Ashramavasika Parva — The passing of a day in the forest by Yudhishthira

They passed that night which was marked out by auspicious constellations thus, o king, in that hermitage of pious ascetics.

The conversation that took place was marked by many reflections on morality and wealth. Consisting of delightful and sweet words, it was greed with various citations from the Shrutis.

The Pandavas, O king, leaving costly beds, laid themselves down, near their in other, on the naked earth.

Indeed, those heroes passed that night, having eaten the food which was the food of the great king Dhritarashtra.

After the night had passed away, king Yudhishthira, having performed his morning rites proceeded to survey that'hermitage in the company of his brothers.

With the royal ladies, the servants, and his priest, the king roved about the hermitage in all directions as he pleased, at the command of Dhritarashtra.

He saw many sacrificial alters with sacred firs burning on them and with many ascetics seated on them, who had performed their oblations and poured libations in honour of the celestials.

Those alters were covered with fruits and roots of he forest, and with heaps of flowers. The smoke of clarified butter curled upwards from them. They were graced, besides, with many ascetics possessed of bodies which appeared like the embodied Vedas and with many laymen.

Herds of deer were grazing or resting here and there, shorn of fear. Countless birds also were there, engaged in uttering their sweet notes, O king!

The entire forest seemed to resound with the notes of peacocks and Datyuhas and Kokilas and the sweet songs of other warblers.

Some spots were echoed with the chaunt of Vedic hymns recited by learned Brahmanas. Some were adorned wit large heaps of fruits and roots gathered from the forest.

King Yudhishthira then distributed amongst those ascetics golden or copper jars which he had brought for them, and many deer-skins and blankets and wooden sacrificial ladies and Kamandalus and wooden Platters, and pots and pans, O Bharata.

Various kinds of vessels, made of iron, and smaller vessels and cups of various sizes, were also given away by the king, the ascetics taking them away, each as many as he liked.

Pious king Yudhishthira, having thus roved through the forest and seen the various retreats of ascetics and made many gifts, returned to the place where his uncle was.

He saw king Dhritarashtra, seated at ease, with Gandhari besides him, after having finished his morning rites.

The righteous souled monarch beheld also his mother, Kunti, seated not much remote from that place, like a disciple with bent head, gifted with humility.

He saluted the old king giving his name. 'Sit down', were the words the old king said. With Dhritarashtra's permission, Yudhishthira sat himself down on a mat of Kusha grass.

Then the other sons of Pandu with Bhima among them, O you of Bharata's race, saluted the king and touched his feet and sat themselves down, with his order.

The old Kuru king, surrounded by them looked highly beautiful, indeed, he blazed with a Vedic splendour like Brihaspati in the midst of the celestials.

After they had sat themselves down, many great Rishis, viz., Shatayupa, and others, who were inhabitants of Kurukshetra came there.

The illustrious and learned Vyasa, gifted with great energy and respected by even the celestial Rishis, showed himself at the head of his numerous disciples to Yudhishthira.

The Kuru king Dhritarashtra, Kunti's son Yudhishthira of great energy, and Bhimasena and others, stood up and going a few steps, saluted those guests.

Approaching near, Vyasa, surrounded by Shatayupa and others, addressed king Dhritarashtra, saying, 'Be seated.'

The illustrious Vyasa then took an excellent seat made of Kusha grass placed upon a black deer-skin and covered with a piece of silken cloth. They has reserved that seat for him.

After Vyasa had been seated, all those foremost of twice-born persons, gifted with profuse energy, sat themselves down, with the permission of Krishna-Dvaipayana.