Gifted with great energy and the foremost of all persons endued with intelligence, Vidura. having arrived at at Yudhishthira's palace, addressed that foremost of men, that king of undecaying glory, in these words:—King Diritarashtra has perforined the preliminary rites for accomplishing his purpose of retiring into the forest. He will start for the woods, O king, on the coming day of full moon of the month of Kartika.