“Saying, ‘So be it,’ the Pandavas with Krishna, caused those celestial and human Rishis to perform the usual propitiatory ceremonies.  And those heroes, having worshipped the feet of Lomasa and Dwaipayana and Narada and the celestial Rishi Parvata, O king, and accompanied by Dhaumya as also the ascetics that had been residing with them in the woods, set out on the day following the full moon of Agrahayana in which the constellation Pushya was ascendant.  Dressed in barks and hides, and with matted lock on head, they were all cased in impenetrable mail and armed with swords.  And O Janamejaya, the heroic sons of Pandu with quivers and arrows and scimitars and other weapons, and accompanied by Indrasena and other attendants with fourteen and one cars, a number of cooks and servants of other classes, set out with faces turned towards the east!”

SECTION XCIV

“Yudhishthira said, ’O best of celestial Rishis, I do not think that I am without merits.  Yet am I afflicted with so much sorrow that there never was a king like me.  I think, however, that my enemies are destitute of good qualities and even destitute of morality.  Yet why, O Lomasa, do they prosper in this world?’

“Lomasa said, ’Grieve not ever, O king, O son of Pritha, that sinful men should often prosper in consequence of the sins they commit.  A man may be seen to prosper by his sins, obtain good therefrom and vanquish his foes.  Destruction, however, overtakes him to the roots.  O king, I have seen many Daityas and Danavas prosper by sin but I have also seen destruction overtake them.  O exalted one, I have seen all this in the righteous age of yore.  The gods practised virtue, while the Asuras abandoned it.  The gods visited the tirthas, while the Asuras did not visit them.  And at first the sinful Asuras were possessed with pride.  And pride begat vanity and vanity begat wrath.  And from wrath arose every kind of evil propensities, and from these latter sprang shamelessness.  And in consequence of shamelessness, good behaviour disappeared from among them.  And because they had become shameless and destitute of virtuous propensities and good conduct and virtuous vows, forgiveness and prosperity and morality forsook them in no time.  And prosperity then, O king, sought the gods, while adversity sought the Asuras.  And when the Daityas and the Danavas, deprived of sense by pride, were possessed by adversity, Kali also sought to possess them.  And, O son of Kunti, overwhelmed with pride, and destitute of rites and sacrifices, and devoid of reason and feeling, and their hearts full of vanity, destruction overtook them soon.  And covered with infamy, the Daityas were soon exterminated.  The gods, however, who were virtuous in their practices, going to the seas, the rivers, the lakes and the holy spots, cleansed themselves of all sins, O son of Pandu, by means of ascetic penances and sacrifices and gifts and blessings,