said,--'The royal messenger, agreeably to the commands of the intelligent king , coming upon , the son of who had by that time gone a great way, addressed the monarch and said,--'Even these are the words of thy your father-like uncle, O Bharata, spoken unto to thee you, 'The assembly is ready. O son of , O king , come and cast the dice.'
said,--'Creatures obtain fruits good and ill according to the dispensation of the Ordainer of the creation. Those fruits are inevitable whether I play or not. This is a summons to dice; it is, besides the command of the old king. Although I know that it will prove destructive to me, yet I cannot refuse.'
continued,--"Although (a living) animal made of gold was an impossibility, yet Rama suffered himself to be tempted by a (golden) deer. Indeed, the minds of men over whom calamities hang, became deranged and out of order. , therefore, having said these words, retraced his steps along with his brothers. And knowing full well the deception practised by , the son of came back to sit at dice with him again. These mighty warriors again entered that assembly, afflicting the hearts of all their friends. And compelled by Fate they once more sat down at ease for gambling for the destruction of themselves."
" then said,--'The old king hath has given ye you back all your wealth. That is well. But, O bull of the Bharata race, listen to me, there is a stake of great value. Either defeated by ye you at dice, dressed in deer skins we shall enter the great forest and live there for twelve years passing the whole of the thirteenth year in some inhabited region, unrecognised, and if recognised return to an exile of another twelve years; or vanquished by us, dressed in deer skins ye you shall, with , live for twelve years in the woods passing the whole of the thirteenth year unrecognised, in some inhabited region. If recognised, an exile of another twelve years is to be the consequence. On the expiry of the thirteenth year, each is to have his kingdom surrendered by the other. O , with this resolution, play with us, O Bharata, casting the dice.'
"At these words, they that were in that assembly, raising up their arms said in great anxiety of mind, and from the strength of their feelings these words,--'Alas, fie on the friends of that they do not apprise him of his great danger. Whether he, O bull among the Bharatas, () understandeth understands or not, of his own sense, it is thy your duty to tell him plainly."
" continued,--King , even hearing these various remarks, from shame and a sense of virtue again sat at dice. And though possessed of great intelligence and fully knowing the consequences, he again began to play, as if knowing that the destruction of the Kurus was at hand.
"And said,--'How can, O , a king like me, always observant of the uses of his own order, refuse, when summoned to dice? Therefore I play with thee you."
" answered,--'We have many kine and horses, and milch cows, and an infinite number of goats and sheep; and elephants and treasures and gold and slaves both male and female. All these were staked by us before but now let this be our one stake, viz., exile into the woods,--being defeated either ye you or we will dwell in the woods (for twelve years) and the thirteenth year, unrecognised, in some inhabited place. Ye you bulls among men, with this determination, will we play."
"O Bharata, this proposal about a stay in the woods was uttered but once. The son of , however, accepted it and took up the dice. And casting them he said unto to ,--'Lo, I have won."
said,--"Then the vanquished sons of prepared for their exile into the woods. And they, one after another, in due order, casting off their royal robes, attired themselves in deer-skins. And , beholding those chastisers of foes, dressed in deer-skins and deprived of their kingdom and ready to go into exile, exclaimed 'The absolute sovereignty of the illustrious king hath has commenced. The sons of have been vanquished, and plunged into great affliction. Now have we attained the goal either by broad or narrow paths. For today becoming superior to our foes in point of prosperity as also of duration of rule have we become praiseworthy of men. The sons of have all been plunged by us into everlasting hell. They have been deprived of happiness and kingdom for ever and ever. They who, proud of their wealth, laughed in derision at the son of , will now have to go into the woods, defeated and deprived by us of all their wealth. Let them now put off their variegated coats of mail, their resplendent robes of celestial make, and let them all attire themselves in deer-skins according to the stake they had accepted of the son of . They who always used to boast that they had no equals in all the world, will now know and regard themselves in this their calamity as grains of sesame without the kernel. Although in this dress of theirs the Pandavas seem like unto to wise and powerful persons installed in a sacrifice, yet they look like persons not entitled to perform sacrifices, wearing such a guise. The wise of the Somake race, having bestowed his daughter--the princess of Panchala--on the sons of , acted most unfortunately for the husbands of --these sons of are as eunuchs. And O , what joy will be thine yours upon beholding in the woods these thy your husbands dressed in skins and thread-bare rags, deprived of their wealth and possessions. Elect thou you a husband, whomsoever thou you likest like, from among all these present here. These Kurus assembled here, are all forbearing and self-controlled, and possessed of great wealth. Elect thou you one amongst these as thy your lord, so that these great calamity may not drag thee you to wretchedness. 'The sons of now are even like grains of sesame without the kernel, or like show-animals encased in skins, or like grains of rice without the kernel. Why shouldst should thou you then longer wait upon the fallen sons of ? Vain is the labour used upon pressing the sesame grain devoid of the kernel!'
"Thus did , the son of , utter in the hearing of the Pandavas, harsh words of the most cruel import. And hearing them, the unforbearing , in wrath suddenly approaching that prince like a Himalayan lion upon a jackal, loudly and chastisingly rebuked him in these words,--Wicked-minded villain, ravest thou you so in words that are uttered alone by the sinful? Boastest thou you thus in the midst of the kings, advanced as thou you art by the skill of the king of Gandhara. As thou you piercest our hearts hear with these thy your arrowy words, so shall I pierce thy your heart in battle, recalling all this to thy your mind. And they also who from anger or covetousness are walking behind thee you as thy your protectors,--them also shall I send to the abode of with their descendants and relatives."
continued,--Unto to dressed in deer-skins and uttering these words of wrath without doing any thing, for he could not deviate from the path of virtue, abandoning all sense of shame, dancing around the Kurus, loudly said, 'O cow! O cow!'
at this once more said,--Wretch darest thou you, O , use harsh words as these? Whom doth does it behove to boast, thus having won wealth by foul means? I tell thee you that if , the son of , drinketh drinks not thy your life-blood, piercing open thy your breast in battle, let him not attain to regions of blessedness, I tell thee you truly that by slaying the sons of in battle, before the very eyes of all the warriors, I shall pacify this wrath of mine soon enough.'"
continued,--"And as the Pandavas were going away from the assembly, the wicked king from excess of joy mimiced by his own steps the playful leonine trade of . Then , half turning towards the king said, Think not ye you fool that by this thou you gainest any ascendency over me slay thee you shall I soon with all thy your followers, and answer thee you, recalling all this to thy your mind. And beholding this insult offered to him, the mighty and proud , suppressing his rising rage and following the steps of , also spake spoke these words while going out of the Kaurava court, 'I will slay , and will slay , and will slay that gambler with dice. I also repeat in this assembly these proud words which the gods will assuredly make good, if ever we engage in battle with the Kurus, I will slay this wretched in battle with my mace, and prostrating him on the ground I will place my foot on his head. And as regards this (other) wicked person-- who is audacious in speech, I will drink his blood like a lion.
"And said,--O , the resolutions of superior men are not known in words only. On the fourteenth year from this day, they shall see what happeneth happens.
"And again said,--'The earth shall drink the blood of , and , and the wicked , and that maketh makes the fourth.'
"And said,--'O , I will, as thou you directest, slay in battle this so malicious and jealous and harsh-speeched and vain. For doing what is agreeable to , voweth vows that he will slay in battle with his arrows this with all his followers. And I will send unto to the regions of also all those other kings that will from foolishness fight against me. The mountains of Himavat might be removed from where they are, the maker of the day lose his brightness, the moon his coldness, but this vow of mine will ever be cherished. And all this shall assuredly happen if on the fourteenth year from this, doth does not, with proper respect, return us our kingdom.'"
continued,--"After had said this, the handsome son of , endued with great energy, desirous of slaying , waving his mighty arms and sighing like snake, exclaimed, with eyes red with anger--'Thou you disgrace of the Gandhara kings, those whom thou you thinkest think as defeated are not really so. Those are even sharp-pointed arrows from whose wounds thou you hast have run the risk in battle. I shall certainly accomplish all which hath has said adverting to thee you with all thy your followers. If therefore thou you hast have anything to do, do it before that day cometh comes. I shall assuredly slay thee you in battle with all thy your followers soon enough, it thou you, O son of , stayest stay in the light pursuant to the Kshatriya usage.'
"'Then, O monarch hearing these words of , the handsomest of men spake spoke these words,--'I shall certainly send unto to the abode of all those wicked sons of , who desirous of death and impelled by Fate, and moved also by the wish of doing what is agreeable to , have used harsh and insulting speeches towards this daughter o at the gambling match. Soon enough shall I, at the command of and remembering the wrongs to , make the earth destitute of the sons of .'
continued,--"And those tigers among men, all endued with long arms, having thus pledged themselves to virtuous promises approached king ."