music and in cadence and Kinnaras also well-versed in (musical) measures
and motions singing celestial tunes in proper and charming voices, waited
upon and gladdened the sons of Pandu and the Rishis who sat in that Sabha.
And seated in that Sabha, those bull among men, of rigid vows and devoted
to truth, all waited upon Yudhishthira like the celestials in heaven
waiting upon Brahma."


SECTION V

(Lokapala Sabhakhayana Parva)

Vaisampayana said,--"While the illustrious Pandavas were seated in that
Sabha along with the principal Gandharvas, there came, O Bharata, unto
that assembly the celestial Rishi Narada, conversant with the Vedas and
Upanishadas, worshipped by the celestials acquainted with histories and
Puranas, well-versed in all that occurred in ancient kalpas (cycles),
conversant with Nyaya (logic) and the truth of moral science, possessing a
complete knowledge of the six Angas (viz., pronunciation, grammar, prosody,
explanation of basic terms, description of religious rites, and astronomy).
He was a perfect master in reconciling contradictory texts and
differentiating in applying general principles to particular cases, as
also in interpreting contraries by reference to differences in situation,
eloquent, resolute, intelligent, possessed of powerful memory. He was
acquainted with the science of morals and politics, learned, proficient in
distinguishing inferior things from superior ones, skilled in drawing
inference from evidence, competent to judge of the correctness or
incorrectness of syllogistic statements consisting of five propositions.
He was capable of answering successively Vrihaspati himself while arguing,
with definite conclusions properly framed about religion, wealth, pleasure