Vaisampayana said, “Having fallen into distress, those princes thusobtained at last a pleasant habitation in that forest. And there in thosewoods abounding with Sala trees and washed by the Saraswati, they whowere like so many Indras, began to sport themselves.
“Sanjaya said, ‘After those three car-warriors had left that spot, thePandavas arrived at that lake within which Duryodhana was restinghimself.
“Yudhishthira said: ‘Tell me, O grandsire, how should the king shouldbehave if, notwithstanding his great wealth, he desires for more.’
“Yudhishthira said, ‘By whom was the Sraddha first conceived and at whattime? What also is its essence?
“Bhishma said, ‘I then placed the matter before (my mother) Kali,otherwise called Gandhavati, as also all our counsellors, and also beforeour special and ordinary priests and then permitted, O king, the eldestof those maidens, Amva, to depart.
“Vrihadaswa continued, ‘O Bharata, Nala pledged his word to thecelestials saying, ‘I will do it.’ And then approaching these, he askedwith folded hands.
“Dhritarashtra said, ‘O Suta, O Sanjaya, this grievous result that hasnow overtaken us is, I think, certainly due to my evil policy. I hadhitherto thought that what is past. But, O Sanjaya, what measures shouldI now adopt? I am now once more calm, O Sanjaya, therefore, tell me howthis slaughter of heroes is going on, having my evil policy for itscause.’
Vaisampayana said, “After they had departed, Yudhishthira the virtuousson of Kunti, unwavering in his promises, addressed all his brothers,saying, ‘We shall have to dwell in the solitary forest for these twelveyears.
“Dhritarashtra said, ‘After all the Kaurava troops had been slain by thesons of Pandu on the field of battle, what did those survivors of myarmy, Kritavarma and Kripa and the valiant son of Drona do? What also didthe wicked-souled king Duryodhana then do?’
“Bhishma said, ‘Let not such trees as yield edible fruits be cut down inthy dominions. Fruits and roots constitute the property of the Brahmanas.The sages have declared this to be an ordinance of religion.
