Having gone to Hastinapura and met Dhritarashtra,
Keshava spoke words of true and especially beneficial import. The king,
however, as I have told thee before, listened not to those counsels.
Unable to obtain peace, the mighty-armed Krishna, that foremost of men,
came back, O monarch, to Upaplavya. Dismissed by Dhritarashtra's son,
Krishna returned (to the Pandava camp), and upon the failure of his
mission, O tiger among kings, said these words unto the Pandavas, 'Urged
by Fate, the Kauravas are for disregarding my words! Come, ye sons of
Pandu, with me (to the field of battle), setting out under the
constellation Pushya!' After this, while the troops (of both sides) were
being mustered and arrayed, the high-souled son of Rohini, that foremost
of all persons endued with might, addressed his brother Krishna, saying,
'O mighty-armed one, O slayer of Madhu, let us render assistance to the
Kurus!' Krishna, however, did not listen to those words of his. With
heart filled with rage (at this), that illustrious son of Yadu's race,
the wielder of the plough then set out on a pilgrimage to the Sarasvati.
Accompanied by all the Yadavas, he set out under the conjunction of the
asterism called Maitra. The Bhoja chief (Kritavarma), however, adopted
the side of Duryodhana. Accompanied by Yuyudhana, Vasudeva adopted that
of the Pandavas. After the heroic son of Rohini had set out under the
constellation Pushya, the slayer of Madhu, placing the Pandavas in his
van, proceeded against the Kurus.
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