there were one hundred thousand. Of cars there
were as many, and of carts, too as many, and of she-elephants
as many. Of mules and men the number was untold.
That wealth which Yudhishthira caused to be dugout
was even so much. Sixteen thousand coins were
placed on the back of each camel; eight thousand on
each car; four and twenty thousand on each elephant;
(while proportionate loads were placed on horses and
mules and on the backs, shoulder and heads of men).
Having loaded these vehicles with that wealth and once
more worshipping the great deity Siva, the son of Pandu
set out for the city called after the elephant, with
the permission of the Island-born Rishi, and placing
his priest Dhaumya in the van. That foremost of
men,
viz., the royal son of Pandu, made short
marches everyday, measured by a Goyuta (4 miles).
That mighty host, O king, afflicted with the weight
they bore, returned, bearing that wealth, towards the
capital, gladdening the hearts of all those perpetuators
of the Kuru race.’”
“Vaisampayana said, ’Meanwhile, Vasudeva
of great energy accompanied by the Vrishnis, came
to the city called after the elephant. While leaving
that city for returning to his own Dwaraka, he had
been requested by the son of Dharma to come back.
Hence, knowing that the time fixed for the horse-sacrifice
had come, that foremost of men came back (to the Kuru
capital). Accompanied by the son of Rukmini, by
Yuyudhana, by Charudeshna, by Samva, by Gada, by Kritavarman,
by the heroic Sarana, by Nisatha, and by the Unmukha,
Vasudeva came with Valadeva at the head of the train,
with Subhadra also accompanying him. Indeed, that
hero came for seeing Draupadi and Uttara and Pirtha
and for comforting those Kshatriya ladies of distinction
who had been bereft of many of their protectors.
Beholding those heroes come, king Dhritarashtra, as
also the high-souled Vidura, received them with due
honours. That foremost of men, viz., Krishna
of great energy, well adored by Vidura and Yuyutsu,
continued to reside in the Kuru capital. It was
while the Vrishni heroes, O Janamejaya, were residing
in the Kuru city, O king, that thy sire, that slayer
of hostile heroes, was born. The royal Parikshit,
O monarch, afflicted by the Brahma weapon (of Aswatthaman),
upon coming out of the womb, lay still and motionless,
for life he had not. By his birth he had gladdened
the citizens but soon plunged them into grief.
The citizens, learning of the birth of the prince,
uttered a leonine shout. That noise proceeded
to the utmost verge of every point of the compass.
Soon, however, (when it was known that the prince
was bereft of life), that noise ceased. With
great haste Krishna, his senses and mind considerably
affected, with Yuyudhana in his company, entered the
inner apartments of the palace. He beheld his
own paternal aunt (Kunti) coming, loudly weeping and
calling upon him repeatedly. Behind her were Draupadi
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