SECTION 61
(Adivansavatarana Parva continued)
"Vaisampayana said, 'Bowing down in the first place to my
preceptor with the eight parts of my body touching the ground, with devotion
and reverence, and with all my heart, worshipping the whole assembly of Brahmanas
and other learned persons, I shall recite in full what I have heard from the
high-souled and great Rishi Vyasa, the first of intelligent men in the three
worlds. And having got it within thy reach, O monarch, thou also art a fit
person to hear the composition called Bharata. Encouraged by the command of my
preceptor my heart feeleth no fear.
"Hear, O monarch, why that disunion occurred between the
Kurus and the Pandavas, and why also that exile into the woods immediately
proceeding from the game at dice prompted by the desire (of the Kurus) for
rule. I shall relate all to thee who askest it thou best of the Bharata race!
"On the death of their father those heroes (the Pandavas)
came to their own home. And within a short time they became well-versed in
archery. And the Kurus beholding the Pandavas gifted with physical strength,
energy, and power of mind, popular also with the citizens, and blessed with
good fortune, became very jealous. Then the crookedminded Duryodhana, and Karna,
with (the former's uncle) the son of Subala began to persecute them and devise
means for their exile. Then the wicked Duryodhana, guided by the counsels of
Sakuni (his maternal uncle), persecuted the Pandavas in various ways for the
acquirement of undisputed sovereignty. The wicked son of Dhritarashtra gave
poison to Bhima, but Bhima of the stomach of the wolf digested the poison with
the food. Then the wretch again tied the sleeping Bhima on the margin of the
Ganges and, casting him into the water, went away. But when Bhimasena of strong
arms, the son of Kunti woke, he tore the strings with which he had been tied
and came up, his pains all gone. And while asleep and in the water black snakes
of virulent poison bit him in every part of his body. But that slayer of foes
did not still perish. And in all those persecutions of the Pandavas by their
cousins, the Kurus, the high-minded Vidura attentively engaged himself
neutralising those evil designs and rescuing the persecuted ones. And as Sakra
from the heavens keeps in happiness the world of men, so did Vidura always keep
the Pandavas from evil.
"When Duryodhana, with various means, both secret and open,
found himself incapable of destroying the Pandavas who were protected by the
fates and kept alive for grave future purposes (such as the extermination of
the Kuru race), then called together his counsellors consisting of Vrisha (Karna),
Duhsasana and others, and with the knowledge of Dhritarashtra caused a house of
lac to be constructed. And king Dhritarashtra, from affection for his children,
and prompted by the desire of sovereignty, sent the Pandavas tactfully into
Varanavata. And the Pandavas then went away with their mother from Hastinapura.
And when they were leaving the city, Vidura gave them some idea of impending danger
and how they could come out of it.
'The sons of Kunti reached the town of Varanavata and lived there
with their mother. And, agreeably to the command of Dhritarashtra, those illustrious
slayers of all enemies lived in the palace of lac, while in that town. And they
lived in that place for one year, protecting themselves from Purochana very
wakefully. And causing a subterranean passage
to be constructed, acting according to the directions of Vidura, they set fire
to that house of lac and burnt Purochana (their enemy and the spy of
Duryodhana) to death. Those slayers of all enemies, anxious with fear, then
fled with their mother. In the woods beside a fountain they saw a Rakshasa.
But, alarmed at the risk they ran of exposure by such an act the Pandavas fled
in the darkness, out of fear from the sons of Dhritarashtra. It was here that
Bhima gained Hidimba (the sister of the Rakshasa he slew) for a wife, and it
was of her that Ghatotkacha was born. Then the Pandavas, of rigid vows, and
conversant with the Vedas wended to a town of the name of Ekachakra and dwelt
there in the guise of Brahmacharins. And those bulls among men dwelt in that
town in the house of a Brahmana for some time, with temperance and abstinence.
And it was here that Bhima of mighty arms came upon a hungry and mighty and man-eating
Rakshasa of the name of Baka. And Bhima, the son of Pandu, that tiger among
men, slew him speedily with the strength of his arms and made the citizens safe
and free from fear. Then they heard of Krishna (the princess of Panchala)
having become disposed to select a husband from among the assembled princes.
And, hearing of it, they went to Panchala, and there they obtained the maiden.
And having obtained Draupadi (as their common wife) they then dwelt there for a
year. And after they became known, those chastisers of all enemies went back to
Hastinapura. And they were then told by king Dhritarashtra and the son of Santanu
(Bhishma) as follows: 'In order, O dear ones, dissensions may not take place
between you and your cousins, we have settled that Khandavaprastha should be
your abode. Therefore, go ye, casting off all jealousy, to Khandavaprastha
which contains many towns served by many broad roads, for dwelling there.' And
accordingly the Pandavas went, with all their friends and followers, to
Khandavaprastha taking with them many jewels and precious stones. And the sons
of Pritha dwelt there for many years. And they brought, by force of arms, many
a prince under their subjection. And thus, setting their hearts on virtue and
firmly adhering to truth, unruffled by affluence, calm in deportment, and
putting down numerous evils, the Pandavas gradually rose to power. And Bhima of
great reputation subjugated the East, the heroic Arjuna, the North, Nakula, the
West; Sahadeva that slayer of all hostile heroes, the South. And this having
been done, their domination was spread over the whole world. And with the five
Pandavas, each like unto the Sun, the Earth looked as if she had six Suns.
"Then, for some reason, Yudhishthira the just, gifted with
great energy and prowess, sent his brother Arjuna who was capable of drawing
the bow with the left hand, dearer unto him than life itself, into the woods.
And Arjuna, that tiger among men, of firm soul, and gifted with every virtue, lived
in the woods for eleven years and months. And during this period, on a certain
occasion, Arjuna went to Krishna in Dwaravati. And Vibhatsu (Arjuna) there
obtained for a wife the lotus-eyed and sweet-speeched younger sister of
Vasudeva, Subhadra by name. And she became united, in gladness, with Arjuna,
the son of Pandu, like Sachi with the great Indra, or Sri with Krishna himself.
And then, Arjuna, with Vasudeva, gratified Agni; the carrier of the sacrificial
butter, in the forest of Khandava (by burning the medicinal plants in that
woods to cure Agni of his indigestion). And to Arjuna, assisted as he was by
Kesava, the task did not at all appear heavy even as nothing is heavy to Vishnu
with immense design and resources in the matter of destroying his enemies. And
Agni gave unto the son of Pritha the excellent bow Gandiva and a quiver that
was inexhaustible, and a war-chariot bearing the figure of Garuda on its
standard. And it was on this occasion that Arjuna relieved the great Asura
(Maya) from fear (of being consumed in the fire). And Maya, in gratitude, built
(for the Pandavas) a celestial palace decked with every sort of jewels and precious
stones. And the wicked Duryodhana, beholding that building, was tempted with
the desire of possessing it. And deceiving Yudhishthira by means of the dice
played through the hands of the son of Subala, Duryodhana sent the Pandavas
into the woods for twelve years and one additional year to be passed in
concealment, thus making the period full thirteen.
"And the fourteenth year, O monarch, when the Pandavas
returned and claimed their property, they did not obtain it. And thereupon war
was declared, and the Pandavas, after exterminating the whole race of Kshatriyas
and slaying king Duryodhana, obtained back their devastated kingdom.
"This is the history of the Pandavas who never acted under
the influence of evil passions; and this the account, of the disunion that
ended in the loss of their kingdom by the Kurus and the victory of the
Pandavas.'"
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