alive.  I shall consider my life as not passed in vain if I succeed in beholding her once more, O king.  Let this sort of understanding be ever stable in thee.  Let thy mind always take a pleasure in such righteousness as is involved, O king of kings, in thy desire of bestowing such a high boon on us.  Know, O king, that all these ladies of thy house are staying with their feet raised for the journey, from desire of beholding Kunti, and Gandhari, and my father-in-law.  Thus addressed by queen Draupadi, the king, O chief of Bharata’s race, summoned all the leaders of his forces to his presence and told them,—­’Cause my army, teeming with cars and elephants, to march out.  I shall behold king Dhritarashtra who is now living in the woods.’  Unto those that supervised the concerns of the ladies, the king gave the order, ’Let diverse kinds of conveyances be properly equipt, and all my closed litters that count by thousands.  Let carriages and granaries, and wardrobes, and treasuries, be equipt and ordered out, and let mechanics have the command to march out.  Let men in charge of treasuries go out on the way leading to the ascetic retreats on Kurukshetra.  Whoever amongst the citizens wishes to see the king is allowed to do so without any restriction.  Let him proceed, properly protected.  Let cooks and superintendents of kitchens, and the whole culinary establishment, and diverse kinds of edibles and viands, be ordered to be borne out on carts and conveyances.  Let it be proclaimed that we march out tomorrow.  Indeed, let no delay occur (in carrying out the arrangements).  Let pavilions and resting houses of diverse kinds be erected on the way.’  Even these were the commands which the eldest son of Pandu gave, with his brothers.  When morning came, O monarch, the king set out, with a large train of women and old men.  Going out of his city, king Yudhishthira waited five days for such citizens as might accompany him, and then proceeded towards the forest."’

SECTION XXIII

“Vaisampayana said.  ’That foremost one of Bharata’s race, then ordered his troops, which were protected by heroes that were headed by Arjuna and that resembled the very guardians of the universe, to march out.  Instantly, a loud clamour arose consisting of the words—­Equip, Equip!—­of horse-men, O Bharata, engaged in equipping and their steeds.  Some proceeded on carriages and vehicles, some on horses of great speed, and some on cars made of gold endued with the splendour of blazing fires.  Some proceeded on mighty elephants, and some on camels, O king.  Some proceeded on foot, that belonged to that class of combatants which is armed with tiger-like claws.[38] The citizens and inhabitants of the provinces, desirous of seeing Dhritarashtra, followed the king on diverse kinds of conveyances.  The preceptor Kripa also, of Gotama’s race, that great leader of forces, taking all the forces with him, proceeded, at the command of the king, towards the old monarch’s