Thus was Yudhishthira lamenting in histent. Around him were sitting
warriors, silent in sorrowful thought of the valour of theyouth- ful hero and his cruel
death. It was always the custom with Vyasa to come and comfort the Pandavas, whenever they
were in great sorrow.
He was their great teacher as well as grandsire. So he appeared now
before Yudhishthira. The sage was received with all honour and Yudhishthira, having made
him sit, said: "I have tried very hard to find peace of mind, but I am unable to find
it."
"You are wise and a knower," said Vyasa, "and it is not
meet that you should allow yourself to be lost in grief in this manner. Knowing the nature
of death, it is not right that you should grieve like the unlearned."
Vyasa proceeded to console thebereaved Dharmaputra: "When
Brahma createdliving beings, he was filled with anxiety. 'These lives will multiply and
soon their numberwill be beyond the capacity of the earth to bear.
There seems to be no way of coping with this.' This thought of Brahma
grew into a flame which became bigger and bigger until it threatened to destroy all
creation at once. Then Rudra came and pleaded for allaying this destructive fire.
