Pandavas and kaurars

It was not till after these were born, grown up, and departed on

the supreme journey, that the great Rishi Vyasa published the Bharata

in this region of mankind ; when being solicited by Janamejaya and

thousands of Brahmanas, he instructed his disciple Vaisampayana, who

was seated near him ; and he, sitting together with the Sadasyas, recited

the Bharata, during the intervals of the ceremonies of the sacrifice,

being repeatedly urged to proceed.

Vyasa hath fully represented the greatness of the house of Euru,

the virtuous principles of Gandhari, the wisdom of Vidura, and the

constancy of Kunti. The noble Rishi hath also described the divinity

of Vasudeva, the rectitude of the sons of Pandu, and the evil practices

of the sons and partisans of Dhritarashtra.

Vyasa executed the compilation of the Bharata, exclusive of the

episodes originally in twenty-four thousand verses ; and so much only

is called by the learned as the Bharata. Afterwards, he composed an

epitome in one hundred and fifty verses, consisting of the introduction

with the chapter of contents. This he first taught to his son Suka ; and

afterwards he gave it to others of his disciples who were possessed of the

same qualifications. After that he executed another compilation, con-

sisting of six hundred thousand verses. Of those, thirty hundred thou-

sand are known in the world of the Devas ; fifteen hundred thousand

in the world of the Pitris : fourteen hundred thousand among the

Gandharvas, and one hundred thousand in the regions of mankind.

Narada recited them to the Deves, Devala to the Pitris, and Suka

published them to the Ganclharvas, Yakshas, and Rakshasas : and inthis world they were recited by Vaisampayana, one of the disciples of

Vyasa, a man of just principles and the first among all those acquainted

with the Vedas. Know that I, Sauti, have also repeated one hundred

thousand verses. Tudhishthira is a vast tree, formed of religion and virtue ; Arjuna

is its trunk ; Bhimasena, its branches ; the two sons of Madri are its full-

grown fruit and flowers ; and its roots are Krishna, Brahma, and the

Brahmanas.

Pandu, after having subdued many countries by his wisdom and

prowess, took up his abode with the Munis in a certain forest as a sports-

man, where he brought upon himself a very severe misfortune for having

killed a stag coupling with its mate, which served as a warning for the

conduct of the princes of his house as long as they lived. Their

mothers, in order that the ordinances of the law might be fulfilled,

admitted as substitutes to their embraces the gods Dharma, Vayu, Sakra,

and the divinities the twin Aswins. And when their offspring grew

up, under the care of their two mothers, in the society of ascetics, in

the midst of sacred groves and holy recluse-abodes of religious men, they

were conducted by Rishis into the presence of Dhritarashtra and his

sons, following as students in the habit of Brahmacharis, having their

hair tied in knots on their heads. 'These our pupils', said they, 'are as your sons, your brothers, and your friends ; they are Pandav as.' Saying

this, the Munis disappeared

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