आश्रमवासिक पर्व — व्यास के आश्रम में आगमन

Vaishampayana said Acting according to the advice of Vidura, the king took up his residence on the banks of the Bhagirathi which were sacred and deserved to be inhabited by the righteous.

There many Brahmanas who had taken up their residence in the forest, as also many Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras, came to see the old king.

Silting in their midst, he plcased them all by his words. Having duly adored the Brahmanas with their disciples, he disinissed them all.

As evening camne, the king, and the illustrious Gandhari, both descended into the stream of the Bhagirathi and duly performed their ablutions for purifying themselves.

The king and the queen, and Vidura and others, O Bharata, having bathed in the sacred river, performed the usual rites of religion.

After the king had purified himself by a bath, the daughter of Kuntibhoja, gently conducted both him who was to her as her father-in-law, and Gandhari, from the water into the dry bank.

The Yajakas had made a sacrificial alter there for the king. Devoted to truth, the latter poured libations then on the fire.

From the banks of the Bhagirathi the old king, with his followers, observing vows and with senses controlled, then proceeded to Kurukshetra.

Endued with great intelligence, the king arrived at the hermitage of the royal sage Shatayupa of grcat wisdom and saw him.

Shatayupa, O scorcher of enemies had been the great king of the Kaikeyas. Having made over the sovereignty of his kingdom to his son, he had come into the forest,

Shatayupa received king Dhritarashtra with due rites. Accompanied by him, the latter went to the hermitage of Vyasa.

Arrived at Vyasa's hermitage the delighter of the Kurus received his initiation into the forest mode of life. Returning he took up his residence in the hermitage of Shatayupa.

The great Shatayupa instructed Dhritarashtra in all the rites of the forest mode, at the command of Vyasa.

Thus the great Dhritarashtra set himself to the practice of penances, and all his followers also to the same course of conduct.

Queen Gandhari also, O monarch, along with Kunti, put on barks of trees and deerskins, and began to observe the same vows as her husband.

Restraining their senses in thought, words, and deeds, as well as by cye, they began to perforin sever austerities.

Shorn of all stupefaction of mind, king Dhritarashthra began to practice vows and penances like a great Rishi, reducing his body to skin and bones, for his flesh was all dried up, bearing inatted locks on heard, and his person clad in barks and skins.

Vidura, conversant with the true interpretations of Virtue, and gifted with great intelligence, as also Sanjaya, waited upon the old king with his wife. Both of them with souls under control, Vidura and Sanjaya also reduced themselves, and wore barks and rags.