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
_Brahmanas_ 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.
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