203.1   Vidura describes the scene of Pandavas' exit

As soon as Vidura endued with great foresight came unto him king Dhritarashtra, the son of Amvika, timidly asked his brother "How doew 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, has gone away covering his face with his cloth. And Bhima, O king, has gone away looking at his own mighty arms. And Jishnu (Arjuna) has gone away, following the king spreading sand-grains around. And Sahadeva, the son of Madri, has gone away besmearing his face, and Nakula, the handsomest of men, O king, has gone away, staining himself with dust and his heart in great affliction. And the large-eyed and beautiful Krishna has gone away, covering her face with her dishevelled hair following in the wake of the king, weeping and in tears. And O monarch, Dhaumya goes 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 your 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 to your 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 goes covering his face. Listen to me as I tell you why Bhima goes so. 'There is none equal to me in strength of arms,' thinking so Bhima goes repeatedly stretching forth his mighty arms. And, O king, proud of the strength of his arms, Vrikodara goes, exhibiting them and desiring to do unto his enemies deeds worthy of those arms. And Arjuna , capable of using both his arms (in wielding the Gandiva) follows the footsteps of Yudhishthira, scattering sand-grains emblematical of the arrows he would shower in battle. O Bharata, he indicates 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 goes besmearing his face, thinking 'None may recognise me in this day of trouble.' And, O exalted one, Nakula goes staining himself with dust thinking, 'Lest otherwise I steal the hearts of the ladies that may look at me.' And Draupadi goes, 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 the learned Dhaumya with passions under full control, holding the kusa grass in his hand and pointing the same towards the south-west, walks before, singing the mantras of the Sama Veda that relate to Yama. And, O monarch, that learned Brahamana goes, 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 were seen and heard, indicating the destruction of the Bharatas as the consequence of your evil counsels."