SECTION LXXIX
(Dyuta Parva Continued)
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 thy
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 thy 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 thy 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 thy
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 thy
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 thou 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.'"
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