The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Translated into English Prose: Sabha Parva
Religion
The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Translated into English Prose: Sabha Parva
Epic literature, Sanskrit
"Vidura replied,--'Though persecuted by thy sons and robbed of his
kingdom and wealth the mind of the wise king Yudhishthira the just hath
not yet deviated from the path of virtue. King Yudhishthira is always
kind, O Bharata, to thy children. Though deprived (of his kingdom and
possessions) by foul means, filled with wrath as he is, he doth not
open eyes. "I should not burn the people by looking at them with angry
eyes,"--thinking so, the royal son of Pandu goeth covering his face.
Listen to me as I tell thee, O bull of the Bharata race, why Bhima
goeth so. "There is none equal to me in strength of arms," thinking so
Bhima goeth repeatedly stretching forth his mighty arms. And, O king,
proud of the strength of his arms, Vrikodara goeth, exhibiting them and
desiring to do unto his enemies deeds worthy of those arms. And Arjuna
the son of Kunti, capable of using both his arms (in wielding the
Gandiva) followeth the footsteps of Yudhishthira, scattering
sand-grains emblematical of the arrows he would shower in battle. O
Bharata, he indicateth that as the sand-grains are scattered by him
with ease, so will he rain arrows with perfect ease on the foe (in time
of battle). And Sahadeva goeth besmearing his face, thinking "None may
recognise me in this day of trouble." And, O exalted one, Nakula goeth
staining himself with dust thinking, "Lest otherwise I steal the hearts
of the ladies that may look at me." And Draupadi goeth, attired in one
piece of stained cloth, her hair dishevelled, and weeping,
signifying--"The wives of those for whom I have been reduced to such a
plight, shall on the fourteenth year hence be deprived of husbands,
sons and relatives and dear ones and smeared all over with blood, with
hair dishevelled and all in their feminine seasons enter Hastinapore
having offered oblations of water (unto the manes of those they will
have lost)." And O Bharata, the learned Dhaumya with passions under
full control, holding the kusa grass in his hand and pointing the same
towards the south-west, walketh before, singing the mantras of the Sama
Veda that relate to Yama. And, O monarch, that learned Brahamana goeth,
also signifying, "When the Bharatas shall be slain in battle, the
priests of the Kurus will thus sing the Soma mantras (for the benefit
of the deceased)." And the citizens, afflicted with great grief, are
repeatedly crying out, "Alas, alas, behold our masters are going away!
O fie on the Kuru elders that have acted like foolish children in thus
banishing heirs of Pandu from covetousness alone. Alas, separated from
the son of Pandu we all shall become masterless. What love can we bear
to the wicked and avaricious Kurus?" Thus O king, have the sons of
Kunti, endued with great energy of mind, gone away,--indicating, by
manner and signs, the resolutions that are in their hearts. And as
those foremost of men had gone away from Hastinapore, flashes of
lightning appeared in the sky though without clouds and the earth
itself began to tremble.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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