Vaisampayana said, “O king, then those foremost of bowmen, of
immeasurable prowess, holding bows stringed at full stretch and equipped
with quivers and arrows and wearing finger-caps made of the guana-skin,
and with their swords on, proceeded with Panchali towards the
Gandhamadana, taking with them the best of Brahmanas. And on their way
they saw various lakes, and rivers and mountains and forests, and trees
of wide-spreading shade on mountain summits and places abounding in trees
bearing flowers and fruit in all seasons and frequented by celestials and
sages. And restraining their senses within their inner self and
subsisting on fruits and roots, the heroes passed through rugged regions,
craggy and difficult of passage, beholding many and various kinds of
beasts. Thus those high-souled ones entered the mountain inhabited by the
sages, the Siddhas and the celestials, and frequented by the Kinnaras and
the Apsaras. And, O lord of men, as those mighty heroes were entering the
mountain Gandhamandana, there arose a violent wind, attended with a heavy
shower. And owing to this, mighty clouds of dust bearing lots of dry
leaves, rose, and all on a sudden covered earth, air and firmament. And
when the heavens had been covered with dust nothing could be perceived,
neither could they (the Pandavas) speak to one another. And with eyes
enveloped with darkness and pushed by the wind carrying particles of
rocks they could not see one another. And there began to arrive mighty
sounds proceeding from the tree, and also from those breaking down
incessantly under the force of the wind, and falling to the ground. And
distracted by gusts of the wind, they thought, ‘Are the heavens falling
down; or the earth and the mountains being rent?’ And afraid of the wind,
they felt about with their hands and took shelter under the way-side tree
and ant-hills and in caverns. Then holding his bow and supporting Krishna
the mighty Bhimasena stood under a tree. And Yudhishthira the just with
Dhaumya crept into the deep wood. And Sahedeva carrying the sacred fire
with him took shelter in a rock. And Nakula together with Lomasa and
other Brahmanas of great asceticism stood in fright, each under a tree.
Then when the wind had abated and the dust subsided, there came down a
shower in torrents. There also arose a loud rattling noise, like unto the
thunder hurled; and quick-flashing lightning began to play gracefully
upon the clouds. And being helped on by the swift wind, showers of rain
poured down without intermissions, filling all sides round. And, O lord
of men, all around there began to flow many rivers covered with foam and
turbid with mud; and these bearing volumes of water spread over the
frothy rafts rushed down with tremendous roar uprooting trees. And
afterwards when that sound had ceased and the air had arisen they (each
of them) cautiously came out of their coverts and met together, O
descendant of Bharata. And then the heroes started for the mountain
Gandhamadana.”