Having been addressed to go without envy to their own land, the sons of Pritha, accompanied by all their friends, departed for Khandavaprastha. Taking with them all their wealth, the Pandavas settled in the city of Khandavaprastha and dwelt there for many years. Through the strength of their arms, they brought many kings under their sway, remaining steadfast in righteousness and truthfulness. Among them, the illustrious Bhimasena, ever vigilant and patient, subdued many foes and conquered the eastern regions. Arjuna, heroic and resolute, brought the north under his control; Nakula conquered the west, and Sahadeva, slayer of enemy heroes, subdued the south. In this way, the five brothers brought the entire earth under their command, shining together like five radiant suns alongside the blazing Sun himself. With their true valor, the Pandavas adorned the earth as if with six suns. Then, for a certain reason, King Yudhishthira, glorious and valiant, sent his beloved brother Arjuna, Savyasacin, to the forest—a brother dearer to him than life itself. Arjuna, steadfast and virtuous, dwelled in the forest for a year and one month, undertaking a pilgrimage to holy places. There, he obtained the Naga maiden, and also gained the daughter of the Pandya king, living with both. At another time, Arjuna traveled to Hrishikesha in Dvaravati, where he obtained Subhadra, the lotus-eyed and eloquent sister of Vasudeva, as his wife. Their union was likened to that of Shachi and Indra, and Fortune and Krishna. Subhadra was affectionately joined to Arjuna, and the son of Kunti satisfied Agni in the Khandava forest. Arjuna, with Vasudeva—Krishna, the foremost of men—was able to accomplish this task with ease, for Krishna was his companion. With Krishna, whose resolve was as mighty as Vishnu’s in the destruction of enemies, Agni bestowed upon Arjuna the supreme bow Gandiva, quivers filled with inexhaustible arrows, and a chariot marked with the sign of Kapila. There, Arjuna freed Maya, the great Asura, who built for them a divine assembly hall adorned with all gems. In that magnificent hall, Duryodhana, blinded by greed, became envious. He deceived Yudhishthira at dice with the help of the son of Subala, and sent him to the forest for thirteen years—twelve years in exile and one in concealment. After that year incognito in the kingdom, in the fourteenth year, the Pandavas sought their rightful wealth, but did not obtain it. War broke out, and after destroying the Kshatriya host and slaying King Duryodhana, the Pandavas regained a greatly diminished kingdom. They performed many diverse sacrifices, including the Ashvamedha and others. When Dhritarashtra departed to heaven and Vidura passed away, the Pandavas performed the proper rites for those kings of immeasurable splendor, leading them to the heavenly realm. When Krishna, the Varshneya, returned to his own abode, and after protecting Krishna’s wives, the Pandavas undertook the great departure and attained the supreme heaven. Thus, in ancient times, these events unfolded for those whose deeds were unblemished: division, the destruction of the kingdom, and victory. O best of the victorious, these are the happenings of the past. At this point, O best of the twice-born, you have indeed recounted in summary the entire Mahabharata, the great tale of the deeds of the Kurus. Yet, O sinless one, tell the story with its vivid meanings in detail, O possessor of austerity; for in hearing the full account, my curiosity has grown exceedingly. You should narrate this again in detail, for I am never satisfied by hearing the great deeds of the ancients. Surely, the reason is not small why the Pandavas, who know dharma, though innocent, endured and overcame all those adversities, and are praised among men. For what reason were those tiger-like men, though capable and blameless, able to patiently endure the afflictions inflicted by the wicked? How did Vrikodara, strong as ten thousand elephants, though afflicted, restrain his anger, O best of the twice-born? How did Krishna Draupadi, though tormented by evil men, being virtuous, restrain her wrathful gaze from the sons of Dhritarashtra? How did the tiger-like sons of Madri, though harassed by the wicked, follow the Partha who was addicted to dice at that time? How did Yudhishthira, the best among upholders of dharma, the son of Dharma and knower of dharma, though undeserving, endure the utmost suffering? And how did Dhananjaya, with Krishna as his charioteer, subdue many armies, and alone send them all to the realm of the ancestors? Tell me all this as it truly happened, O possessor of austerity, and whatever else those great chariot-warriors did here and there. Wait a moment, O great king, for this is a vast enumeration; the sacred narrative spoken by Krishna Dvaipayana must be told. I shall declare the entire teaching of Vyasa, the great sage of immeasurable splendor, honored in all the worlds. This hundred thousand verses of righteous deeds was explained here by Satyavati’s son, of boundless energy. Together with its stories, the supreme Mahabharata should be known and heard; but now, O king, I will briefly recount all this. It contains two thousand chapters and exactly one hundred sections; and ninety thousand and ten verses. The great sage composed it in eighteen books.