SECTION CCLXI
(Draupadi-harana Parva)
Vaisampayana said, "One day, having previously ascertained that the
Pandavas were all seated at their ease and that Krishna was reposing
herself after her meal, the sage Durvasa, surrounded by ten thousand
disciples repaired to that forest. The illustrious and upright king
Yudhishthira, seeing that guest arrived, advanced with his mothers to
receive him. And joining the palms of his hands and pointing to a proper
and excellent seat, he accorded the Rishis a fit and respectful welcome.
And the king said unto him, 'Return quick, O adorable sir, after
performing your diurnal ablutions and observances.' And that sinless Muni,
not knowing how the king would be able to provide a feast for him and his
disciples, proceeded with the latter to perform his ablutions. And that
host of the Muni, of subdued passions, went into the stream for
performing their ablutions. Meanwhile, O king, the excellent princess
Draupadi, devoted to her husbands, was in great anxiety about the food
(to be provided for the Munis). And when after much anxious thought she
came to the conclusion that means there were none for providing a feast,
she inwardly prayed to Krishna, the slayer of Kansa. And the princess
said, 'Krishna, O Krishna, of mighty arms, O son of Devaki, whose power
is inexhaustible, O Vasudeva, O lord of the Universe, who dispellest the
difficulties of those that bow down to thee, you are the soul, the
creator and the destroyer of the Universe. Thou, O lord, art
inexhaustible and the saviour of the afflicted. Thou are the preserver of
the Universe and of all created beings. Thou are the highest of the high,
and the spring of the mental perceptions Akuli and Chiti![88] O Supreme
and Infinite Being, O giver of all good, be you the refuge of the
helpless. O Primordial Being, incapable of being conceived by the soul or
the mental faculties or otherwise, you are the ruler of all and the lord
of Brahma. I seek your protection. O god, you are ever kindly disposed
towards those that take refuge in thee. Do you cherish me with thy
kindness. O you with a complexion dark as the leaves of the blue lotus,
and with eyes red as the corolla of the lily, and attired in yellow robes
with, besides, the bright Kaustubha gem in your bosom, you are the
beginning and the end of creation, and the great refuge of all. Thou art
the supreme light and essence of the Universe! Thy face is directed
towards every point. They call you Supreme Germ and the depository of
all treasures. Under your protections, O lord of the gods, all evils lose
their terror. As you didst protect me before from Dussasana, do thou
extricate me now from this difficulty."
Vaisampayana continued, "The great and sovereign God, and Lord of the
earth, of mysterious movements, the lord Kesava who is ever kind to the
dependents, you adored by Krishna, and perceiving her difficulty,
instantly repaired to that place leaving the bed of Rukmini who was
sleeping by his side. Beholding Vasudeva, Draupadi bowed down to him in
great joy and informed him of the arrival of the Munis and every other
thing. And having heard everything Krishna said unto her, 'I am very much
afflicted with hunger, do you give me some food without delay, and then
thou mayst go about your work.' At these words of Kesava, Krishna became
confused, and replied unto him, saying, 'The sun-given vessel remains
full till I finish my meal. But as I have already taken my meal today,
there is no food in it now. Then that lotus-eyed and adorable being said
unto Krishna, 'This is no time for jest, O Krishna.--I am much distressed
with hunger, go you quickly to fetch the vessel and show it to me.' When
Kesava, that ornament of the Yadu's race, had the vessel brought unto
him,--with such persistence, he looked into it and saw a particle of rice
and vegetable sticking at its rim. And swallowing it he said unto her,
'May it please the god Hari, the soul of the Universe, and may that god
who partaketh at sacrifices, be satiated with this.' Then the long-armed
Krishna, that soother of miseries, said unto Bhimasena, 'Do you speedily
invite the Munis to dinner. Then, O good king, the celebrated Bhimasena
quickly went to invite all those Munis, Durvasa and others, who had gone
to the nearest stream of transparent and cool water to perform their
ablutions. Meanwhile, these ascetics, having plunged into the river, were
rubbing their bodies and observing that they all felt their stomachs to
be full. And coming out of the stream, they began to stare at one
another. And turning towards Durvasa, all those ascetics observed,
'Having bade the king make our meals ready, we have come hither for a
bath. But how, O regenerate Rishi, can we eat anything now, for our
stomachs seem to be full to the throat. The repast hath been uselessly
prepared for us. What is the best thing to be done now?' Durvasa replied,
'By spoiling the repast, we have done a great wrong to that royal sage,
king Yudhishthira. Would not the Pandavas destroy us by looking down upon
us with angry eyes? I know the royal sage Yudhishthira to be possessed of
great ascetic power. Ye Brahmanas, I am afraid of men that are devoted to
Hari. The high-souled Pandavas are all religious men, learned, war-like,
diligent in ascetic austerities and religious observances, devoted to
Vasudeva, and always observant of rules of good conduct. If provoked,
they can consume us with their wrath as fire doth a bale of cotton.
Therefore, the disciples, do the all run away quickly without seeing them
(again)!"
Vaisampayana continued, "All those Brahmanas, thus advised by their
ascetic preceptor, became greatly afraid of the Pandavas and fled away in
all directions. Then Bhimasena not beholding those excellent Munis in the
celestial river, made a search after them here and there at all the
landing places. And learning from the ascetics of those places that they
had run away, he came back and informed Yudhishthira of what had
happened. Then all the Pandavas of subdued senses, expecting them to
come, remained awaiting their arrival for some time. And Yudhishthira
said, 'Coming dead of night the Rishis will deceive us. Oh how, can we
escape from this difficulty created by the facts?' Seeing them absorbed
in such reflections and breathing long deep sighs at frequent intervals,
the illustrious Krishna suddenly appeared to them and addressed them
these words: 'Knowing, the sons of Pritha, your danger from that wrathful
Rishi, I was implored by Draupadi to come, and (therefore) have I come
here speedily. But now the have not the least fear from the Rishi Durvasa.
Afraid of your ascetic powers, he hath made himself scarce ere this.
Virtuous men never suffer. I now ask your permission to let me return
home. May you always be prosperous!'"
Vaisampayana continued, "Hearing Kesava's words, the sons of Pritha, with
Draupadi, became easy in mind. And cured of their fever (of anxiety),
they said unto him, 'As persons drowning in the wide ocean safely reach
the shore by means of a boat, so have we, by your aid, O lord Govinda,
escaped from this inextricable difficulty. Do you now depart in peace,
and may prosperity be thine.' Thus dismissed, he repaired to his capital
and the Pandavas too, O blessed lord, wandering from forest to forest
passed their days merrily with Draupadi. Thus, O king, have I related to
thee the story which you askedest me to repeat. And it was thus that the
machinations of the wicked sons of Dhritarashtra about the Pandavas in
the forest, were frustrated."
--------------------END OF PARVA 3 : UPA-PARVA 261 ---------------------
