"Yudhishthira said, 'O Vrikodara, there are mighty and powerful
invisible spirits at this place. We shall, however, pass it, through the
merit of our asceticism and _Agnihotra_ sacrifices. O son of Kunti, do
thou therefore, restrain thy hunger and thirst by collecting thy
energies, and also, O Vrikodara have recourse to thy strength and
cleverness. O Kunti's son, thou hast heard what the sage (Lomasa) had
said regarding mount Kailasa. Ascertain, therefore, after deliberation,
how Krishna will pass the spot. Or, O mighty Bhima of large eyes, do
return from hence, taking with thee Sahadeva, and all our charioteers,
cooks, servants, cars, horses, and Brahmanas worn out with travel, while
I together with Nakula and the sage Lomasa of severe austerities
proceed, subsisting on the lightest fare and observing vows. Do thou in
expectation of my return, cautiously wait at the source of the Ganga,
protecting Draupadi till I come back.'
"Bhima replied, 'O descendant of Bharata, although this blessed princess
hath been sore afflicted by toil and distress, yet she easily
proceedeth, in the hope of beholding him of the white steeds (Arjuna).
Thy dejection also is already very great at not seeing the high-souled
Arjuna, who never retreateth from fight. O Bharata, it is superfluous
then to say that if thou seest neither myself nor Sahadeva nor Krishna,
thy dejection will certainly increase. The Brahmanas had better return
with our servants, charioteers, cooks and whomsoever else thou mayst
command. I never shall leave thee in these rugged and inaccessible
mountainous regions, infested by Rakshasas. And, O tiger among men, also
this princess of high fortune, ever devoted to her lords, desireth not
to return without thee. Sahadeva is always devoted to thee; he too will
never retrace his steps. His disposition is known to me. O king, O
mighty monarch, we are all eager to behold Savyasachin, and therefore,
will we all go together. If we are unable to go over this mountain in
our cars, abounding as it doth in defiles, well, we would go on foot.
Trouble thyself not, O king, I shall carry Panchala's daughter wherever
she will be incapable of walking. O king, I have decided upon this.
Therefore let not thy mind be distracted. I shall also carry over
inaccessible tracts those tender-bodied heroes, the twins, the delight
of their mother, wherever they will be incapable of proceeding.'
"Yudhishthira said, 'May thy strength increase, O Bhima, as thou speakest
thus, and as thou boldly undertakest to carry the illustrious Panchali
and these twins. Blessed be thou! Such courage dwelleth not in any other
individual. May thy strength, fame, merit, and reputation increase! O
long-armed one, as thou offerest to carry Krishna and our brothers the
twins, exhaustion and defeat never be thine!'"
Vaisampayana said, "Then the charming Krishna said with a smile, 'O
descendant of Bharata, I shall be able to go, and, therefore, be thou
not anxious on my account.'
"Lomasa said, 'Access to the mountain, Gandhamadana, is only to be
obtained by dint of asceticism. Therefore, O son of Kunti, shall we all
practise austerities, O king, Nakula, Sahadeva, Bhimasena, thou and
myself shall then see him of the white steeds, O Kunti's son.'"
Vaisampayana said, "O king, thus conversing together, they saw with
delight the extensive domains of Suvahu, situated on the Himalayas
abounding in horses and elephants, densely inhabited by the Kiratas and
the Tanganas, crowded by hundreds of Pulindas, frequented by the
celestials, and rife with wonders. King Suvahu, the lord of the
Pulindas, cheerfully received them at the frontiers of his dominions,
paying them proper respect. Having been thus received with honour, and
having dwelt comfortably at this place, they started for the mountain
Himalaya, when the sun shone brightly in the firmament. And, O king,
having entrusted to the care of the lord of the Pulindas, all their
servants--Indrasena and the others,--and the cooks and the stewards, and
Draupadi's accoutrements, and every thing else, those mighty
charioteers, the son of the Kurus, endued with great prowess, set out
from that country, and began to proceed cautiously with Krishna,--all of
them cheerful in the expectation of beholding Arjuna.
"Yudhishthira said, 'O Bhimasena, O Panchali, and ye twins, hearken unto
my words. The acts done (by a person) in a former birth do not perish,
(without producing their effects). Behold! Even we have become rangers
of the wilderness. Even to see Dhananjaya, exhausted and distressed as
we are, we have to bear each other, and pass through impassable places.
This burneth me even as fire doth a heap of cotton. O hero, I do not see
Dhananjaya at my side. I reside in the wood with my younger brothers,
anxious for beholding him. This thought, as also the memory of that
grave insult offered to Yajanaseni, consumes me. O Vrikodara, I do not
see the invincible Partha of strong bow and incomparable energy, and who
is the immediate elder to Nakula. For this, O Vrikodara, I am miserable.
In order to see that hero, Dhananjaya, firm in promise, for these five
years have I been wandering in various _tirthas_, and beautiful forests
and lakes and yet I do not meet with him. For this, O Vrikodara, I am
miserable. I do not see the long-armed Gudakesa, of dark blue hue, and
leonine gait. For this, O Vrikodara, I am miserable. I do not see that
foremost of Kurus, accomplished in arms, skilful in fight, and matchless
among bowmen. For this, O Vrikodara, I am miserable. Distressed for I am
I do not see that son of Pritha, Dhananjaya, born under the influence of
the star Phalguni; ranging amidst foes even like Yama at the time of the
universal dissolution; possessed of the prowess of an elephant with the
temporal juice trickling down; endued with leonine shoulders; not
inferior to Sakra himself in prowess and energy; elder in years to the
twins; of white steeds; unrivalled in heroism; invincible; and wielding
a strong bow. For this, O Vrikodara, I am miserable. And he is always of
a forgiving temper,--even when insulted by the meanest individual. And
he conferreth benefit and protection to the righteous; but to that
tortuous person who by craft attempts to do him mischief, Dhananjaya is
like unto virulent poison, albeit that one were Sakra himself. And the
mighty Vibhatsu of immeasurable soul and possessing great strength,
showeth mercy and extendeth protection even to a foe when fallen. And he
is the refuge of us all and he crusheth his foes in fight. And he hath
the power to collect any treasure whatever, and he ministereth unto our
happiness. It was through his prowess that I had owned formerly
measureless precious jewels of various kinds which at present Suyodhana
hath usurped. It was by his might, O hero, that I had possessed before
that palatial amphitheatre embellished with all manner of jewels, and
celebrated throughout the three worlds. O Pandu's son, in prowess,
Phalguni is like unto Vasudeva, and in fight he is invincible and
unrivalled, even like unto Kartavirya. Alas! I see him not, O Bhima. In
might, that conqueror of foes goeth in the wake of the invincible and
most powerful Sankarshana (Valarama) and Vasudeva. In strength of arms,
and spirit, he is like unto Purandara himself. And in swiftness, he is
even as the wind, and in grace, as the moon, and in ire, he is the
eternal Death himself. O mighty-armed one, with the object of beholding
that war-like tiger among men, shall we repair to the Gandhamadana
mountain, where lies the hermitage of Nara and Narayana at the site of
the celebrated jujube tree, and which is inhabited by the Yakshas. We
shall see that best of mountains. And, practising severe austerities
only on foot we shall go to Kuvera's beautiful lake guarded by
Rakshasas. That place cannot be reached by vehicles, O Vrikodara.
Neither can cruel or avaricious, or irascible people attain to that
spot, O Bharata's son. O Bhima, in order to see Arjuna, thither shall we
repair, in company, with Brahmanas of strict vows, girding on our
swords, and wielding our bows. Those only that are impure, meet with
flies, gad-flies, mosquitoes, tigers, lions, and reptiles, but the pure
never come across them. Therefore, regulating our fare, and restraining
our senses, we shall go to the Gandhamadana, desirous of seeing
Dhananjaya.'"