SECTION –LII
(Nalopakhyana Parva)
Janamejaya said, "When the high-souled
Partha went to Indra's region for obtaining weapons, what did Yudhishthira and
the other sons of Pandu do?"
Vaisampayana said, "When the high-souled
Partha went to Indra's region for obtaining weapons, those bulls of the Bharata
race continued to dwell with Krishna in (the woods of) Kamyaka. One day, those
foremost of the Bharatas, afflicted with grief, were seated with Krishna on a
clean and solitary sward. Grieving for Dhananjaya, overwhelmed with sorrow, their
voices were choked with weeping. Tortured by Dhananjaya's absence, grief
afflicted them equally. And filled with sorrow at their separation from Arjuna
and at the loss of their kingdom, the mighty-armed Bhima among them addressed
Yudhishthira, saying, "That Bull of the Bharata race, Arjuna, O great
king, on whom depend the lives of Pandu's sons, and on whose death the
Panchalas as also ourselves with our sons and Satyaki and Vasudeva are sure to
die, hath gone away at thy behest. What can be sadder than this that the
virtuous Vibhatsu hath gone away at thy command, thinking of his many griefs?
Depending upon the might of that illustrious hero's arms, regard our foes as
already vanquished in battle, and the whole earth itself as already acquired by
us. It was for the sake of that mighty warrior that I refrained from sending to
the other world all the Dhartarashtras along with the Suvalas, in the midst of
the assembly. Gifted with might of arms, and supported by Vasudeva, we have to
suppress the wrath that hath been roused in us, because thou art the root of
that wrath. Indeed, with Krishna's help, slaying our foes headed by Karna, we
are able to rule the entire earth (thus) conquered by our own arms. Endued with
manliness, we are yet overwhelmed with calamities, in consequence of thy
gambling vice, while the foolish null of Dhritarashtra are growing stronger
with the tributes (gathered from dependent kings). O mighty monarch, it
behoveth thee to keep in view the duties of the Kshatriya. O great king, it is not
the duty of a Khsatriya to live in the woods. The wise are of the opinion that
to rule is the foremost duty of a Kshatriya. O king, thou art conversant with
Kshatriya morality. Do not, therefore, deviate from the path of duty. Turning
away from the woods, let us, summoning Partha and Janardana, slay, O king, the
sons of Dhritarashtra, even before the twelve years are complete. O illustrious
monarch O king of kings, even if these Dhartarashtras be surrounded by soldiers
in array of battle, I shall send them to the other world by dint of might
alone. I shall slay all the sons of Dhritarashtra along with the Sauvalas, indeed,
Duryodhana, Karna, and anyone else that will fight with me. And after I shall
have slain all our foes, thou mayst come back unto the woods. By acting thus, O
king, no fault will be thine. (Or if any sin be thine), O represser of foes, O
mighty monarch, washing it off, O sire, by various sacrifices, we may ascend to
a superior heaven. Such a consummation may come to pass, if our king proveth
not unwise or procrastinating. Thou art, however, virtuous. Verily the
deceitful should be destroyed by deceit. To slay the deceitful by deceit, is
not regarded as sinful. O Bharata, it is, also said by those versed in morality
that one day and night is, O great prince, equal unto a full year. The Veda
text also, exalted one, is often heard, signifying that a year is equivalent to
a day when passed in the observance of certain difficult vows. O thou of
unfading glory, if the Vedas are an authority with thee, regard thou the period
of a day and something more as the equivalent of thirteen years. O represser of
foes, this is the time to slay Duryodhana with his adherents. Else, O king, he
will beforehand bring the whole earth obedient to his will. O foremost of
monarchs, all this is the result of thy addiction to gambling. We are on the
verge of destruction already, in consequence of thy promise of living one year
undiscovered. I do not find the country where, if we live, the wicked-minded
Suyodhana may not be able to trace us by his spies. And finding us out, that
wretch will again deceitfully send us into such exile in the woods. Or if that
sinful one beholdeth us emerge, after the expiry of the pledged period of
non-discovery, he will again invite thee, O great king, to dice, and the play
will once more begin. Summoned once more, thou wilt again efface thyself at
dice. Thou art not skilled at dice, and when summoned at play, thou wilt be
deprived of thy senses. Therefore, O mighty monarch thou wilt have to lead a
life in the woods again. If, O mighty king, it behoveth thee not to make us
wretched for life, observe thou fully the ordinance of the Vedas, (which
inculcateth that) verily the deceitful ought to be slain by deceit. If I but
have thy command I would go (to Hastinapura) and, even as fire falling upon a
heap of grass consumeth it, would slay Duryodhana, putting forth my utmost
might. It behoveth thee, therefore, to grant me the permission.'"
Vaisampayana continued, "Thus addressed by
Bhima, king Yudhishthira the just, smelt the crown of that son of Pandu, and
pacifying him said, 'O mighty-armed one, without doubt, thou wilt, assisted by
the wielder of the Gandiva, slay Suyodhana at the expiry of the thirteenth
year. But, O son of Pritha, as for thy assertion, 'O Lord, the time is
complete', I cannot dare tell an untruth, for untruth is not in me. O son of
Kunti, without the help of fraud, wilt thou kill the wicked and irrepressible
Duryodhana, with his allies.'
"While Yudhishthira the just, was speaking
unto Bhima thus, there came the great and illustrious Rishi Vrihadaswa before
them. And beholding that virtuous ascetic before him, the righteous king
worshipped him according to the ordinance, with the offering of Madhuparka. And
when the ascetic was seated and refreshed, the mighty-armed Yudhishthira sat by
him, and looking up at the former, addressed him thus in exceedingly piteous
accents:
'O holy one, summoned by cunning gamblers skilled
at dice, I have been deprived of wealth and kingdom through gambling. I am not
an adept at dice, and am unacquainted with deceit. Sinful men, by unfair means,
vanquished me at play. They even brought into the public assembly my wife
dearer unto me than life itself. And defeating me a second time, they have sent
me to distressful exile in this great forest, clad in deer skins. At present I
am leading a distressful life in the woods in grief of heart. Those harsh and
cruel speeches they addressed me on the occasion of that gambling match, and
the words of my afflicted friends relating to the match at dice and other
subjects, are all stored up in my remembrance. Recollecting them I pass the
whole night in (sleepless) anxiety. Deprived also (of the company) of the
illustrious wielder of the Gandiva, on whom depend the lives of us all, I am
almost deprived of life. Oh, when shall I see the sweet-speeched and
large-hearted Vibhatsu so full of kindness and activity, return to us, having
obtained all weapons? Is there a king on this earth who is more unfortunate
than myself? Hast thou ever seen or heard of any such before? To my thinking,
there is no man more wretched than I am.'
"Vrihadaswa said, 'O great king, O son of
Pandu, thou sayest, 'There is no person more miserable than I am' O sinless
monarch, if thou wilt listen, I will relate unto thee the history of a king
more wretched than thyself?
Vaisampayana continued, "And thereupon the
king said unto the ascetic, 'O illustrious one, tell me, I desire to hear the
history of the king who had fallen into such a condition.'
"Vrihadaswa said, 'O king, O thou that never
fallest off, listen attentively with thy brothers, I will narrate the history
of a prince more miserable than thyself. There was a celebrated king among the
Nishadhas, named Virasena. He had a son named Nala, versed in (the knowledge
of) virtue and wealth. It hath been heard by us that, that king was deceitfully
defeated by Pushkara, and afflicted with calamity, he dwelt in the woods with
his spouse. And, O king, while he was living in the forest, he had neither
slaves nor cars, neither brother nor friends with him. But thou art surrounded
by thy heroic brothers like unto the celestials, and also by foremost
regenerate ones like unto Brahma himself. Therefore, it behoveth thee not to
grieve.'
"Yudhishthira said, 'I am anxious to hear in
detail, O thou foremost of eloquent men, the history of the illustrious Nala.
It behoveth thee therefore to relate it unto me.'
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