SECTION LXXX
(Dyuta Parva Continued)
Vaisampayana said,--"defeated at dice, after
the Pandavas had gone to the woods, Dhritarashtra, O king, was overcome with
anxiety. And while he was seated restless with anxiety and sighing in grief,
Sanjaya approaching him said, 'O lord of the earth having now obtained the
whole earth with all its wealth and sent away the sons of Pandu into exile, why
is it, O king, that thou grievest so?"
Dhritarashtra said,--'What have they not to
grieve for who will have to encounter in battle those bulls among warriors--the
sons of Pandu--fighting on great cars and aided by allies?'
"Sanjaya said,--"O king, all this great
hostility is inevitable on account of thy mistaken action, and this will
assuredly bring about the wholesale destruction of the whole world. Forbidden
by Bhishma, by Drona, and by Vidura, thy wicked-minded and shameless son
Duryodhana sent his Suta messenger commanding him to bring into court the
beloved and virtuous wife of the Pandavas. The gods first deprive that man of
his reason unto whom they send defeat and disgrace. It is for this that such a
person seeth things in a strange light. When destruction is at hand, evil appeareth
as good unto the understanding polluted by sin, and the man adhereth to it
firmly. That which is improper appeareth as proper, and that which is proper
appeareth as improper unto the man about to be overwhelmed by destruction, and
evil and impropriety are what he liketh. The time that bringeth on destruction
doth not come with upraised club and smash one's head. On the other hand the
peculiarity of such a time is that it maketh a man behold evil in good and good
in evil. The wretches have brought on themselves this terrible, wholesale, and
horrible destruction by dragging the helpless princess of Panchala into the
court. Who else than Duryodhana--that false player of dice could bring into the
assembly, with insults, the daughter of Drupada, endued with beauty and
intelligence, and conversant with every rule of morality and duty, and sprung
not from any woman's womb but from the sacred fire? The handsome Krishna, then
in her season, attired in one piece of stained cloth when brought into the
court cast her eyes upon the Pandavas. She beheld them, however, robbed of
their wealth, of their kingdom, of even their attire, of their beauty, of every
enjoyment, and plunged into a state of bondage. Bound by the tie of virtue,
they were then unable to exert their prowess. And before all the assembled
kings Duryodhana and Karna spake cruel and harsh words unto the distressed and
enraged Krishna undeserving of such treatment. O monarch, all this appeareth to
me as foreboding fearful consequences.'
Dhritarashtra said,--'O Sanjaya, the glances of
the distressed daughter of Drupada might consume the whole earth. Can it be
possible that even a single son of mine will live? The wives of the Bharatas,
uniting with Gandhari upon beholding virtuous Krishna, the wedded wife of the
Pandavas, endued with beauty and youth, dragged into the court, set up
frightful wail. Even now, along with all my subjects, they weep every day.
Enraged at the ill treatment of Draupadi, the Brahmanas in a body did not
perform that evening their Agnihotra ceremony. The winds blew mightily as they
did at the time of the universal dissolution. There was a terrible
thunder-storm also. Meteors fell from the sky, and Rahu by swallowing the Sun
unseasonably alarmed the people terribly. Our war-chariots were suddenly
ablaze, and all their flagstaffs fell down foreboding evil unto the Bharatas.
Jackals began to cry frightfully from within the sacred fire-chamber of
Duryodhana, and asses from all directions began to bray in response. Then
Bhishma and Drona, and Kripa, and Somadatta and the high-souled Vahlika, all
left the assembly. It was then that at the advice of Vidura I addressed Krishna
and said, 'I will grant thee boons, O Krishna, indeed, whatever thou wouldst
ask? The princess of the Panchala there begged of me the liberation of the
Pandavas. Out of my own motion I then set free the Pandavas, commanding them to
return (to their capital) on their cars and with their bows and arrows. It was
then that Vidura told me, 'Even this will prove the destruction of the Bharata
race, viz., this dragging of Krishna into the court. This daughter of the King
of Panchala is the faultless Sree herself. Of celestial origin, she is the
wedded wife of the Pandavas. The wrathful sons of Pandu will never forgive this
insult offered unto her. Nor will the mighty bowmen of the Vrishni race, nor
the mighty warriors amongst the Panchalas suffer this in silence. Supported by
Vasudeva of unbaffled prowess, Arjuna will assuredly come back, surrounded by
the Panchala host. And that mighty warrior amongst them, Bhimasena endued with
surpassing strength, will also come back, whirling his mace like Yama himself
with his club. These kings will scarcely be able to bear the force of Bhima's
mace. Therefore, O king, not hostility but peace for ever with the sons of
Pandu is what seemeth to me to be the best. The sons of Pandu are always
stronger than the Kurus. Thou knowest, O king, that the illustrious and mighty
king Jarasandha was slain in battle by Bhima with his bare arms alone. Therefore,
O bull of the Bharata race, it behoveth thee to make peace with the sons of
Pandu. Without scruples of any kind, unite the two parties, O king. And it thou
actest in this way, thou art sure to obtain good luck, O king. It was thus, O
son of Gavalgani, that Vidura addressed me in words of both virtue and profit.
And I did not accept this counsel, moved by affection for my son."
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