(_Ghosha-yatra Parva_)
Janamejaya said, "While those foremost of men--the sons of Pritha--were
passing their days in the forest exposed to the inclemencies of the
winter, the summer, the wind and the sun, what did they do, O Brahmana,
after they had reached the lake and woods going by the name of Dwaita?"
Vaisampayana said, "After the sons of Pandu had arrived at that lake,
they chose a residence that was removed from the habitations of men. And
they began to roam through delightful woods and ever charming mountains
and picturesque river-valleys. And after they had taken up their
residence there, many venerable ascetics endued with Vedic lore often
came to see them. And those foremost of men always received those
_Veda_-knowing _Rishis_ with great respect. And one day there came unto
the Kaurava princes a certain Brahmana who was well known on earth for
his powers of speech. And having conversed with the Pandavas for a
while, he went away as pleased him to the court of the royal son of
Vichitravirya. Received with respect by that chief of the Kurus, the old
king, the Brahmana took his seat; and asked by the monarch he began to
talk of the sons of Dharma, Pavana, Indra and of the twins, all of whom
having fallen into severe misery, had become emaciated and reduced owing
to exposure to wind and sun. And that Brahmana also talked of Krishna
who was overwhelmed with suffering and who then had become perfectly
helpless, although she had heroes for her lords. And hearing the words
of that Brahmana, the royal son of Vichitravirya became afflicted with
grief, at the thought of those princes of royal lineage then swimming in
a river of sorrow. His inmost soul afflicted with sorrow and trembling
all over with sighs, he quieted himself with a great effort, remembering
that everything had arisen from his own fault. And the monarch said,
'Alas, how is it that Yudhishthira who is the eldest of my sons, who is
truthful and pious and virtuous in his behaviour, who hath not a foe,
who had formerly slept on beds made of soft _Ranku_ skins, sleepeth now
on the bare ground! Alas, wakened formerly by _Sutas_ and _Magadhas_ and
other singers with his praises, melodiously recited every morning, that
prince of the Kuru race, equal unto Indra himself, is now waked from the
bare ground towards the small hours of the night by a multitude of
birds! How doth Vrikodara, reduced by exposure to wind and sun and
filled with wrath, sleep, in the presence of the princess of Panchala,
on the bare ground, unfit as he is to suffer such lot! Perhaps also, the
intelligent Arjuna, who is incapable of bearing pain, and who, though
obedient to the will of Yudhishthira, yet feeleth himself to be pierced
over all by the remembrance of his wrongs, sleepeth not in the night!
Beholding the twins and Krishna and Yudhishthira and Bhima plunged in
misery, Arjuna without doubt, sigheth like a serpent of fierce energy
and sleepeth not from wrath in the night! The twins also, who are even
like a couple of blessed celestials in heaven sunk in woe though
deserving of bliss, without doubt pass their nights in restless
wakefulness restrained (from avenging their wrongs) by virtue and truth!
The mighty son of the Wind-god, who is equal to the Wind-god himself in
strength, without doubt, sigheth and restraineth his wrath, being tied
through his elder brother in the bonds of truth! Superior in battle to
all warriors, he now lieth quiet on the ground, restrained by virtue and
truth, and burning to slay my children, he bideth his time. The cruel
words that Dussasana spoke after Yudhishthira had been deceitfully
defeated at dice, have sunk deep into Vrikodara's heart, and are
consuming him, like a burning bundle of straw consuming a fagot of dry
wood! The son of Dharma never acteth sinfully; Dhananjaya also always
obeyeth him; but Bhima's wrath, in consequence of a life of exile, is
increasing like a conflagration assisted by the wind! That hero, burning
with rage such as that, squeezeth his hands and breatheth hot and fierce
sighs, as if consuming therewith my sons and grandsons! The wielder of
the _Gandiva_ and Vrikodara, when angry, are like Yama and Kala
themselves; scattering their shafts, which are like unto thunder-bolts,
they exterminate in battle the ranks of the enemy. Alas Duryodhana, and
Sakuni, and the _Suta's_ son, and Dussasana also of wicked soul, in
robbing the Pandavas of their kingdom by means of dice, seem to behold
the honey alone without marking the terrible ruin. A man having acted
rightly or wrongly, expecteth the fruit of those acts. The fruit,
however, confounding him, paralyses him fully. How can man, thereof,
have salvation? If the soil is properly tilled, and the seed sown
therein, and if the god (of rain) showereth in season, still the crop
may not grow. This is what we often hear. Indeed, how could this saying
be true unless, as I think, it be that everything here is dependent on
Destiny? The gambler Sakuni hath behaved deceitfully towards the son of
Pandu, who ever acteth honestly. From affection for my wicked sons I
also have acted similarly. Alas, it is owing to this that the hour of
destruction hath come for the Kurus! Oh, perhaps, what is inevitable
must happen! The wind, impelled or not, will move. The woman that
conceives will bring forth. Darkness will be dispelled at dawn, and day
disappear at evening! Whatever may be earned by us or others, whether
people spend it or not, when the time cometh, those possessions of ours
do bring on misery. Why then do people become so anxious about earning
wealth? If, indeed, what is acquired is the result of fate, then should
it be protected so that it may not be divided, nor lost little by
little, nor permitted to flow out at once, for if unprotected, it may
break into a hundred fragments. But whatever the character of our
possessions, our acts in the world are never lost. Behold what the
energy of Arjuna is, who went into the abode of Indra from the woods!
Having mastered the four kinds of celestial weapons he hath come back
into this world! What man is there who, having gone to heaven in his
human form, wisheth to come back? This would never have been but because
he seeth innumerable Kurus to be at the point of death, afflicted by
Time! The bowman is Arjuna, capable of wielding the bow with his left
hand as well! The bow he wieldeth is the _Gandiva_ of fierce impetus. He
hath, besides, those celestial weapons of his! Who is there that would
bear the energy of these three!'
"Hearing these words of the monarch, the son of Suvala, going unto
Duryodhana, who was then sitting with Karna, told them everything in
private. And Duryodhana, though possessed of little sense, was filled
with grief at what he heard."