city, O protector of men.’  And then those two kings Salya and Duryodhana embraced each other.  And having thus greeted Salya, Duryodhana came back to his own city.  And Salya went to inform the sons of Kunti of that proceeding of his.  And having reached Upaplavya, and entered the encampment, Salya saw there all the sons of Panda.  And the mighty-armed Salya having met the sons of Panda, accepted as usual water for washing his feet, and the customary gifts of honour including a cow.  And the king of the Madras, that slayer of foes, first asked them how they were, and then with great delight embraced Yudhishthira, and Bhima, and Arjuna, and the sons of his sister the two twin-brothers.  And when all had sat down, Salya spoke to Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, saying, ’O tiger among kings, O thou delighter of the race of Kuru, is it all well with thee?  O best of victors, how fortunately hast thou spent the term of thy residence in the wilderness, O king, O lord of monarchs, it was an exceedingly hard task that thou hast performed by dwelling in the wilderness together with thy brothers and this noble lady here.  And awfully difficult task again was that sojourn of thine,—­the period of concealment,—­which task also thou hast performed, O descendant of Bharata; for one pulled down from a throne it is nothing but hardship that awaits him.  O king, where is there any happiness for him!  O afflicter of thy foes, in compensation for all this vast misery wrought by Dhritarashtra’s son, thou wilt attain to proportional happiness after having killed thy foes, O great king, O lord of men, the ways of the world are known to thee.  Therefore, O my son, thou art never guided by avarice in any of thy dealings.  O descendant of Bharata, do thou treat on the foot-prints of ancient saintly kings.  My son, Yudhishthira, be steady in the path of liberality, and self-abnegation, and truth.  And, O royal Yudhishthira, mercy and self control, and truth and universal sympathy, and everything wonderful in this world, are to be found in thee.  Thou art mild, munificent, religious, and liberal, and thou regardest virtue as the highest good.  O king, many are the rules of virtue that prevail amongst men, and all those are known to thee.  O my son, O afflicter of foes, thou knowest in fact everything relating to this world.  O king, O best of Bharata’s race, how lucky it is that thou hast come out of this difficulty of thine.  How lucky, O king, O foremost of monarchs, O lord, it is that I see thee, so virtuous a soul, a treasure-house of righteousness, freed with thy followers from this.’

“Vaisampayana continued, ’Then, O descendant of Bharata, the king spoke of his meeting with Duryodhana and gave a detailed account regarding that promise of his and that boon granted by himself.  And Yudhishthira said, O valiant king, it has been well-done by thee that being pleased at heart thou hast plighted thy truth to Duryodhana.  But good betide thee, O ruler of the earth, I ask thee to do one thing only.