[Pg 1]
Om! Having bowed down to Narayana, and Nara the foremost of malebeings, and the goddess Saraswati also, must the word Jayabe uttered.
Janamejaya said, "O thou foremost of regenerate ones,deceitfully defeated at dice by the sons of Dhritarashtra and theircounsellors, incensed by those wicked ones that thus brought abouta fierce animosity, and addressed in language that was so cruel,what did the Kuru princes, my ancestors—the sons ofPritha—(then) do? How also did the sons of Pritha, equal untoSakra in prowess, deprived of affluence and suddenly overwhelmedwith misery, pass their days in the forest? Who followed the stepsof those princes plunged in excess of affliction? And how did thosehigh souled ones bear themselves and derive their sustenance, andwhere did they put up? And, O illustrious ascetic and foremost ofBrahmanas, how did those twelve years (of exile) of those warriorswho were slayers of foes, pass away in the forest? And undeservingof pain, how did that princess, the best of her sex, devoted to herhusbands, eminently virtuous, and always speaking the truth, endurethat painful exile in the forest? O thou of ascetic wealth tell meall this in detail, for, O Brahmana, I desire to hear thee narratethe history of those heroes possessed of abundant prowess andlustre. Truly my curiosity is great."
Vaisampayana said, "Thus defeated at dice and incensed by thewicked sons of Dhritarashtra and their counsellors, the sons ofPritha set out from Hastinapura. And issuing throughVardhamana gate of the city, the Pandavas bearing theirweapons and accompanied by Draupadi set out in a northerlydirection. Indrasena and others, with servants numbering altogetherfourteen, with their wives, followed them on swift cars. And thecitizens learning of their departure became overwhelmed withsorrow, and began to censure Bhishma and Vidura and Drona andGautama. And having met together they thus addressed one anotherfearlessly.
"'Alas, our families, we ourselves, and our homes are all gone,when the wicked Duryodhana, backed by the son of Suvala, by Karnaand Dussasana, aspireth to this kingdom. And, Oh, our families, our(ancestral) usages, our virtue and prosperity, are all doomed wherethis sinful wretch supported by wretches as sinful aspireth to thekingdom! And, Oh, how [Pg 2] canhappiness be there where these are not! Duryodhana beareth malicetowards all superiors, hath taken leave of good conduct, andquarreleth with those that are near to him in blood. Covetous andvain and mean, he is cruel by nature. The whole earth is doomedwhen Duryodhana becometh its ruler. Thither, therefore, let usproceed whither the merciful and high-minded sons of Pandu withpassions under control and victorious over foes, and possessed ofmodesty and renown, and devoted to pious practices, repair!'"
Vaisampayana said, "And saying this, the citizens went after thePandavas, and having met them, they all, with joined hands, thusaddressed the sons of Kunti and Madri.
"'Blest be ye! Where will ye go, leaving us in grief? We willfollow you whithersoever ye will go! Surely have we been distressedupon learning that ye have been deceitfully vanquished byrelentless enemies! It behoveth you not to forsake us that are yourloving subjects and devoted friends always seeking your welfare andemployed in doing what is agreeable to you! We desire not to beoverwhelmed in certain destruction living in the dominions of theKuru king. Ye bulls among men, listen as we indicate the merits anddemerits springing respectively from association with what is goodand bad! As cloth, water, the ground, and sesame seeds are perfumedby association with