[78] That is, hunger, thirst, sorrow, bluntness of mortal
feeling, decrepitude, and death.
Vaisampayana continued,--"Thereupon that worshipful one said,--'I give
thee this boon! Good betide thee! O thou that are like unto an immortal,
ask thou a fresh boon!' Yudhishthira said,--'We have spent these twelve
years in the forest; and the thirteenth year is come. May no one
recognise us, as we spend this year somewhere.'"
Vaisampayana continued,--'Thereat that worshipful one replied,--'I give
this boon unto thee!' And then reassuring Kunti's son having truth for
prowess, he also said, 'Even if, O Bharata, ye range this (entire) earth
in your proper forms none in the three worlds shall recognise you. Ye
perpetuators of the Kuru race, through my grace, ye will spend this
thirteenth year, secretly and unrecognised, in Virata's kingdom! And
every one of you will be able at will to assume any form he likes! Do ye
now present the Brahmana with his fire-sticks. It was only to test you
that I carried them away in the form of a deer! O amiable Yudhishthira,
do thou ask for another boon that thou mayst like! I will confer it on
thee. O foremost of men, I have not yet been satisfied by granting boons
to thee! Do thou my son, accept a third boon that is great and
incomparable! Thou, O king, art born of me, and Vidura of portion or
mine!" Thereat Yudhishthira said,--'It is enough that I have beheld thee
with my senses, eternal God of gods as thou art! O father, whatever boon
thou wilt confer on me I shall surely accept gladly! May I, O lord,
always conquer covetousness and folly and anger, and may my mind be ever
devoted to charity, truth, and ascetic austerities!' The Lord of justice
said,--'Even by nature, O Pandava, hast thou been endued with these
qualities, for thou art the Lord of justice himself! Do thou again
attain what thou asked for!'"
Vaisampayana continued,--"Having said these words, the worshipful Lord
of justice, who is the object of contemplation of all the worlds,
vanished therefrom; and the high-souled Pandavas after they had slept
sweetly were united with one another.
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