and never sleeps at night.  O great Rishi, through the power of thy penances thou art competent to create new worlds.  What need I say then about showing this king his children who are now in the other world?  This Krishna, the daughter of Drupada, hath lost all her kinsmen and children.  For this, she who is the dearest of my daughters-in-law grieves exceedingly.  The sister of Krishna, viz., Subhadra of sweet speech, burning with the loss of her son, grieves as deeply.  This lady that is respected by all, that is the wife of Bhurisravas, afflicted with grief on account of the fate that has overtaken her husband, always indulges in heart-rending lamentations.  Her father-in-law was the intelligent Valhika of Kuru’s race.  Alas, Somadatta also was slain, along with his sire, in the great battle![47] Alas, a century of sons, heroes that never retreated from battle, belonging to this son of thine, this king of great intelligence and great prosperity, has been slain in battle.  The hundred wives of those sons are all grieving and repeatedly enhancing the grief of both the king and myself.  O great ascetic, stricken by that great slaughter, they have gathered round me.  Alas, those high-souled heroes, those great car warriors, my fathers-in-law, Somadatta and others,—­alas, what end has been theirs, O puissant one?  Through thy grace, O holy one, that will happen in consequence of which this lord of Earth, myself, and this daughter-in-law of thine, viz., Kunti, shall all become freed from our grief.  After Gandhari had said so, Kunti, whose face had become wasted through observance of many hard vows, began to think of her secret-born son endued with solar effulgence.  The boon giving Rishi Vyasa, capable of both beholding and hearing what happened at a remote distance, saw that the royal mother of Arjuna was afflicted with grief.  Unto her Vyasa said,—­’Tell me, O blessed one, what is in thy mind.  Tell me what thou wishest to say.  At this, Kunti, bending her head unto her father-in-law, and overcome with bashfulness, said these words unto him, relating to the occurrences of the past.’”

SECTION XXX

“Kunti said, ’O holy one, thou art my father-in-law and therefore, my deity of deities.  Verily, thou art my god of gods.  Hear my words of truth.  An ascetic named Durvasas, who is of the regenerate order and who is full of wrath, came to my father’s house for eleemosynary charity.  I succeeded in gratifying him by the purity of my external behaviour and of my mind, as also by refusing to notice the many wrongs he did.  I did not give way to wrath although there was much in his behaviour quite capable of exciting that passion.  Served with care, the great ascetic became highly pleased with me and disposed to grant me a boon.  ’Thou must accept the boon I shall give,’ were his words to me.  Fearing his curse, I answered him, saying,—­’So be it.’  The regenerate Rishi once more said unto me,—­’O