king all his friends and counsellors separately and jointly. And, O king,
Yudhishthira that slayer of all enemies, having heard these virtuous, bold,
agreeable and weighty words of theirs, accepted them mentally. And having
heard those words of his friends and counsellors, and knowing his own
strength also, the king, O Bharata, repeatedly thought over the matter.
After this the intelligent and virtuous Yudhishthira, wise in counsel,
again consulted with his brothers, with the illustrious Ritwijas about him,
with his ministers and with Dhaumya and Dwaipayana and others."

"Yudhishthira said,--'How may this wish that I entertain of performing the
excellent sacrifice of Rajasuya that is worthy of an emperor, bear fruit,
in consequence of my faith and speech alone.'"

Vaisampayana said,--"O thou of eyes like lotus-petals, thus asked by the
king, they replied at that time unto Yudhishthira the just in these
words,--'Being conversant with the dictates of morality, thou art, O
king, worthy to perform the grand sacrifice of Rajasuya.' After the
Ritwijas and the Rishis had told these words unto the king, his ministers
and brothers highly approved of the speech. The king, however, possessed
of great wisdom, and with mind under complete control, actuated by the
desire of doing good unto the world, again resolved the matter in his
mind, thinking of his own strength and means, the circumstances of time
and place and his income and expenditure. For he knew that the wise never
come to grief owing to their always acting after full deliberation.
Thinking that the sacrifice should not be commenced, pursuant to his own
resolution only, Yudhishthira, carefully bearing upon his shoulder the
weight of affairs thought of Krishna that persecutor of all sinners as the
fittest person to decide the matter, in as much as he knew him to be the
foremost of all persons, possessed of immeasurable energy, strong-armed,
without birth but born amongst men from Will alone. Reflecting upon his