SECTION LXXVIII
Vaisampayana said,--"As soon as Vidura endued with great foresight came
unto him king Dhritarashtra, the son of Amvika, timidly asked his
brother,--'How doth Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma, proceed along? And
how Arjuna? And how the twin sons of Madri? And how, O Kshatta, doth
Dhaumya proceed along? And how the illustrious Draupadi? I desire to hear
everything, O Kshatta; describe to me all their acts.'
Vidura replied,--'Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, hath gone away covering
his face with his cloth. And Bhima, O king, hath gone away looking at his
own mighty arms. And Jishnu (Arjuna) hath gone away, following the king
spreading sand-grains around. And Sahadeva, the son of Madri, hath gone
away besmearing his face, and Nakula, the handsomest of men, O king, hath
gone away, staining himself with dust and his heart in great affliction.
And the large-eyed and beautiful Krishna hath gone away, covering her
face with her dishevelled hair following in the wake of the king, weeping
and in tears. And O monarch, Dhaumya goeth along the road, with kusa
grass in hand, and uttering the aweful mantras of Sama Veda that relate
to Yama.'
Dhritarashtra asked,--"Tell me, O Vidura, why is it that the Pandavas are
leaving Hastinapore in such varied guise."
"Vidura replied,--'Though persecuted by your sons and robbed of his
kingdom and wealth the mind of the wise king Yudhishthira the just hath
not yet deviated from the path of virtue. King Yudhishthira is always
kind, O Bharata, to your children. Though deprived (of his kingdom and
possessions) by foul means, filled with wrath as he is, he doth not open
eyes. 'I should not burn the people by looking at them with angry
eyes,'--thinking so, the royal son of Pandu goeth covering his face.
Listen to me as I tell thee, O bull of the Bharata race, why Bhima goeth
so. 'There is none equal to me in strength of arms,' thinking so Bhima
goeth repeatedly stretching forth his mighty arms. And, O king, proud of
the strength of his arms, Vrikodara goeth, exhibiting them and desiring
to do unto his enemies deeds worthy of those arms. And Arjuna the son of
Kunti, capable of using both his arms (in wielding the Gandiva) followeth
the footsteps of Yudhishthira, scattering sand-grains emblematical of the
arrows he would shower in battle. O Bharata, he indicateth that as the
sand-grains are scattered by him with ease, so will he rain arrows with
perfect ease on the foe (in time of battle). And Sahadeva goeth
besmearing his lace, thinking 'None may recognise me in this day of
trouble.' And, O exalted one, Nakula goeth staining himself with dust
thinking, 'Lest otherwise I steal the hearts of the ladies that may look
at me.' And Draupadi goeth, attired in one piece of stained cloth, her
hair dishevelled, and weeping, signifying--'The wives of those for whom I
have been reduced to such a plight, shall on the fourteenth year hence be
deprived of husbands, sons and relatives and dear ones and smeared all
over with blood, with hair dishevelled and all in their feminine seasons
enter Hastinapore having offered oblations of water (unto the manes of
those they will have lost). And O Bharata, the learned Dhaumya with
passions under full control, holding the kusa grass in his hand and
pointing the same towards the south-west, walketh before, singing the
mantras of the Sama Veda that relate to Yama. And, O monarch, that
learned Brahamana goeth, also signifying, 'When the Bharatas shall be
slain in battle, the priests of the Kurus will thus sing the Soma mantras
(for the benefit of the deceased).' And the citizens, afflicted with
great grief, are repeatedly crying out, 'Alas, alas, behold our masters
are going away! O fie on the Kuru elders that have acted like foolish
children in thus banishing heirs of Pandu from covetousness alone. Alas,
separated from the son of Pandu we all shall become masterless. What love
can we bear to the wicked and avaricious Kurus? Thus O king, have the
sons of Kunti, endued with great energy of mind, gone away,--indicating,
by manner and signs, the resolutions that are in their hearts. And as
those foremost of men had gone away from Hastinapore, flashes of
lightning appeared in the sky though without clouds and the earth itself
began to tremble. And Rahu came to devour the Sun, although it was not
the day of conjunction And meteors began to fall, keeping the city to
their right. And jackals and vultures and ravens and other carnivorous
beasts and birds began to shriek and cry aloud from the temples of the
gods and the tops of sacred trees and walls and house-tops. And these
extraordinary calamitous portents, O king, were seen and heard,
indicating the destruction of the Bharatas as the consequence of your evil
counsels."
Vaisampayana continued,--"And, O monarch, while king Dhritarashtra and
the wise Vidura were thus talking with each other, there appeared in that
assembly of the Kauravas and before the eyes of all, the best of the
celestial Rishis. And appealing before them all, he uttered these
terrible words, On the fourteenth year hence, the Kauravas, in
consequence of Duryodhana's fault, will all be destroyed by the might of
Bhima and Arjuna'. And having said this, that best of celestial Rishis,
adorned with surpassing Vedic grace, passing through the skies,
disappeared from the scene. Then Duryodhana and Karna and Sakuni, the son
of Suvala regarding Drona as their sole refuge, offered the kingdom to
him. Drona then, addressing the envious and wrathful Duryodhana and
Dussasana and Karna and all the Bharata, said, 'The Brahamanas have said
that the Pandavas being of celestial origin are incapable of being slain.
The sons of Dhritarashtra, however, having, with all the kings, heartily
and with reverence sought my protection, I shall look after them to the
best of my power. Destiny is supreme, I cannot abandon them. The sons of
Pandu, defeated at dice, are going into exile in pursuance of their
promise. They will live in the woods for twelve years. Practising the
Brahmacharyya mode of life for this period, they will return in anger and
to our great grief take the amplest vengeance on their foes. I had
formerly deprived Drupada of his kingdom in a friendly dispute. Robbed of
his kingdom by me, O Bharata, the king performed a sacrifice for
obtaining a son (that should slay me). Aided by the ascetic power of Yaja
and Upayaja, Drupada obtained from the (sacrificial) fire a son named
Dhrishtadyumna and a daughter, viz., the faultless Krishna, both risen
from the sacrificial platform. That Dhrishtadyumna is the brother-in-law
of the sons of Pandu by marriage, and dear unto them. It is for him,
therefore that I have much fear. Of celestial origin and resplendent as
the fire, he was born with bow, arrows, and encased in mail. I am a being
that is mortal. Therefore it is for him that I have great fear. That
slayer of all foes, the son of Parshatta, hath taken the side of the
Pandavas. I shall have to lose my life, if he and I ever encounter each
other in battle. What grief can be greater to me in this world than this,
ye Kauravas that Dhrishtadyumna is the destined slayer of Drona--this
belief is general. That he hath been born for slaying me hath been heard
by me and is widely known also in the world. For your sake, O Duryodhana,
that terrible season of destruction is almost come. Do without loss of
time, what may be beneficial unto thee. Think not that everything hath
been accomplished by sending the Pandavas into exile. This your happiness
will last for but a moment, even as in winter the shadow of the top of
the palm tree resteth (for a short time) at its base. Perform various
kinds of sacrifices, and enjoy, and give O Bharata, everything thou
likest. On the fourteenth year hence, a great calamity will overwhelm
thee.'"
Vaisampayana continued,--"Hearing these words of Drona, Dhritarashtra
said,--'O Kshatta, the preceptor hath uttered what is true. Go you and
bring back the Pandavas. If they do not come back, let them go treated
with respect and affection. Let those my sons go with weapons, and cars,
and infantry, and enjoying every other good thing.'"
--------------------END OF PARVA 2 : UPA-PARVA 78 ---------------------
