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368 Brahmana. Heading an eleemosynary life, they behled (in course of their wanderings) various delightful forests and earthly regions, and many rivers and lakes, and they became great favourites of the inhabi. tants of that town in consequence of their own accomplishments. At nightfall they placed before Kunti all they gathered in their mendicant tours, and Kunti used to divide the whole amongst them, each taking what was allotted to him. And those heroic chastisers of foes, with their mother, together took one moiety of the whole, while the mighty Bhima alone took the other moiety. In this way, O bull of Bharata's race, the illustrious Pandavas lived there for sometime.

"One day, while those bulls of the Bharata race were out on their tour of mendicancy, it so happened that Bhima was (at home) with (bis mother) Pricha. That day, O Bharata, Kunti heard a loud and heartrending wail of sorrow coming from within the apartments of the Brahmana. Hearing the inmates of the Brahmana's house wailing and indulging in piteous lamentations, Kunti, o king, from compassion and the goodness of her heart, could not bear it with indifference. Aflicted with sorrow, the amiable Pritha, addressing Bhima, said these words full of compassion :-'Our woes assuaged, we are, O son, living happily in the house of this Brahmana, respected by him and unknown to Dhritarashtra's son. O son. I always think of the good I should do to this Brahmana, like what they do that live happily in others' abodes ! O child, he is a true man upon whom favours are never lost. He payeth back to others more than what he receivech at their hands. There is no doubt, some affliction hath avertaken this Brahmana. If we could be of any help to him, we should then be requiring his services.'

"Hearing these words of his mother, Bhima said, -'Ascertain, O mother, the nature of the Brahmana's distress and whence also hath it arisen. Learning all about it, relieve it I will, however difficult may the task prove.'

Vaisam payana tontinua-"While mother and son were thug talking with each other, they heard again, O king, another wail of sorrow proceeding from the Brahmana and his wife. Then Kunti quickly entered the inner apartments of that illustrious Brahmana, like unto a cow running towards her tethered calf. She beheld the Brahmana with his wife, son and daughter, sitting with a woeful face, and she heard the Brahmana say, 'Oh, fie on this earthly life wbich is hollow as the reed and so fruitless after all l-which is based on sorrow and hath no freedom, and which hath misery for its lot ! Life is sorrow and disease : life is truly a record of misery! The soul is one : but it hath to pursue virtue, wealth and pleasure. And because these are pursued at one and the same time, there frequently occurs a disagreement that is the