211.1 Pandavas leave for forest
Defeated at dice and incensed by the wicked sons of Dhritarashtra and their counsellors, the sons of Pritha set out from Hastinapura. And issuing through Vardhamana gate of the city, the Pandavas bearing their weapons and accompanied by Draupadi set out in a northerly direction. Indrasena and others, with servants numbering altogether fourteen, with their wives, followed them on swift cars. And the citizens learning of their departure became overwhelmed with sorrow, and began to censure Bhishma and Vidura and Drona and Gautama. And having met together they addressed one another fearlessly thus "Alas, our families, we ourselves,and our homes are all gone, when the wicked Duryodhana, backed by the son of Suvala, by Karna and Dussasana, aspires to this kingdom. Our families, our ancestral usages, our virtue and prosperity, are all doomed where this sinful wretch supported by wretches as sinful, aspire to the kingdom! And how can happiness be there where these are not! Duryodhana bears malice towards all superiors, has taken leave of good conduct, and quarrels with those that are near to him in blood. Covetous and vain and mean, he is cruel by nature. The whole earth is doomed when Duryodhana becomes its ruler. Therefore, let us proceed where the merciful and high-minded sons of Pandu with passions under control and victorious over foes, and possessed of modesty and reknown, and devoted to pious practices,go!"
And saying this, the citizens went after the Pandavas, and having met them, they all, with joined hands,addressed the sons of Kunti and Madri "Blessed be you! Where will you go, leaving us in grief? We will follow you wherever yo will go! Surely we have been distressed upon learning that you have been deceitfully vanquished by relentless enemies! It behoves you not to forsake us, that are your loving subjects and devoted friends always seeking your welfare and employed in doing what is agreeable to you! We desire not to be overwhelmed in certain destruction, living in the dominions of the Kuru king. Listen as we indicate the merits and demerits springing respectively from association with what is good and bad! As cloth, water, the ground, and sesame seeds are perfumed by association with flowers, even so are qualities, the product of association. Surely,association with fools produces an illusion that entangles the mind, as daily communion with the good and the wise leads to the practice of virtue. Therefore, they that desire emancipation should associate with those that are wise and old and honest and pure in conduct and possessed of ascetic merit. Those,whose triple possessions, viz., knowledge of the Vedas, origin and acts are all pure should be waited upon and association with them is even superior to the study of the scriptures. Devoid of the religious acts as we are, we shall yet reap religious merit by association with the righteous, as we should come by sin by waiting upon the sinful. The very sight and touch of the dishonest,and association with them; cause diminution of virtue, and men that are doomed to these, never attain purity of mind. Association with the base impaires the understanding, as, indeed, with the indifferent makes it indifferent, while communion with the good ever exalts it. All those attributes which are spoken of in the world as the sources of religious merit, of worldly prosperity and sensual pleasures, which are regarded by the people, extolled in the Vedas, and approved by the wellbehaved, exist in you, separately and jointly! Therefore, desirous of our own welfare, we wish to live amongst you who possess those attributes!
Yudhishthira said "Blessed are we since the people with the Brahmanas at their head, moved by affection and compassion credit us with merits we have not. I, however, with my brothers, would ask all of you to do one thing. You should not, through affection and pity for us, act otherwise! Our grandfather Bhishma, the king Dhritarashtra, Vidura, my mother and most of my well-wishers, are all in the city of Hastinapura. Therefore, if you are keen to seek our welfare, cherish them with care, uniting together as they are overwhelmed with sorrow. Grieved at our departure, you have come far! Go back, and let your hearts be directed with tenderness towards the relatives I entrust to you as pledges! This is the one act upon which my heart is set, and by doing this you would give me great satisfaction and pay me your best regards!"
Thus exhorted by Yudhishthira the just, the people in a body set up a loud wail exclaiming "Alas, O king!" And afflicted and overwhelmed with sorrow on remembering the virtues of Yudishtra, they unwillingly retraced their steps asking leave of the Pandavas.The citizens having ceased to follow, the Pandavas ascended their cars, and setting out reached the site of the mighty banian tree called Prampana on the banks of the Ganges. And reaching the site of the banian tree about the close of the day, the Pandavas purified themselves by touching the sacred water, and passed the night there. And afflicted with woe they spent that night taking water alone as their sole sustenance. Certain Brahmanas belonging to both classes, viz., those that maintained the sacrificial fire and those that did not maintain it, who had, with their disciples and relatives, out of affection followed the Pandavas there, also passed the night with them. And surrounded by those utterers of Brahma, the king shone resplendent in their midst. And that evening, at once beautiful and terrible, those Brahmanas having lighted their sacred fires, began to chant the Vedas and hold mutual converse. And those foremost of Brahmanas, with swan-sweet voices spent the night, comforting the king.
When that night passed and day broke, those Brahmamas who supported themselves by mendicancy, stood before the Pandavas of exalted deeds, who were about to enter the forest. Then king Yudhishthira addressed them, saying "Robbed of our prosperity and kingdom, robbed of everything, we are about to enter the deep woods in sorrow, depending for our food on fruits and roots, and the produce of the chase. The forest too is full of dangers, and abounds with reptiles and beasts of prey. It appears to me that you will certainly have to suffer much privation and misery there. The sufferings of the Brahmanas might overpower even the gods. That they would overwhelm me is too certain. Therefore go back wharever you want!" The Brahmanas replied "O king, our path is that on which you are for setting out! It behoves you not, therefore, to forsake us who are your devoted admirers practising the true religion! The very gods have compassion upon their worshippers,specially upon Brahmanas of regulated lives!" Yudhishthira said "O regenerate ones, I too am devoted to the Brahmanas! But this destitution that has overtaken me overwhelmed me with confusion! These my brothers that are to procure fruits and roots and the deer of the forest are stupefied with grief arising from their afflictions and on account of the distress of Draupadi and the loss of our kingdom! Alas, as they are distressed, I cannot employ them in painful tasks!" The Brahmanas said "O king Let no anxiety in respect of our maintenance, find a place in your heart! Ourselves providing our own food, we shall follow you, and by meditation and saying our prayers we shall obtain your welfare while by pleasant converse we shall entertain you and be cheered ourselves." Yudhishthira said "Without doubt, it must be as you say, for I am ever pleased with the company of the regenerate ones! But my fallen condition makes me behold in myself an object of reproach! How shall I behold you all, that do not deserve to bear trouble, out of love for me painfully subsisting upon food procured by your own toil? Oh, fie upon the wicked sons of Dhritarashtra!" Saying this, the weeping king sat himself down upon the ground.
And saying this, the citizens went after the Pandavas, and having met them, they all, with joined hands,addressed the sons of Kunti and Madri "Blessed be you! Where will you go, leaving us in grief? We will follow you wherever yo will go! Surely we have been distressed upon learning that you have been deceitfully vanquished by relentless enemies! It behoves you not to forsake us, that are your loving subjects and devoted friends always seeking your welfare and employed in doing what is agreeable to you! We desire not to be overwhelmed in certain destruction, living in the dominions of the Kuru king. Listen as we indicate the merits and demerits springing respectively from association with what is good and bad! As cloth, water, the ground, and sesame seeds are perfumed by association with flowers, even so are qualities, the product of association. Surely,association with fools produces an illusion that entangles the mind, as daily communion with the good and the wise leads to the practice of virtue. Therefore, they that desire emancipation should associate with those that are wise and old and honest and pure in conduct and possessed of ascetic merit. Those,whose triple possessions, viz., knowledge of the Vedas, origin and acts are all pure should be waited upon and association with them is even superior to the study of the scriptures. Devoid of the religious acts as we are, we shall yet reap religious merit by association with the righteous, as we should come by sin by waiting upon the sinful. The very sight and touch of the dishonest,and association with them; cause diminution of virtue, and men that are doomed to these, never attain purity of mind. Association with the base impaires the understanding, as, indeed, with the indifferent makes it indifferent, while communion with the good ever exalts it. All those attributes which are spoken of in the world as the sources of religious merit, of worldly prosperity and sensual pleasures, which are regarded by the people, extolled in the Vedas, and approved by the wellbehaved, exist in you, separately and jointly! Therefore, desirous of our own welfare, we wish to live amongst you who possess those attributes!
Yudhishthira said "Blessed are we since the people with the Brahmanas at their head, moved by affection and compassion credit us with merits we have not. I, however, with my brothers, would ask all of you to do one thing. You should not, through affection and pity for us, act otherwise! Our grandfather Bhishma, the king Dhritarashtra, Vidura, my mother and most of my well-wishers, are all in the city of Hastinapura. Therefore, if you are keen to seek our welfare, cherish them with care, uniting together as they are overwhelmed with sorrow. Grieved at our departure, you have come far! Go back, and let your hearts be directed with tenderness towards the relatives I entrust to you as pledges! This is the one act upon which my heart is set, and by doing this you would give me great satisfaction and pay me your best regards!"
Thus exhorted by Yudhishthira the just, the people in a body set up a loud wail exclaiming "Alas, O king!" And afflicted and overwhelmed with sorrow on remembering the virtues of Yudishtra, they unwillingly retraced their steps asking leave of the Pandavas.The citizens having ceased to follow, the Pandavas ascended their cars, and setting out reached the site of the mighty banian tree called Prampana on the banks of the Ganges. And reaching the site of the banian tree about the close of the day, the Pandavas purified themselves by touching the sacred water, and passed the night there. And afflicted with woe they spent that night taking water alone as their sole sustenance. Certain Brahmanas belonging to both classes, viz., those that maintained the sacrificial fire and those that did not maintain it, who had, with their disciples and relatives, out of affection followed the Pandavas there, also passed the night with them. And surrounded by those utterers of Brahma, the king shone resplendent in their midst. And that evening, at once beautiful and terrible, those Brahmanas having lighted their sacred fires, began to chant the Vedas and hold mutual converse. And those foremost of Brahmanas, with swan-sweet voices spent the night, comforting the king.
When that night passed and day broke, those Brahmamas who supported themselves by mendicancy, stood before the Pandavas of exalted deeds, who were about to enter the forest. Then king Yudhishthira addressed them, saying "Robbed of our prosperity and kingdom, robbed of everything, we are about to enter the deep woods in sorrow, depending for our food on fruits and roots, and the produce of the chase. The forest too is full of dangers, and abounds with reptiles and beasts of prey. It appears to me that you will certainly have to suffer much privation and misery there. The sufferings of the Brahmanas might overpower even the gods. That they would overwhelm me is too certain. Therefore go back wharever you want!" The Brahmanas replied "O king, our path is that on which you are for setting out! It behoves you not, therefore, to forsake us who are your devoted admirers practising the true religion! The very gods have compassion upon their worshippers,specially upon Brahmanas of regulated lives!" Yudhishthira said "O regenerate ones, I too am devoted to the Brahmanas! But this destitution that has overtaken me overwhelmed me with confusion! These my brothers that are to procure fruits and roots and the deer of the forest are stupefied with grief arising from their afflictions and on account of the distress of Draupadi and the loss of our kingdom! Alas, as they are distressed, I cannot employ them in painful tasks!" The Brahmanas said "O king Let no anxiety in respect of our maintenance, find a place in your heart! Ourselves providing our own food, we shall follow you, and by meditation and saying our prayers we shall obtain your welfare while by pleasant converse we shall entertain you and be cheered ourselves." Yudhishthira said "Without doubt, it must be as you say, for I am ever pleased with the company of the regenerate ones! But my fallen condition makes me behold in myself an object of reproach! How shall I behold you all, that do not deserve to bear trouble, out of love for me painfully subsisting upon food procured by your own toil? Oh, fie upon the wicked sons of Dhritarashtra!" Saying this, the weeping king sat himself down upon the ground.