“Vaisampayana said, ‘O best of monarchs, within a few days after this,there commenced on the Raivataka mountain, a grand festival of theVrishnis and the Andhakas. At the mountain-festival of the Bhojas, theVrishnis and the Andhakas, the heroes of those tribes began to give awaymuch wealth unto Brahmanas by thousands.
“Vaisampayana said, ‘Then Dhananjaya, informed of the assent ofYudhishthira, and ascertaining, O Janamejaya, that the maiden had gone tothe Raivataka hill, obtained the assent of Vasudeva also, after havingsettled in consultation with him all that required to be done.
“Vaisampayana said, ‘When the heroes of the Vrishni race began to speakrepeatedly in this strain, Vasudeva uttered these words pregnant withdeep import and consistent with true morality. Gudakesa (the conqueror ofsleep or he of the curly hair), by what he hath done, hath not insultedour family.
“Vaisampayana said, ‘The Pandavas, after they had taken up their abode atIndraprastha at the command of Dhritarashtra and Bhishma began to bringother kings under their sway. All the subjects (of the kingdom) livedmost happily depending upon Yudhishthira the just, like a soul livinghappily depending upon a body blest with auspicious marks and piousdeeds.
“Vaisampayana said, ‘Then Havyavahana (Agni) in anger and disappointment,with his ailment uncured, went back to the Grandsire.
“Vaisampayana, said, ‘Thus addressed by Arjuna, the smoke-banneredHutasana, desirous of an interview with Varuna, recollected that son ofAditi,–that deity protecting one of the points of the heavens and havinghis home in the water and ruling that element.
“Vaisampayana said, ‘Then those foremost of car-warriors (Krishna andArjuna), riding in their cars and placing themselves on opposite sides ofthat forest, began a great slaughter, on all sides, of the creaturesdwelling in Khandava.
“Vaisampayana said, ‘Then Vibhatsu, the son of Pandu, invoking hisexcellent weapons, prevented that shower of rain by Indra, by means of ashower of his own weapons. And Arjuna of immeasurable soul soon coveredthe forest of Khandava with innumerable arrows like the moon covering theatmosphere with a thick fog.
Vaisampayana said, ‘Then the inhabitants of the forest of Khandava, theDanavas and Rakshasas and Nagas and wolves and bears and other wildanimals, and elephants with rent temples, and tigers, and lions withmanes and deer and buffaloes by hundreds, and birds, and various othercreatures, frightened at the falling stones and extremely anxious, beganto fly in all directions.
“Janamejaya said, ‘O Brahmana, tell me why and when that forest burnt inthat way, Agni consumed not the birds called Sarngakas?
