"Yudhishthira said, 'There is no limit to calamities. Nor is it possible
to ascertain either their final or efficient cause. It is the Lord of
justice alone who distributeth the fruits of both virtue and vice.'
Thereupon Bhima said, 'Surely, this calamity hath befallen us, because I
did not slay the _Pratikamin_ on the very spot, when he dragged Krishna
as a slave into the assembly.' And Arjuna said, 'Surely, this calamity
hath befallen us because I resented not those biting words piercing the
very bones, uttered by the _Suta's_ son!' And Sahadeva said, 'Surely, O
Bharata, this calamity hath befallen us because I did not slay Sakuni
when he defeated thee at dice!'"
Vaisampayana continued, "Then king Yudhishthira addressed Nakula saying,
'Do thou, O son of Madri, climb this tree and look around the ten points
of the horizon. Do thou see whether there is water near us or such trees
as grow on watery grounds! O child, these thy brothers are all fatigued
and thirsty.' Thereupon saying, 'So be it,' Nakula speedily climbed up a
tree, and having looked around, said unto his eldest brother, 'O king, I
see many a tree that groweth by the water-side, and I hear also the
cries of cranes. Therefore, without doubt, water must be somewhere
here.' Hearing these words, Kunti's son Yudhishthira, firm in truth,
said, 'O amiable one, go thou and fetch water in these quivers!' Saying,
'So be it,' at the command of his eldest brother Nakula quickly
proceeded towards the place where there was water and soon came upon it.
And beholding a crystal lake inhabited by cranes he desired to drink of
it, when he heard these words from the sky, 'O child, do not commit this
rash act! This lake hath already been in my possession. Do thou, O son
of Madri, first answer my questions and then drink of this water and
take away (as much as thou requirest).' Nakula, however, who was
exceedingly thirsty, disregarding these words, drank of the cool water,
and having drunk of it, dropped down dead. And, O represser of foes,
seeing Nakula's delay, Yudhishthira the son of Kunti said unto Sahadeva,
the heroic brother of Nakula, 'O Sahadeva, it is long since our brother,
he who was born immediately before thee, hath gone from hence! Do thou,
therefore, go and bring back thy uterine brother, together with water.'
At this, Sahadeva, saying, 'So be it,' set out in that direction; and
coming to the spot, beheld his brother lying dead on the ground. And
afflicted at the death of his brother, and suffering severely from
thirst, he advanced towards the water, when these words were heard by
him, 'O child, do not commit this rash act! This lake hath already been
in my possession. First answer my question, and then drink of the water
and take away as much as thou mayst require.' Sahadeva, however, who was
extremely thirsty, disregarding these words, drank of the water, and
having drunk of it, dropped down dead. Then Yudhishthira, the son of
Kunti, said unto Vijaya, 'It is long since, O Vibhatsu, that thy two
brothers have gone, O represser of foes! Blessed be thou! Do thou bring
them back, together with water. Thou art, O child, the refuge of us all
when plunged in distress!' Thus addressed, the intelligent Gudakesa,
taking his bow and arrows and also his naked sword, set out for that
lake of waters. And reaching that spot, he whose car was drawn by white
steeds beheld those tigers among men, his two younger brothers who had
come to fetch water, lying dead there. And seeing them as if asleep,
that lion among men, exceedingly aggrieved, raised his bow and began to
look around that wood. But he found none in that mighty forest. And,
being fatigued, he who was capable of drawing the bow by his left hand
as well, rushed in the direction of the water. And as he was rushing
(towards the water), he heard these words from the sky, 'Why dost thou
approach this water? Thou shalt not be able to drink of it by force. If
thou, O Kaunteya, can answer the question I will put to thee, then only
shalt thou drink of the water and take away as much as thou requirest, O
Bharata!' Thus forbidden, the son of Pritha said, 'Do thou forbid me by
appearing before me! And when thou shalt be sorely pierced with my
arrows, thou wilt not then again speak in this way!' Having said this,
Partha covered all sides with arrows inspired by _mantras_. And he also
displayed his skill in shooting at an invisible mark by sound alone.
And, O bull of the Bharata race, sorely afflicted with thirst, he
discharged barbed darts and javelins and iron arrows, and showered on
the sky innumerable shafts incapable of being baffled. Thereupon, the
invisible Yaksha said, 'What need of all this trouble, O son of Pritha?
Do thou drink only after answering my questions! If thou drink, however,
without answering my questions, thou shalt die immediately after.' Thus
addressed, Pritha's son Dhananjaya capable of drawing the bow with his
left hand as well, disregarding those words, drank of the water, and
immediately after dropped down dead. And (seeing Dhananjaya's delay)
Kunti's son Yudhishthira addressed Bhimasena, saying, 'O represser of
foes, it is a long while that Nakula and Sahadeva and Vibhatsu have gone
to fetch water, and they have not come yet, O Bharata! Good betide thee!
Do thou bring them back, together with water!' Thereupon saying, 'So be
it,' Bhimasena set out for that place where those tigers among men, his
brothers, lay dead. And beholding them, Bhima afflicted though he was
with thirst, was exceedingly distressed. And that mighty armed hero
thought all that to have been the act of some Yaksha or Rakshasa. And
Pritha's son Vrikodara thought, 'I shall surely have to fight today. Let
me, therefore, first appease my thirst.' Then that bull of the Bharata
race rushed forward with the intention of drinking. Thereupon the Yaksha
said, 'O child, do not commit this rash act! This lake hath already been
in my possession. Do thou first answer my questions, and then drink and
take away as much water as thou requirest!'"
Vaisampayana continued, "Thus addressed by that Yaksha of immeasurable
energy, Bhima, without answering his questions, drank of the water. And
as soon as he drank, he fell down dead on the spot. Then thinking that
his brothers had left him long since, Yudhishthira waited for some time.
And the king said unto himself again and again, 'Why is it that the two
sons of Madri are delaying? And why doth the wielder also of the
_Gandiva_ delay? And why doth Bhima too, endued with great strength,
delay? I shall go to search for them!' And resolved to do this, the
mighty-armed Yudhishthira then rose up, his heart burning in grief. And
that bull among men, the royal son of Kunti thought within himself. 'Is
this forest under some malign influence? Or, is it infested by some
wicked beasts? Or, have they all fallen, in consequence of having
disregarded some mighty being? Or, not finding water in the spot whither
those heroes had first repaired, they have spent all this time in search
through the forest? What is that reason for which those bulls among men
do not come back?' And speaking in this strain, that foremost of
monarchs, the illustrious Yudhishthira, entered into that mighty forest
where no human sound was heard and which was inhabited by deer and bears
and birds, and which was adorned with trees that were bright and green,
and which echoed with the hum of the black-bee and the notes of winged
warblers. As he was proceeding along, he beheld that beautiful lake
which looked as if it had been made by the celestial artificer himself.
And it was adorned with flowers of a golden hue and with lotuses and
_Sindhuvars_. And it abounded with canes and _Ketakas_ and _Karaviras_
and _Pippalas_, and fatigued with toil, Yudhishthira saw that tank and
was struck with wonder."