Chapter 79
“Vrihadaswa said, ‘After the festivities had commenced in the city thatwas full of joy and without anxiety of any kind, the king with a largeforce brought Damayanti (from her father’s home). And her father, too,that slayer of hostile heroes, Bhima of terrible prowess and immeasurablesoul, sent his daughter, having honoured her duly. And upon the arrivalof the princess of Vidarbha accompanied by her son and daughter, kingNala began to pass his days in joy like the chief of the celestials inthe gardens of Nandana. And the king of undying fame, having regained hiskingdom and becoming illustrious among monarchs of the island of Jamvu,began once more to rule it. And he duly performed numerous sacrificeswith abundant gifts to Brahmanas. O great king, thou also wilt with thykindred and relatives, so blaze forth in effulgence soon. For, O foremostof men, it was thus that subjugator of hostile cities, king Nala, hadfallen into distress along with his wife, in consequence, O bull ofBharata race of dice. And, O lord of the earth, Nala suffered such direwoe all alone and recovered his prosperity, whereas thou, O son of Pandu,with heart fixed on virtue, art sporting in joy in this great forest,accompanied by thy brothers and Krishna. When thou art also, O monarch,mixing daily with blessed Brahmanas versed in the Vedas and theirbranches, thou hast little cause for sorrow. This history, besides, ofthe Naga Karkotaka, of Damayanti, of Nala and of that royal sageRituparna, is destructive of evil. And, O thou of unfading glory, thishistory, destructive of the influence of Kali, is capable, O king, ofcomforting persons like thee when they listen to it. And reflecting uponthe uncertainty (of success) of human exertion, it behoveth thee not tojoy or grieve at prosperity or adversity. Having listened to thishistory, be comforted, O king, and yield not to grief. It behoveth theenot, O great king, to pine under calamity. Indeed, men ofself-possession, reflecting upon the caprice of destiny and thefruitlessness of exertion, never suffer themselves to be depressed. Theythat will repeatedly recite this noble history of Nala, and that willhear it recited, will never be touched by adversity. He that listeneth tothis old and excellent history hath all his purposes crowned with successand, without doubt, obtaineth fame, besides sons and grandsons andanimals, a high position among men, and health, and joy. And, O king, thefear also that thou entertainest, viz., (Some one skilled in dice willsummon me), I will for once dispel. O thou of invincible prowess, I knowthe science of dice in its entirety. I am gratified with thee; take thislore, O son of Kunti, I will tell unto thee.'”
Vaisampayana continued, “King Yudhishthira then, with a glad heart, saidunto Vrihadaswa, ‘O illustrious one, I desire to learn the science ofdice from thee.’ The Rishi then gave his dice-lore unto the high-souledson of Pandu, and having given it unto him, that great ascetic went tothe sacred waters of Hayasirsha for a bath.
“And after Vrihadaswa had gone away, Yudhishthira of firm vows heard fromBrahmanas and ascetics that came to him from various directions and fromplaces of pilgrimage and mountains and forests that Arjuna of highintelligence and capable of drawing the bow with his left hand, was stillengaged in the austerest of ascetic penances, living upon air alone. Andhe heard that the mighty-armed Partha was engaged in such fierceasceticism that none else before him had ever been engaged in suchpenances. And Dhananjaya, the son of Pritha, engaged in asceticausterities with regulated vows and fixed mind and observing the vow ofperfect silence, was, he heard, like the blazing god of justice himselfin his embodied form. And, O king, (Yudhishthira) the son of Panduhearing that his dear brother Jaya, the son of Kunti, was engaged in suchasceticism in the great forest, began to grieve for him. And with a heartburning in grief, the eldest son of Pandu, seeking consolation in thatmighty forest held converse with the Brahmanas possessed of variousknowledge who were living with him there.”
