And taking up the king back to the nether regions, and
having brought him thus in a moment, she apprised the _Danavas_ of it.
And the _Danavas_ beholding the king brought into their midst in the
night, united together, and all of them with well-pleased hearts and
eyes expanded in delight addressed these flattering words to
Duryodhana."
SECTION CCL
"The Danavas said, 'O Suyodhana, O great king! O perpetuator of the race
of Bharata, thou art ever surrounded by heroes and illustrious men. Why
hast thou, then, undertaken to do such a rash act as the vow of
starvation? The suicide ever sinketh into hell and becometh the subject
of calumnious speech. Nor do intelligent persons like thee ever set
their hands to acts that are sinful and opposed to their best interests
and striking at the very root of their purposes. Restrain this resolve
of thine, therefore, O king, which is destructive of morality, profit,
and happiness, of fame, prowess, and energy, and which enhanceth the joy
of foes. O exalted king, know the truth, the celestial origin of thy
soul, and the maker of thy body, and then summon thou patience to thy
aid. In days of old, O king, we have obtained thee, by ascetic
austerities from Maheswara. The upper part of thy body is wholly made of
an assemblage of _Vajras_, and is, therefore, invulnerable to weapons of
every description, O sinless one. The lower part of thy body, capable of
captivating the female heart by its comeliness was made of flowers by
the goddess herself--the wife of Mahadeva.
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