And they sent messengers unto king Dhritarashtra
to represent everything that had happened. And they said to the monarch,
'Thy great end hath been achieved! Thou hast at last burnt the Pandavas to
death! Thy desire fulfilled, enjoy with thy children. O king of the Kurus,
the kingdom.' Hearing this, Dhritarashtra with his children, made a show
of grief, and along with his relatives, including Kshattri (Vidura) and
Bhishma the foremost of the Kurus, performed the last honours of the
Pandavas.'
"Janamejaya said, 'O best of Brahmanas, I desire to hear in full this
history of the burning of the house of lac and the escape of the Pandavas
there from. That was a cruel act of theirs (the Kurus), acting under the
counsels of the wicked (Kanika). Recite the history to me of all that
happened. I am burning with curiosity to hear it.'
"Vaisampayana said, 'O chastiser of all foes, listen to me, O monarch, as
I recite the (history of the) burning of the house of lac and the escape
of the Pandavas. The wicked Duryodhana, beholding Bhimasena surpass
(everybody) in strength and Arjuna highly accomplished in arms became
pensive and sad. Then Karna, the offspring of the Sun, and Sakuni, the son
of Suvala, endeavoured by various means to compass the death of the
Pandavas. The Pandavas too counteracted all those contrivances one after
another, and in obedience to the counsels of Vidura, never spoke of them
afterwards. Then the citizens, beholding the son of Pandu possessed of
accomplishments, began, O Bharata, to speak of them in all places of
public resort.
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