reverence. Surrounded by them all, the old monarch, with eyes bathed in
tears of joy, regarded himself as once more staying in the midst of the
city called after the elephant. Saluted with reverence by all his
daughters-in-law headed by Krishna, king Dhritarashtra, endued with great
intelligence, with Gandhari and Kunti, became filled with joy. He then
reached his forest-retreat that was applauded by Siddhas and Charanas,
and that then teemed with vast crowds of men all desirous of beholding
him, like the firmament teeming with innumerable stars.'"

SECTION XXV

"Vaisampayana said, 'The king, O chief of Bharata's race, with those
foremost of men, viz., his brothers, who were all possessed of eyes that
resembled lotus-petals, took his seat in the retreat of his eldest sire.
There sat around him many highly-blessed ascetics, hailing from diverse
regions, from desire of beholding the sons of that lord of Kuru's race,
viz., the Pandavas of wide chests. They said, "We wish to know who
amongst these is Yudhishthira, who are Bhima and Arjuna, who the twins,
and who is Draupadi of great fame." Then the Suta, Sanjaya, in answer to
their queries