(Arjuna-vanavasa Parva)
"Vaisampayana said, 'The Pandavas, having established such a rule,
continued to reside there. By the prowess of their arms they brought many
kings under their sway. And Krishna became obedient unto all the five sons
of Pritha, those lions among men, of immeasurable energy. Like the river
Saraswati decked with elephants, which again take pleasure in that stream,
Draupadi took great delight in her five heroic husbands and they too took
delight in her. And in consequence of the illustrious Pandavas being
exceedingly virtuous in their practice, the whole race of Kurus, free from
sin, and happy, grew in prosperity.
"'After some time, O king, it so happened that certain robbers lifted the
cattle of a Brahmana, and while they were carrying away the booty, the
Brahmana, deprived of his senses by anger, repaired to Khandavaprastha,
and began to reprove the Pandavas in accents of woe. The Brahmana said,
"Ye Pandavas, from this your dominion, my kine are even now being taken
away by force by despicable and wicked wretches! Pursue ye the thieves.
Alas, the sacrificial butter of a peaceful Brahmana is being taken away by
crows! Alas, the wretched jackal invadeth the empty cave of a lion! A king
that taketh the sixth part of the produce of the land without protecting
the subject, hath been called by the wise to be the most sinful person in
the whole world. The wealth of a Brahmana is being taken away by robbers!
Virtue itself is sustaining a diminution! Take me up by the hand, ye
Pandavas for I am plunged in grief!"'
"Vaisampayana continued, 'Dhananjaya, the son of Kunti, heard those
accents of the Brahmana weeping in bitter grief. As soon as he heard those
accents, he loudly assured the Brahmana, saying, "No fear!" But it so
happened that the chamber where the illustrious Pandavas had their weapons
was then occupied by Yudhishthira the just with Krishna. Arjuna, therefore,
was incapable of entering it or going along with the Brahmana, though
repeatedly urged (to do either) by the weeping accents of the Brahmana.
Summoned by the Brahmana, Arjuna reflected, with a sorrowful heart, "Alas,
this innocent Brahmana's wealth is being robbed! I should certainly dry up
his tears. He hath come to our gate, and is weeping even now. If I do not
protect him, the king will be touched with sin in consequence of my
indifference; our own irreligiousness will be cited throughout the kingdom,
and we shall incur a great sin. If, disregarding the king, I enter the
chamber, without doubt I shall be behaving untruthfully towards the
monarch without a foe. By entering the chamber, again, I incur the penalty
of an exile in the woods. But I must overlook everything. I care not if I
have to incur sin by disregarding the king. I care not if I have to go to
the woods and die there. Virtue is superior to the body and lasteth after
the body hath perished!" Dhananjaya, arriving at this resolution, entered
the chamber and talked with Yudhishthira. Coming out with the bow, he
cheerfully told the Brahmana, "Proceed, O Brahmana, with haste, so that
those wretched robbers may not go much ahead of us. I shall accompany thee
and restore unto thee thy wealth that hath fallen into the hands of the
thieves." Then Dhananjaya, capable of using both his arms with equal skill,
armed with the bow and cased in mail and riding in his war-chariot decked
with a standard, pursued the thieves, and piercing them with his arrows,
compelled them to give up the booty. Benefiting the Brahmana thus by
making over to him his kine, and winning great renown, the hero returned
to the capital. Bowing unto all the elders, and congratulated by everybody,
Partha at last approached Yudhishthira, and addressing him, said, "Give me
leave, O lord, to observe the vow I took. In beholding thee sitting with
Draupadi, I have violated the rule established by ourselves. I shall
therefore go into the woods, for this is even our understanding." Then
Yudhishthira, suddenly hearing those painful words, became afflicted with
grief, and said in an agitated voice, "Why!" A little while after, king
Yudhishthira in grief said unto his brother Dhananjaya of curly hair who
never departed from his vows, these words, "O sinless one, if I am an
authority worthy of regard, listen to what I say. O hero, full well do I
know the reason why thou hadst entered my chamber and didst what thou
regardest to be an act disagreeable to me. But there is no displeasure in
my mind. The younger brother may, without fault, enter the chamber where
the elder brother sitteth with his wife. It is only the elder brother that
acts against the rules of propriety by entering the room where the younger
brother sitteth with his wife. Therefore, O thou of mighty arms, desist
from thy purpose. Do what I say. Thy virtue hath sustained no diminution.
Thou hast not disregarded me."
"'Arjuna, hearing this, replied, "I have heard, even from thee, that
quibbling is not permitted in the discharge of duty. I cannot waver from
truth. Truth is my weapon."'
"Vaisampayana continued, 'Obtaining then the king's permission, Arjuna
prepared himself for a forest-life; and he went to the forest to live
there for twelve years.'"