thine ancestors who have gone before thee, as well as the other gods have been highly gratified and have accepted the oblations offered by thee.  And now, O king, let the foremost of regenerate beings offer on the sacrificial altar a red bull appertaining to the Fire-god and a sacred and duly consecrated blue bull with a variegated skin, appertaining to the Viswedevas.  Then, O king, the sacrificial ceremony grew in splendour, wherein the gods themselves collected the food, and Sakra, the lord of the gods, possessed of horses, and worshipped by the Brahmanas, became an assistant at the sacrifice.  And then the high-souled Samvarta ascending the altar, and looking radiant as the second embodiment of the blazing fire, loudly addressing the gods with complaisance, offered oblations of clarified butter to the fire with incantation of the sacred hymns.  And then the slayer of Vala first drank the Soma juice, and then the assembly of other gods drank Soma.  And then in happiness and with the king’s permission they returned home and well-pleased and delighted.  Then that monarch, the slayer of his enemies, with a delighted heart, placed heaps of gold on diverse spots, and distributing the immense wealth to the Brahmanas, he looked glorious like Kuvera, the god of wealth.  And with a buoyant heart, the king filled his treasury with different kinds of wealth, and with the permission of his spiritual preceptor, he returned (to his kingdom) and continued to rule the entire realm extending to the borders of the sea.  So virtuous in this world was that king, at whose sacrifice such an enormous quantity of gold vas collected, and now, O prince, thou must collect that gold and worshipping the gods with due rites, do thou perform this sacrifice.”

Vaisampayana continued, “Then the Pandava prince Yudhishthira was delighted on hearing this speech of the son of Satyavati (Vyasa), and desirous of performing his sacrifice with those riches, he held repeated consultations with his ministers.”

SECTION XI

Vaisampayana said, “When Vyasa of wonderful achievements had concluded his speech to the king, the highly-puissant son of Vasudeva (Krishna) also addressed him.  Knowing the king, the son of Pritha, afflicted in mind, and bereft of his relatives and kinsmen slain in battle, and appearing crest-fallen like the sun darkened eclipse, or fire smothered by smoke, that prop of the Vrishni race (Krishna), comforting the son of Dharma, essayed to address him thus.”

Vasudeva said, “All crookedness of heart leads to destruction (perdition?) and all rectitude leads to Brahman (spiritual excellence).  If this and this only is the aim and object of all true wisdom, then what can mental distraction do (to one who understands this)?  Thy Karma has not yet been annihilated, nor have thy enemies been subjugated, for thou dost not yet know the enemies that are still lurking within thine own flesh.  I shall (therefore) relate to