let the city of Hastina be made ready for you, when the hostile force has been slain by the soldiers of the Dasarha tribe!  Having roamed at your pleasure in all those places where you may desire to go, having got rid of your grief and freed from all your sins—­you will reach the city of Hastina—­the well-known city situated in the midst of a fine territory!—­Then the magnanimous king having been acquainted with the view, thus clearly set forth by Krishna that best of men, and, having applauded the same, and having deliberated, thus spoke with joined palms unto Kesava, ’O Kesava, no doubt, thou art the refuge of the sons of Pandu; for the sons of Pandu have their protector in thee!  When the time will come, there is no doubt that thou wilt do all the work just mentioned by thee; and even more than the same!  As promised by us, we have spent all the twelve years in lonely forests.  O Kesava, having in the prescribed way completed the period for living unrecognised, the sons of Pandu will take refuge in thee.  This should be the intention of those that associate with thee, O Krishna!  The sons of Pandu swerve not from the path of truth, for the sons of Pritha with their charity and their piety with their people and their wives and with their relations have their protector in thee!”

Vaisampayana said, ’O descendant of Bharata, while Krishna, the descendant of the Vrishnis and the virtuous king, were thus talking, there appeared then the saint Markandeya, grown grey in the practise of penances.  And he had seen many thousand years of life, was of a pious soul, and devoted to great austerities.  Signs of old age he had none; and deathless he was, and endued with beauty and generous and many good qualities.  And he looked like one only twenty-five years old.  And when the aged saint, who had seen many thousand years of life, came, all the Brahamanas paid their respects to him and so did Krishna together with Pandu’s son.  And when that wisest saint, thus honoured, took his seat in a friendly way, Krishna addressed him, in accordance with the views of the Brahmanas and of Pandu’s sons, thus,—­

“The sons of Pandu, and the Brahmanas assembled here, and the daughter of Drupada, and Satyabhama, likewise myself, are all anxious to hear your most excellent words, O Markandeya!  Propound to us the holy stories of events of bygone times, and the eternal rules of righteous conduct by which are guided kings and women and saints!”

Vaisampayana continued, “When they had all taken their seats, Narada also, the divine saint, of purified soul, came on a visit to Pandu’s sons.  Him also, then, of great soul, all those foremost men of superior intellect, honoured in the prescribed form, by offering water to wash his feet, and the well-known oblation called the Arghya.  Then the godlike saint, Narada, learning that they were about to hear the speech of Markandeya, expressed his assent to the arrangement.  And he, the deathless, knowing what would be opportune, said smilingly, ’O saint of the Brahmana caste, speak what you were about to say unto the sons of Pandu!’ Thus addressed, Markandeya, devoted to great austerities, replied, ‘Wait a moment.  A great deal will be narrated.’  Thus addressed, the sons of Pandu, together with those twice-born ones, waited a moment, looking at that great saint, (bright) as the mid-day sun.”