And, O Bharata, the son of the
god of Justice, the royal Yudhishthira of high soul then called together
all his younger brothers and addressed them, saying, 'Exiled from our
kingdom, we have passed twelve years. The thirteenth year, hard to
spend, hath now come. Do thou therefore, O Arjuna, the son of Kunti,
select some spot where we may pass our days undiscovered by our
enemies.'
"Arjuna replied, "Even by virtue of Dharma's boon, we shall, O lord of
men, range about undiscovered by men. Still, for purposes of residence,
I shall mention some spots that are both delightful and secluded. Do
thou select some one of them. Surrounding the kingdom of the Kurus, are,
many countries beautiful and abounding in corn, such as Panchala, Chedi,
Matsya, Surasena, Pattachchara, Dasarna, Navarashtra, Malla, Salva,
Yugandhara, Saurashtra, Avanti, and the spacious Kuntirashtra. Which of
these, O king, wouldst thou choose, and where, O foremost of monarchs,
shall we spend this year?'
"Yudhishthira said 'O thou of mighty arms, it is even so. What that
adorable Lord of all creatures hath said must become true. Surely, after
consulting together, we must select some delightful, auspicious, and
agreeable region for our abode, where we may live free from fear. The
aged Virata, king of the Matsyas, is virtuous and powerful and
charitable, and is liked by all. And he is also attached to the
Pandavas. Even in the city of Virata, O child, we shall, O Bharata,
spend this year, entering his service.
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