Vaisampayana said, “After they had departed, Yudhishthira the virtuous
son of Kunti, unwavering in his promises, addressed all his brothers,
saying, ‘We shall have to dwell in the solitary forest for these twelve
years. Search ye, therefore, in this mighty forest for some spot
abounding in birds and deer and flowers and fruits, beautiful to behold,
and auspicious, and inhabited by virtuous persons and where we may dwell
pleasantly for all these years!’ Thus addressed by Yudhishthira,
Dhananjaya replied unto the son of Dharma, after reverencing the
illustrious king as if he were his spiritual preceptor. And Arjuna said,
‘Thou hast respectfully waited upon all the great and old Rishis. There
is nothing unknown to thee in the world of men. And O bull of the Bharata
race, thou hast always waited with reverence upon Brahmanas including
Dwaipayana and others, and Narada of great ascetic merit, who with senses
under control, ever goeth to the gates of all the world from the world of
the gods unto that of Brahma, including that of the Gandharvas and
Apsaras! And thou knowest, without doubt, the opinions of the Brahmanas,
and, O king, their prowess also! And O monarch, thou knowest what is
calculated to do us good! And O great king, we will live wherever thou
likest! Here is this lake, full of sacred water, called Dwaitavana,
abounding with flowers, and delightful to look at, and inhabited by many
species of birds. If, O king, it pleaseth thee, here should we like to
dwell these twelve years! Thinkest thou otherwise?’ Yudhishthira replied,
‘O Partha, what thou hast said recommendeth itself to me! Let us go that
sacred and celebrated and large lake called Dwaitavana!”
“Vaisampayana continued, “Then the virtuous son of Pandu, accompanied by
numerous Brahmanas, all went to the sacred lake called Dwaitavana. And
Yudhishthira was surrounded by numerous Brahmanas some of whom sacrificed
with fire and some without it and some of whom, devoted to the study of
the Vedas, lived upon alms or were of the class called Vanaprasthas. And
the king was also surrounded by hundreds of Mahatmas crowned with ascetic
success and of rigid vows. And those bulls of the Bharata race, the sons
of Pandu setting out with those numerous Brahmanas, entered the sacred
and delightful woods of Dwaita. And the king saw that mighty forest
covered on the close of summer with Salas, and palms, and mangoes, and
Madhukas, and Nipas and Kadamvas and Sarjjas and Arjunas, and Karnikars,
many of them covered with flowers. And flocks of peacocks and Datyuhas
and Chakoras and Varhins and Kokilas, seated on the tops of the tallest
trees of that forest were pouring forth their mellifluous notes. And the
king also saw in that forest mighty herds of gigantic elephants huge as
the hills, with temporal juice trickling down in the season of rut,
accompanied by herds of she-elephants. And approaching the beautiful
Bhogavati (Saraswati), the king saw many ascetics crowned with success in
the habitations in that forest, and virtuous men of sanctified souls clad
in barks of trees and bearing matted locks on their heads. And descending
from their cars, the king that foremost of virtuous men with his brothers
and followers entered that forest like Indra of immeasurable energy
entering heaven. And crowds of Charanas and Siddhas, desirous of
beholding the monarch devoted to truth, came towards him. And the
dwellers of that forest stood surrounding that lion among king possessed
of great intelligence. And saluting all the Siddhas, and saluted by them
in return as a king or a god should be, that foremost of virtuous men
entered the forest with joined hands accompanied by all those foremost of
regenerate ones. And the illustrious and virtuous king, saluted in return
by those virtuous ascetics that had approached him, sat down in their
midst at the foot of a mighty tree decked with flowers, like his father
(Pandu) in days before. And those chiefs of the Bharata race viz., Bhima
and Dhananjaya and the twins and Krishna and their followers, all
fatigued, leaving their vehicles, sat themselves down around that best of
kings. And that mighty tree bent down with the weight of creepers, with
those five illustrious bowmen who had come there for rest sitting under
it, looked like a mountain with (five) huge elephants resting on its
side.”