Vaisampayana said,--"defeated at dice, after the Pandavas had gone to
the woods, Dhritarashtra, O king, was overcome with anxiety. And while
he was seated restless with anxiety and sighing in grief, Sanjaya
approaching him said, 'O lord of the earth having now obtained the
whole earth with all its wealth and sent away the sons of Pandu into
exile, why is it, O king, that thou grievest so?'
"Dhritarashtra said,--'What have they not to grieve for who will have
to encounter in battle those bulls among warriors--the sons of
Pandu--fighting on great cars and aided by allies?'
"Sanjaya said,--'O king, all this great hostility is inevitable on
account of thy mistaken action, and this will assuredly bring about the
wholesale destruction of the whole world. Forbidden by Bhishma, by
Drona, and by Vidura, thy wicked-minded and shameless son Duryodhana
sent his Suta messenger commanding him to bring into court the beloved
and virtuous wife of the Pandavas. The gods first deprive that man of
his reason unto whom they send defeat and disgrace. It is for this that
such a person seeth things in a strange light. When destruction is at
hand, evil appeareth as good unto the understanding polluted by sin,
and the man adhereth to it firmly. That which is improper appeareth as
proper, and that which is proper appeareth as improper unto the man
about to be overwhelmed by destruction, and evil and impropriety are
what he liketh. The time that bringeth on destruction doth not come
with upraised club and smash one's head. On the other hand the
peculiarity of such a time is that it maketh a man behold evil in good
and good in evil. The wretches have brought on themselves this
terrible, wholesale, and horrible destruction by dragging the helpless
princess of Panchala into the court. Who else than Duryodhana--that
false player of dice could bring into the assembly, with insults, the
daughter of Drupada, endued with beauty and intelligence, and
conversant with every rule of morality and duty, and sprung not from
any woman's womb but from the sacred fire? The handsome Krishna, then
in her season, attired in one piece of stained cloth when brought into
the court cast her eyes upon the Pandavas. She beheld them, however,
robbed of their wealth, of their kingdom, of even their attire, of
their beauty, of every enjoyment, and plunged into a state of bondage.
Bound by the tie of virtue, they were then unable to exert their
prowess. And before all the assembled kings Duryodhana and Karna spake
cruel and harsh words unto the distressed and enraged Krishna
undeserving of such treatment. O monarch, all this appeareth to me as
foreboding fearful consequences.'
"Dhritarashtra said,--'O Sanjaya, the glances of the distressed
daughter of Drupada might consume the whole earth. Can it be possible
that even a single son of mine will live? The wives of the Bharatas,
uniting with Gandhari upon beholding virtuous Krishna, the wedded wife
of the Pandavas, endued with beauty and youth, dragged into the court,
set up frightful wail. Even now, along with all my subjects, they weep
every day. Enraged at the ill treatment of Draupadi, the Brahmanas in a
body did not perform that evening their Agnihotra ceremony. The winds
blew mightily as they did at the time of the universal dissolution.
There was a terrible thunder-storm also. Meteors fell from the sky, and
Rahu by swallowing the Sun unseasonably alarmed the people terribly.
Our war-chariots were suddenly ablaze, and all their flagstaffs fell
down foreboding evil unto the Bharatas. Jackals began to cry
frightfully from within the sacred fire-chamber of Duryodhana, and
asses from all directions began to bray in response. Then Bhishma and
Drona, and Kripa, and Somadatta and the high-souled Vahlika, all left
the assembly. It was then that at the advice of Vidura I addressed
Krishna and said, "I will grant thee boons, O Krishna, indeed, whatever
thou wouldst ask?" The princess of the Panchala there begged of me the
liberation of the Pandavas. Out of my own motion I then set free the
Pandavas, commanding them to return (to their capital) on their cars
and with their bows and arrows. It was then that Vidura told me, "Even
this will prove the destruction of the Bharata race, viz., this
dragging of Krishna into the court. This daughter of the King of
Panchala is the faultless Sree herself. Of celestial origin, she is the
wedded wife of the Pandavas. The wrathful sons of Pandu will never
forgive this insult offered unto her. Nor will the mighty bowmen of the
Vrishni race, nor the mighty warriors amongst the Panchalas suffer this
in silence. Supported by Vasudeva of unbaffled prowess, Arjuna will
assuredly come back, surrounded by the Panchala host. And that mighty
warrior amongst them, Bhimasena endued with surpassing strength, will
also come back, whirling his mace like Yama himself with his club.
These kings will scarcely be able to bear the force of Bhima's mace.
Therefore, O king, not hostility but peace for ever with the sons of
Pandu is what seemeth to me to be the best. The sons of Pandu are
always stronger than the Kurus. Thou knowest, O king, that the
illustrious and mighty king Jarasandha was slain in battle by Bhima
with his bare arms alone. Therefore, O bull of the Bharata race, it
behoveth thee to make peace with the sons of Pandu. Without scruples of
any kind, unite the two parties, O king. And if thou actest in this
way, thou art sure to obtain good luck, O king." It was thus, O son of
Gavalgani, that Vidura addressed me in words of both virtue and profit.
And I did not accept this counsel, moved by affection for my son.'"
The End of Sabha Parva