The Mahabharata, of ,Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa ,BOOK 2  (Digvijaya Parva),
SECTION LXXI

"Karna said,--'We have never heard of such an act (as this one of

Draupadi), performed by any of the women noted in this world for their

beauty. When the sons of both Pandu and Dhritarashtra were excited with

wrath, this Draupadi became unto the sons of Pandu as their salvation.

Indeed the princess of Panchala, becoming as a boat unto the sons of

Pandu who were sinking in a boatless ocean of distress, hath brought them

in safety to the shore.'"

Vaisampayana continued,--"Hearing these words of Karna in the midst of

the Kurus,--viz., that the sons of Pandu were saved by their wife,--the

angry Bhimasena in great affliction said (unto Arjuna),--'O Dhananjaya,

it hath been said by Devala three lights reside in every person, viz.,

offspring, acts and learning, for from these three hath sprung creation.

When life becometh extinct and the body becometh impure and is cast off

by relatives, these three become of service to every person. But the

light that is in us hath been dimmed by this act of insult to our wife.

How, O Arjuna, can a son born from this insulted wife of ours prove

serviceable to us?

"Arjuna replied,--'Superior persons, O Bharata, never prate about the

harsh words that may or may not be uttered by inferior men. Persons that

have earned respect for themselves, even if they are able to retaliate,

remember not the acts of hostility done by their enemies, but, on the

other hand, treasure up only their good deeds.'

'Bhima said,--'Shall I, O king, slay, without loss of time all these foes

assembled together, even here, or shall I destroy them, O Bharata, by the

roots, outside this palace? Or, what need is there of words or of

command? I shall slay all these even now, and rule thou the whole earth,

O king, without a rival. And saying this, Bhima with his younger

brothers, like a lion in the midst of a herd of inferior animals,

repeatedly cast his angry glances around. But Arjuna, however, of white

deeds, with appealing looks began to pacify his elder brother. And the

mighty-armed hero endued with great prowess began to burn with the fire

of his wrath. And, O king, this fire began to issue out of Vrikodara's

ears and other senses with smoke and sparks and flames. And his face

became terrible to behold in consequence of his furrowed brows like those

of Yama himself at the time of the universal destruction. Then

Yudhishthira forbade the mighty hero, embracing him with his arms and

telling him 'Be not so. Stay in silence and peace.' And having pacified

the mighty-armed one with eyes red in wrath, the king approached his

uncle Dhritarashtra, with hands joined in entreaty."

SECTION LXXII

"Yudhishthira said,--'O king, thou art our master. Command us as to what

we shall do. O Bharata, we desire to remain always in obedience to thee.

"Dhritarashtra replied.--'O Ajatasatru, blest be thou. Go thou in peace

and safety. Commanded by me, go, rule thy own kingdom with thy wealth.

And, O child, take to heart this command of an old man, this wholesome

advice that I give, and which is even a nutritive regimen. O

Yudhishthira, O child, thou knowest the subtle path of morality.

Possessed of great wisdom, thou art also humble, and thou waitest also

upon the old. Where there is intelligence, there is forbearance.

Therefore, O Bharata, follow thou counsels of peace. The axe falleth upon

wood, not upon stone. (Thou art open to advice, not Duryodhana). They are

the best of men that remember not the acts of hostility of their foes;

that behold only the merits, not the faults, of their enemies; and that

never enter into hostilities themselves. They that are good remember only

the good deeds of their foes and not the hostile acts their foes might

have done unto them. The good, besides, do good unto others without

expectation of any good, in return. O Yudhishthira, it is only the worst

of men that utter harsh words in quarrelling; while they that are

indifferent reply to such when spoken by others. But they that are good

and wise never think of or recapitulate such harsh words, little caring

whether these may or may not have been uttered by their foes. They that

are good, having regard to the state of their own feelings, can

understand the feelings of others, and therefore remember only the good

deeds and not the acts of hostility of their foes. Thou hast acted even

as good men of prepossessing countenance do, who transgress not the

limits of virtue, wealth, pleasure and salvation. O child, remember not

the harsh words of Duryodhana. Look at thy mother Gandhari and myself

also, if thou desirest to remember only what is good. O Bharata, look at

me, who am thy father unto you and am old and blind, and still alive. It

was for seeing our friends and examining also the strength and weakness

of my children, that I had, from motives of policy, suffered this match

at dice to proceed. O king those amongst the Kurus that have thee for

their ruler, and the intelligent Vidura conversant with every branch of

learning for their counsellor, have, indeed, nothing to grieve for. In

thee is virtue, in Arjuna is patience, in Bhimasena is prowess, and the

twins, those foremost of men, is pure reverence for superiors. Blest be

thou, O Ajatasatru. Return to Khandavaprastha, and let there be brotherly

love between thee and thy cousins. Let thy heart also be ever fixed on

virtue.'"

Vaisampayana continued,--"That foremost of the Bharatas--king

Yudhishthira the just--then, thus addressed by his uncle, having gone

through every ceremony of politeness, set out with his brothers for

Khandavaprastha. And accompanied by Draupadi and ascending their cars

which were all of the hue of the clouds, with cheerful hearts they all

set out for that best of cities called Indraprastha."

SECTION LXXIII

Janamejaya said,--"How did the sons of Dhritarashtra feel, when they came

to know that the Pandavas had, with Dhritarashtra's leave, left

Hastinapore with all their wealth and jewels?"

Vaisampayana said,--"O king, learning that the Pandavas had been

commanded by the wise Dhritarashtra to return to their capital, Dussasana

went without loss of time unto his brother. And, O bull of the Bharata

race, having arrived before Duryodhana with his counsellor, the prince,

afflicted with grief, began to say,--'Ye mighty warriors, that which we

had won after so much trouble, the old man (our father) hath thrown away.

Know ye that he hath made over the whole of that wealth to the foes. At

these words, Duryodhana and Karna and Sakuni, the son of Suvala, all of

whom were guided by vanity, united together, and desirous of

counteracting the sons of Pandu, approaching in haste saw privately the

wise king Dhritarashtra--the son of Vichitravirya and spake unto him

these pleasing and artful words. Duryodhana said,--

'Hast thou not heard, O king, what the learned Vrihaspati the preceptor

of the celestials, said in course of counselling Sakra about mortals and

politics? Even these, O slayer of foes, were the words of Vrihaspati,

'Those enemies that always do wrong by stratagem or force, should be

slain by every means.' If, therefore, with the wealth of the Pandavas, we

gratify the kings of the earth and then fight with the sons of Pandu,

what reverses can overtake us? When one hath placed on the neck and back

of venomous snakes full of wrath for encompassing his destruction, is it

possible for him to take them off? Equipped with weapon and seated on

their cars, the angry sons of Pandu like wrathful and venomous snakes

will assuredly annihilate us, O father. Even now Arjuna proceedeth,

encased in mail and furnished with his couple of quivers, frequently

taking up the Gandiva and breathing hard and casting angry glances

around. It hath (also) been heard by us that Vrikodara, hastily ordering

his car to be made ready and riding on it, is proceeding along,

frequently whirling his heavy mace. Nakula also is going along, with the

sword in his grasp and the semi-circular shield in his hand. And Sahadeva

and the king (Yudhishthira) have made signs clearly testifying to their

intentions. Having ascended their cars that are full of all kinds of

arms, they are whipping their horses (for going to Khandava soon) and

assembling their forces. Persecuted thus by us they are incapable of

forgiving us those injuries. Who is there among them that will forgive

that insult to Draupadi? Blest be thou. We will again gamble with the son

of Pandu for sending them to exile. O bull among men, we are competent to

bring them thus under our sway. Dressed in skins, either we or they

defeated at dice, shall repair to the woods for twelve years. The

thirteenth year shall have to be spent in some inhabited country

unrecognised; and, if recognised, an exile for another twelve years shall

be the consequence. Either we or they shall live so. Let the play begin,

casting the dice, let the sons of Pandu once more play. O bull of the

Bharata race, O king, even this is our highest duty. This Sakuni knoweth

well the whole science of dice. Even if they succeed in observing this

vow for thirteen years, we shall be in the meantime firmly rooted in the

kingdom and making alliances, assemble a vast invincible host and keep

them content, so that we shall, O king, defeat the sons of Pandu if they

reappear. Let this plan recommend itself to thee, O slayer of foes.

"Dhritarashtra said,--Bring back the Pandavas then, indeed, even if they

have gone a great way. Let them come at once again to cast dice."

Vaisampayana continued,--"Then Drona, Somadatta and Valhika, Gautama,

Vidura, the son of Drona, and the mighty son of Dhritarashtra by his

Vaisya wife, Bhurisravas, and Bhishma, and that mighty warrior

Vikarna,--all said, 'Let not the play commence. Let there be peace. But

Dhritarashtra, partial to his sons, disregarding the counsels of all his

wise friends and relatives, summoned the sons of Pandu."

SECTION LXXIV

Vaisampayana said,--'O monarch, it was then that the virtuous Gandhari,

afflicted with grief on account of her affection for her sons, addressed

king Dhritarashtra and said, "When Duryodhana was born, Vidura of great

intelligence had said, 'It is well to send this disgrace of the race to

the other world. He cried repeatedly and dissonantly like a jackal. It is

certain he will prove the destruction of our race. Take this to heart, O

king of the Kurus. O Bharata, sink not, for thy own fault, into an ocean

of calamity. O lord, accord not thy approbation to the counsels of the

wicked ones of immature years. Be not thou the cause of the terrible

destruction of this race. Who is there that will break an embankment

which hath been completed, or re-kindle a conflagration which hath been

extinguished? O bull of the Bharata race, who is there that will provoke

the peaceful sons of Pritha? Thou rememberest, O Ajamida, everything, but

still I will call thy attention to this. The scriptures can never control

the wicked-minded for good or evil. And, O king, a person of immature

understanding will never act as one of mature years. Let thy sons follow

thee as their leader. Let them not be separated from thee for ever (by

losing their lives). Therefore, at my word, O king, abandon this wretch

of our race. Thou couldst not, O king, from parental affection, do it

before. Know that the time hath come for the destruction of race through

him. Err not, O king. Let thy mind, guided by counsels of peace, virtue,

and true policy, be what it naturally is. That prosperity which is

acquired by the aid of wicked acts, is soon destroyed; while that which

is won by mild means taketh root and descendeth from generation to

generation."

"The king, thus addressed by Gandhari who pointed out to him in such

language the path of virtue, replied unto her, saying,--'If the

destruction of our race is come, let it take place freely. I am ill able

to prevent it. Let it be as they (these my sons) desire. Let the Pandavas

return. And let my sons again gamble with the sons of Pandu."

SECTION LXXV

Vaisampayana said,--'The royal messenger, agreeably to the commands of

the intelligent king Dhritarashtra, coming upon Yudhishthira, the son of

Pritha who had by that time gone a great way, addressed the monarch and

said,--'Even these are the words of thy father-like uncle, O Bharata,

spoken unto thee, 'The assembly is ready. O son of Pandu, O king

Yudhisthira, come and cast the dice.'

Yudhishthira said,--'Creatures obtain fruits good and ill according to

the dispensation of the Ordainer of the creation. Those fruits are

inevitable whether I play or not. This is a summons to dice; it is,

besides the command of the old king. Although I know that it will prove

destructive to me, yet I cannot refuse.'

Vaisampayana continued,--"Although (a living) animal made of gold was an

impossibility, yet Rama suffered himself to be tempted by a (golden)

deer. Indeed, the minds of men over whom calamities hang, became deranged

and out of order. Yudhishthira, therefore, having said these words,

retraced his steps along with his brothers. And knowing full well the

deception practised by Sakuni, the son of Pritha came back to sit at dice

with him again. These mighty warriors again entered that assembly,

afflicting the hearts of all their friends. And compelled by Fate they

once more sat down at ease for gambling for the destruction of

themselves."

"Sakuni then said,--'The old king hath given ye back all your wealth.

That is well. But, O bull of the Bharata race, listen to me, there is a

stake of great value. Either defeated by ye at dice, dressed in deer

skins we shall enter the great forest and live there for twelve years

passing the whole of the thirteenth year in some inhabited region,

unrecognised, and if recognised return to an exile of another twelve

years; or vanquished by us, dressed in deer skins ye shall, with Krishna,

live for twelve years in the woods passing the whole of the thirteenth

year unrecognised, in some inhabited region. If recognised, an exile of

another twelve years is to be the consequence. On the expiry of the

thirteenth year, each is to have his kingdom surrendered by the other. O

Yudhishthira, with this resolution, play with us, O Bharata, casting the

dice.'

"At these words, they that were in that assembly, raising up their arms

said in great anxiety of mind, and from the strength of their feelings

these words,--'Alas, fie on the friends of Duryodhana that they do not

apprise him of his great danger. Whether he, O bull among the Bharatas,

(Dhritarashtra) understandeth or not, of his own sense, it is thy duty to

tell him plainly."

"Vaisampayana continued,--King Yudhishthira, even hearing these various

remarks, from shame and a sense of virtue again sat at dice. And though

possessed of great intelligence and fully knowing the consequences, he

again began to play, as if knowing that the destruction of the Kurus was

at hand.

"And Yudhishthira said,--'How can, O Sakuni, a king like me, always

observant of the uses of his own order, refuse, when summoned to dice?

Therefore I play with thee."

"Sakuni answered,--'We have many kine and horses, and milch cows, and an

infinite number of goats and sheep; and elephants and treasures and gold

and slaves both male and female. All these were staked by us before but

now let this be our one stake, viz., exile into the woods,--being

defeated either ye or we will dwell in the woods (for twelve years) and

the thirteenth year, unrecognised, in some inhabited place. Ye bulls

among men, with this determination, will we play."

"O Bharata, this proposal about a stay in the woods was uttered but once.

The son of Pritha, however, accepted it and Sakuni took up the dice. And

casting them he said unto Yudhishthira,--'Lo, I have won."