SECTION CCXXXVIII
Vaisampayana said, "King Duryodhana then moving from forest to forest, at
last approached the cattle-stations, and encamped his troops. And his
attendants, selecting a well-known and delightful spot that abounded in
water and trees and that possessed every convenience constructed an abode
for him. And near enough to the royal residence they also erected
separate abodes for Kama and Sakuni and the brothers of the king. And the
king beheld his cattle by hundreds and thousands and examining their
limbs and marks supervised their tale. And he caused the calves to be
marked and took note of those that required to be tamed. And he also
counted those kine whose calves had not yet been weaned. And completing
the task of tale by marking and counting every calf that was three years
old, the Kuru prince, surrounded by the cowherds, began to sport and
wander cheerfully. And the citizens also and the soldiers by thousands
began to sport, as best pleased them, in those woods, like the
celestials. And the herdsmen, well skilled in singing and dancing and
instrumental music, and virgins decked in ornaments, began to minister to
the pleasures of Dhritarashtra's son. And the king surrounded by the
ladies of the royal household began cheerfully to distribute wealth and
food and drinks of various kinds amongst those that sought to please him,
according to their desires.
"And the king, attended by all his followers, began also to slay hyenas
and buffaloes and deer and gayals and bears and boars all around. And the
king, piercing by his shafts those animals by thousands in deep forest,
caused the deer to be caught in the more delightful parts of the woods.
Drinking milk and enjoying, O Bharata, various other delicious articles
and beholding, as he proceeded, many delightful forests and woods
swarming with bees inebriate with floral honey and resounding with the
notes of the peacock, the king at last reached the sacred lake of
Dwaitavana. And the spot which the king reached swarmed with bees
inebriate with floral honey, and echoed with the mellifluous notes of the
blue-throated jay and was shaded by Saptacchadas and punnagas and
Vakulas. And the king graced with high prosperity proceeded thither like
the thunder-wielding chief of the celestials himself. And, O you best of
the Kuru race, King Yudhishthira the just, endued with high intelligence,
was then, O monarch, residing in the vicinity of that lake at will and
celebrating with his wedded wife, the daughter of Drupada, the diurnal
sacrifice called Rajarshi, according to the ordinance sanctioned for the
celestials and persons living in the wilderness. And, O monarch, having
reached that spot, Duryodhana commanded his men by thousands, saying,
'Let pleasure-houses be constructed soon.' Thus commanded, those doers of
the king's behests replying to the Kruru chief with the words, 'So be
it,' went towards the banks of the lake for constructing pleasure-houses.
And as the picked soldiers of Dhritarashtra's son, having reached the
region of the lake, were about to enter the gates of the wood, a number
of Gandharvas appeared and forbade them to enter. For, O monarch, the
king of the Gandharvas accompanied by his followers, had come thither
beforehand, from the abode of Kuvera. And the king of the Gandharvas had
also been accompanied by the several tribes of Apsaras, as also by the
sons of the celestials And intent upon sport, he had come to that place
for merriment, and occupying it, had closed it against all comers. And
the attendants of the (Kuru) king, finding the lake closed by the king of
the Gandharvas, went back, O monarch, to where the royal Duryodhana was.
And Duryodhana having heard these words, despatched a number of his
warriors difficult of being subjugated in battle, commanding them to
drive away the Gandharvas. And those warriors who formed the vanguard of
the Kuru army, hearing these words of the king, went back to the lake of
Dwaitavana and addressing the Gandharvas, said, 'The mighty king
Duryodhana--the son of Dhritarashtra--is coming, hither for sport. Stand
ye aside, therefore!' Thus addressed by them, O king, the Gandharvas
laughed and replied unto those men in these harsh words: 'Your wicked
king Duryodhana must be destitute of sense. How else could he have thus
commanded us that are dwellers of heaven, as if indeed, we were his
servants? Without forethought, the also are doubtless on the point of
death; for senseless idiots as the are, the have dared to bring us his
message! Return the soon to where that king of the Kurus is, or else go
this very day to the abode of Yama.' Thus addressed by the Gandharvas,
the advanced guard of the king's army ran back to the place where the
royal son of Dhritarashtra was."
--------------------END OF PARVA 3 : UPA-PARVA 238 ---------------------
