(-vadha Parva)
" asked, 'O first of Brahmanas, what did the Pandavas, those mighty car-warriors, the sons of , do after arriving at Ekachakra?'
" said, 'Those mighty car-warriors, the sons of , on arriving at Ekachakra, lived for a short time in the abode of a Brahmana. Leading an eleemosynary life, they behold (in course of their wanderings) various delightful forests and earthly regions, and many rivers and lakes, and they became great favourites of the inhabitants of that town in consequence of their own accomplishments. At nightfall they placed before all they gathered in their mendicant tours, and used to divide the whole amongst them, each taking what was allotted to him. And those heroic chastisers of foes, with their mother, together took one moiety of the whole, while the mighty alone took the other moiety. In this way, O bull of Bharata's race, the illustrious Pandavas lived there for some time.
"One day, while those bulls of the Bharata race were out on their tour of mendicancy, it so happened that was (at home) with (his mother) . That day, O Bharata, heard a loud and heart-rending wail of sorrow coming from within the apartments of the Brahmana. Hearing the inmates of the Brahmana's house wailing and indulging in piteous lamentations, , O king, from compassion and the goodness of her heart, could not bear it with indifference. Afflicted with sorrow, the amiable , addressing , said these words full of compassion. 'Our woes assuaged, we are, O son, living happily in the house of this Brahmana, respected by him and unknown to 's son. O son, I always think of the good I should do to this Brahmana, like what they do that live happily in others' abodes! O child, he is a true man upon whom favours are never lost. He payeth pays back to others more than what he receiveth receives at their hands. There is no doubt, some affliction hath has overtaken this Brahmana. If we could be of any help to him, we should then be requiting his services.'
"Hearing these words of his mother, said, 'Ascertain, O mother the nature of the Brahmana's distress and whence from where also it hath has arisen. Learning all about it, relieve it I will however difficult may the task prove.'
" continued 'While mother and son were thus talking with each other, they heard again, O king, another wail of sorrow proceeding from the Brahmana and his wife. Then quickly entered the inner apartments of that illustrious Brahmana, like unto to a cow running towards her tethered calf. She beheld the Brahmana with his wife, son and daughter, sitting with a woeful face, and she heard the Brahmana say, 'Oh, fie on this earthly life which is hollow as the reed and so fruitless after all which is based on sorrow and hath has no freedom, and which hath has misery for its lot! Life is sorrow and disease; life is truly a record of misery! The soul is one: but it hath has to pursue virtue, wealth and pleasure. And because these are pursued at one and the same time, there frequently occurs a disagreement that is the source of much misery. Some say that salvation is the highest object of our desire. But I believe it can never be attained. The acquisition of wealth is hell; the pursuit of wealth is attended with misery; there is more misery after one has acquired it, for one loves one's possessions, and if any mishap befalls them, the possessor becomes afflicted with woe. I do not see by what means I can escape from this danger, nor how I can fly hence, with my wife to some region free from danger. Remember, O wife, that I endeavoured to migrate to some other place where we would be happy, but thou you didst did not then listen to me. Though frequently solicited by me, thou you, O simple woman, said to me, 'I have been born here, and here have I grown old; this is my ancestral homestead.' Thy your venerable father, O wife, and thy your mother also, have, a long time ago, ascended to heaven. Thy your relations also had all been dead. Oh why then didst did thou you yet like to live here? Led by affection for thy your relatives thou you didst did not then hear what I said. But the time is now come when thou you art to witness the death of a relative. Oh, how sad is that spectacle for me! Or perhaps the time is come for my own death, for I shall never be able to abandon cruelly one of my own as long as I myself am alive. Thou you art my helpmate in all good deeds, self-denying and always affectionate unto to me as a mother. The gods have given thee you to me as a true friend and thou you art ever my prime stay. Thou you hast have, by my parents, been made the participator in my domestic concerns. Thou you art of pure lineage and good disposition, the mother of children, devoted to me, and so innocent; having chosen and wedded thee you with due rites, I cannot abandon thee you, my wife, so constant in thy your vows, to save my life. How shall I myself be able to sacrifice my son a child of tender years and yet without the hirsute appendages (of manhood)? How shall I sacrifice my daughter whom I have begotten myself, who hath has been placed, as a pledge, in my hands by himself for bestowal on a husband and through whom I hope to enjoy, along with my ancestors, the regions attainable by those only that have daughters' sons? Some people think that the father's affection for a son is greater; others, that his affection for a daughter is greater, mine, however, is equal. How can I be prepared to give up the innocent daughter upon whom rest the regions of bliss obtainable by me in after life and my own lineage and perpetual happiness? If, again, I sacrifice myself and go to the other world, I should scarcely know any peace, for, indeed, it is evident that, left by me these would not be able to support life. The sacrifice of any of these would be cruel and censurable. On the other hand, if I sacrifice myself, these, without me, will certainly perish. The distress into which I have fallen is great; nor do I know the means of escape. Alas, what course shall I take today with my near ones. It is well that I should die with all these, for I can live no longer.'"
(-vadha Parva continued)
" said, "On hearing these words of the Brahmana, his wife said, 'Thou you shouldst should not, O Brahmana, grieve like an ordinary man. Nor is this the time for mourning. Thou you hast have learning; thou you knowest know that all men are sure to die; none should grieve for that which is inevitable. Wife, son, and daughter, all these are sought for one's own self. As thou you art possessed of a good understanding, kill thou you thy your sorrows. I will myself go there. This indeed, is the highest and the eternal duty of a woman, viz., that by sacrificing her life she should seek the good of her husband. Such an act done by me will make thee you happy, and bring me fame in this world and eternal bliss hereafter. This, indeed, is the highest virtue that I tell thee you, and thou you mayest may, by this, acquire both virtue and happiness. The object for which one desireth desires a wife hath has already been achieved by thee you through me. I have borne thee you a daughter and a son and thus been freed from the debt I had owed thee you. Thou you art well able to support and cherish the children, but I however, can never support and cherish them like thee you. Thou you art my life, wealth, and lord; bereft of thee you, how shall these children of tender years--how also shall I myself, exist? Widowed and masterless, with two children depending on me, how shall I, without thee you, keep alive the pair, myself leading an honest life? If the daughter of thine yours is solicited (in marriage) by persons dishonourable and vain and unworthy of contracting an alliance with thee you, how shall I be able to protect the girl? Indeed, as birds seek with avidity for meat that hath has been thrown away on the ground, so do men solicit a woman that hath has lost her husband. O best of Brahmanas, solicited by wicked men, I may waver and may not be able to continue in the path that is desired by all honest men. How shall I be able to place this sole daughter of thy your house--this innocent girl--in the way along which her ancestors have always walked? How shall I then be able to impart unto to this child every desirable accomplishment to make him virtuous as thyself, in that season of want when I shall become masterless? Overpowering myself who shall be masterless, unworthy persons will demand (the hand of) this daughter of thine yours, like Sudras desiring to hear the Vedas. And if I bestow not upon them this girl possessing thy your blood and qualities, they may even take her away by force, like crows carrying away the sacrificial butter. And beholding thy your son become so unlike to thee you, and thy your daughter placed under the control of some unworthy persons, I shall be despised in the world by even persons that are dishonourable, and I will certainly die. These children also, bereft of me and thee you, their father, will, I doubt not, perish like fish when the water drieth dries up. There is no doubt that bereft of thee you the three will perish: therefore it behoveth behooves thee you to sacrifice me. O Brahmana, persons conversant with morals have said that for women that have borne children, to predecease their lords is an act of the highest merit. Ready am I to abandon this son and this daughter, these my relations, and life itself, for thee you. For a woman to be ever employed in doing agreeable offices to her lord is a higher duty than sacrifices, asceticism, vows, and charities of every description. The act, therefore, which I intend to perform is consonant with the highest virtue and is for thy your good and that of thy your race. The wise have declared that children and relatives and wife and all things held dear are cherished for the purpose of liberating one's self from danger and distress. One must guard one's wealth for freeing one's self from danger, and it is by his wealth that he should cherish and protect his wife. But he must protect his own self both by (means of) his wife and his wealth. The learned have enunciated the truth that one's wife, son, wealth, and house, are acquired with the intention of providing against accidents, foreseen or unforeseen. The wise have also said that all one's relations weighed against one's own self would not be equal unto to one's self. Therefore, revered sir, protect thy your own self by abandoning me. O, give me leave to sacrifice myself, and cherish thou you my children. Those that are conversant with the morals have, in their treatises, said, that women should never be slaughtered and that Rakshasas are not ignorant of the rules of morality. Therefore, while it is certain that the Rakshasa will kill a man, it is doubtful whether he will kill a woman. It behoveth behooves thee you, therefore, being conversant with the rules of morality, to place me before the Rakshasa. I have enjoyed much happiness, have obtained much that is agreeable to me, and have also acquired great religious merit. I have also obtained from thee you children that are so dear to me. Therefore, it grieveth grieves not me to die. I have borne thee you children and have also grown old; I am ever desirous of doing good to thee you; remembering all these I have come to this resolution. O revered sir, abandoning me thou you mayest may obtain another wife. By her thou you mayest may again acquire religious merit. There is no sin in this. For a man polygamy is an act of merit, but for a woman it is very sinful to betake herself to a second husband after the first. Considering all this, and remembering too that sacrifice of thy your own self is censurable, O, liberate today without loss of time thy your own self, thy your race, and these thy your children (by abandoning me).'
" continued, 'Thus addressed by her, O Bharata, the Brahmana embraced her, and they both began to weep in silence, afflicted with grief.'"