“Yudhishthira said, ‘I desire, O thou of Kuru’s race, to know what theorigin and what the end is of all creatures; what is the nature of theirmeditation and what are their acts; what are the divisions of time, andwhat the allotted periods of life in the respective epochs.
Sanjaya said, “Then when the sun assumed a red hue, king Duryodhana,desirous of battle, rushed towards Bhima from desire of slaying him.
“Vaisampayana said, ‘The king, O chief of Bharata’s race, with thoseforemost of men, viz., his brothers, who were all possessed of eyes thatresembled lotus-petals, took his seat in the retreat of his eldest sire.
“Sauti said, ‘Being thus addressed, and hearing that his sire was bearinga dead snake, the powerful Sringin burned with wrath. And looking atKrisa, and speaking softly, he asked him, ‘Pray, why doth my father beartoday a dead snake?’ And Krisa replied, ‘Even as king Parikshit wasroving, for purpose of hunting, O dear one, he placed the dead snake onthe shoulder of thy sire.’
Vaisampayana said, “O Bharata, Kotikakhya related to those princes whohad been waiting, all that had passed between him and Krishna.
“Sanjaya said, ‘Beholding those Samsaptakas once more return to thefield, Arjuna addressed the high-souled Vasudeva, saying, ‘Urge thesteeds, O Hrishikesa, towards the Samsaptakas.
“Vaisampayana said, ‘Hearing these words of Krishna fraught with Moralityand profit, Santanu’s Bhishma, answered him in the following words.
Om! Having bowed down unto Narayana, and to Nara, the foremost of men, asalso to the goddess Sarasvati, should the word “Jaya” be uttered.
“Sanjaya said, ‘Meanwhile Krishna, pointing out king Yudhishthira thejust, unto Kunti’s son Partha, addressed him in these words:
“Vyasa said, ‘Brahma is the effulgent seed from which, existing as itdoes by itself, hath sprung the whole universe consisting of two kinds ofbeing, viz., the mobile and the immobile.
