And having entered the
council-hall of Virata, they took their seats on the thrones reserved
for kings, and shone brilliantly like fires on the sacrificial altar.
And after Pandavas had taken their seats, Virata, that lord of earth,
came there for holding his council and discharging other royal offices.
And beholding the illustrious Pandavas blazing like fires, the king
reflected for a moment. And then, filled with wrath, the Matsya king
spoke unto Kanka seated there like a celestial and looking like the lord
of celestials surrounded by the Martus. And he said, 'A player at dice
thou wert employed by me as a courtier! How couldst thou occupy the
royal seat thus attired in handsome robes and ornaments?'"
Vaisampayana continued, "Hearing these words of Virata, O king, and
desirous of jesting with him, Arjuna smilingly said in reply, 'This
person, O king, deserveth to occupy the same seat with Indra himself.
Devoted to the Brahmanas, acquainted with the _Vedas_, indifferent to
luxury and carnal enjoyments, habitually performing sacrifices, steady
in vows, this one, indeed, is the very embodiment of virtue. The
foremost of all Persons endued with energy and superior to every body on
earth in intelligence, devoted to asceticism, he is conversant with
various weapons. No other person among the mobile and immobile creatures
of the three worlds possesseth or will ever possess such knowledge of
weapons. And there is none even amongst the gods, or _Asuras_, or men,
or _Rakshasas_, or _Gandharvas_, or _Yaksha_ chiefs, or _Kinnaras_--or
mighty _Uragas_, who is like him.
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