said,--'I bid farewell unto to all the Bharatas, unto to my old grand-sire (), king , the great king Vahlika, , , all the other kings, Aswathaman, , , all the sons of , Yayutsu, , and all the courtiers, I bid fare well, all of ye you and returning again I shall see you."
continued,--"Overcome with shame none of those that were present there, could tell anything. Within their hearts, however, they prayed for the welfare of that intelligent prince.
then said,--The reverend is a princess by birth. It behoveth behooves her not to go into the woods. Delicate and old and ever known to happiness the blessed one will live, respected by me, in my abode. Known this, ye you sons of . And let safety be always yours.'
continued,--'The Pandavas thereupon then said,--O sinless one, let it be as thou you sayest say. Thou you art our uncle, and, therefore like as our father. We also are all obedient to thee you. Thou you art, O learned one, our most respected superior. We should always obey what thou you choosest choose to command. And, O high-souled one, order thou you whatever else there is that remaineth remains to be done.
" replied,--'O , O bull of the Bharata race, know this to be my opinion, that one that is vanquished by sinful means need not be pained by such defeat. Thou you knowest know every rule of morality; is ever victorious in battle; is the slayer of foes; is the gatherer of wealth; hath has administrative talents, is the foremost of all conversant with the vedas; and the well-behaved is conversant with virtue and economy. Ye you are attached to one another and feel delight at one another's sight and enemies can not separate you from one another, and ye you are contented. Therefore, who is there that will not envy ye you? O Bharata, this patient abstraction from the possession of the world will be of great benefit to thee you. No foe, even if he were equal to himself, will be able to stand it. Formerly thou you wert were instructed on the mountains of Himavat by Meru Savarni; in the town of Varanavata by ; on the cliff of by Rama; and on the banks of the Dhrishadwati by himself. Thou you hast have also listened to the instruction of the great Rishi Asita on the hills of Anjana; and thou you becamest became a disciple of on the banks of the Kalmashi. and this thy your priest will now become thy your instructors. In the matter of the next world, abandon not these excellent lessons thou you hast have obtained from the Rishis. O son of . thou you surpassest surpass in intelligence even Pururavas, the son of Ila; in strength, all other monarchs, and in virtue, even the Rishis. Therefore, resolve thou you earnestly to win victory, which belongeth belongs to ; to control thy your wrath, which belongeth belongs to ; to give in charity, which belongeth belongs to ; and to control all passions, which belongeth belongs to . And, O Bharata, obtain thou you the power of gladdening from the moon, the power of sustaining all from water; forbearance from the earth; energy from the entire solar disc; strength from the winds, and affluence from the other elements. Welfare and immunity from ailment be thine yours; I hope to see thee you return. And, O , act properly and duly in all seasons,--in those of distress--in those of difficulty,--indeed, in respect of everything, O son of , with our leave go hence. O Bharata, blessing be thine yours. No one can say that ye you have done anything sinful before. We hope to see thee you, therefore, return in safety and crowned with success."
continued,--"Thus addressed by , the son of , of prowess incapable of being baffled, saying, 'So be it,' bowing low unto to and , went away."
said,--'Then when was about to set out she went unto to the illustrious and solicited her leave. And she also asked leave of the other ladies of the household who had all been plunged into grief. And saluting and embracing every one of them as each deserved, she desired to go away. Then there arose within the inner apartments of the Pandavas a loud wail of woe. And , terribly afflicted upon beholding on the eve of her journey, uttered these words in a voice choked with grief,--
'O child, grieve not that this great calamity hath has overtaken thee you. Thou you art well conversant with the duties of the female sex, and thy your behaviour and conduct also are as they should be. It behoveth behooves me not, O thou you of sweet smiles, to instruct thee you as to thy your duties towards thy your lords. Thou you art chaste and accomplished, and thy your qualities have adorned the race of thy your birth as also the race into which thou you hast have been admitted by marriage. Fortunate are the Kauravas that they have not been burnt by thy your wrath. O child, safely go thou you blest by my prayers. Good women never suffer their hearts to the unstung at what is inevitable. Protected by virtue that is superior to everything, soon shalt shall thou you obtain good fortune. While living in the woods, keep thy your eye on my child . See that his heart sinketh sinks not under this great calamity.'
"Saying 'So be it!' the princess bathed in tears, and clad in one piece of cloth, stained with blood, and with hair dishevelled left her mother-in-law. And as she went away weeping and wailing herself in grief followed her. She had not gone far when she saw her sons shorn of their ornaments and robes, their bodies clad in deerskins, and their heads down with shame. And she beheld them surrounded by rejoicing foes' and pitied by friends. Endued with excess of parental affection, approached her sons in that state, and embracing them all, and in accents choked by woe, She said these words,--
"Ye you are virtuous and good-mannered, and adorned with all excellent qualities and respectful behaviour. Ye you are all high-minded, and engaged in the service of your superiors. And ye you are also devoted to the gods and the performance of sacrifices. Why, then, hath has this calamity overtaken you. Whence from where is this reverse of fortune? I do not see by whose wickedness this sin hath has overtaken you. Alas I have brought you forth. All this must be due to my ill fortune. It is for this that ye you have been overtaken by this calamity, though ye you all are endued with excellent virtues. In energy and prowess and strength and firmness and might, ye you are not wanting. How shall ye you now, losing your wealth and possessions, live poor in the pathless woods? If I had known before that ye you were destined to live in the woods, I would not have on Pandit's death come from the mountains of Satasringa to Hastinapore. Fortunate was your father, as I now regard, for he truly reaped the fruit of his asceticism, and he was gifted with foresight, as he entertained the wish of ascending heaven, without having to feel any pain on account of his sons. Fortunate also was the virtuous , as I regard her today, who had, it seems, a fore-knowledge of what would happen and who on that account, obtained the high path of emancipation and every blessing therewith. All, looked upon me as her stay, and her mind and her affections were ever fixed on me. Oh, fie on my desire of life, owing to which suffer all this woe. Ye you children, ye you are all excellent and dear unto to me. I have obtained you alter much suffering. I cannot leave you. Even I will go with you. Alas, O , (), why dost do thou you leave me so? Everything endued with life is sure to perish. Hath has Dhata () himself forgotten to ordain my death? Perhaps, it is so, and, therefore, life doth does not quit me. O , O thou you who dwellest in Dwaraka, O younger brother of , where art thou you? Why dost do thou you not deliver me and these best of men also from such woe? They say that thou you who art without beginning and without end deliverest those that think of thee you. Why doth does this saying become untrue. These my sons are ever attached to virtue and nobility and good fame and prowess. They deserve not to suffer affliction. Oh, show them mercy. Alas, when there are such elders amongst our race as and and , all conversant with morality and the science of worldly concerns, how could such calamity at all come? O , O king, where art thou you? Why sufferest suffer thou you quietly thy your good children to be thus sent into exile, defeated at dice? O , desist from going. Thou you art my dearest child, dearer, O son of , than my body itself. Forsake me not. It behoveth behooves thee you to have some kindness for me. Bound by the ties of virtue, let these thy your brothers go. But then, earn thou you that virtue which springeth springs from waiting upon me.'"
continued,--"The Pandavas then consoled their weeping mother and with hearts plunged in grief set out for the woods. And himself also much afflicted, consoling the distressed with reasons, and led her slowly to his house. And the ladies of 's house, hearing everything as it happened, viz., the exile (of the Pandavas) and the dragging of into the assembly where the princes had gambled, loudly wept censuring the Kauravas. And the ladies of the royal household also sat silent for a long time, covering their lotus-like faces with their fair hands. And king also thinking of the dangers that threatened his sons, became a prey to anxiety and could not enjoy peace of mind. And anxiously meditating on everything, and with mind deprived of its equanimity through grief, he sent a messenger unto to , saying, 'Let come to me without a moment's delay.'
"At this summons, quickly came to 's palace. And as soon as he came, the monarch asked him with great anxiety how the Pandavas had left Hastinapore."