“This is the history of the Pandavas who never acted under the influence
of evil passions; and this the account, O first of victorious monarchs of
the disunion that ended in the loss of their kingdom by the Kurus and the
victory of the Pandavas.’”
SECTION LXII
(Adivansavatarana Parva continued)
“Janamejaya said, ‘O excellent Brahmana, thou hast, indeed, told me, in
brief, the history, called Mahabharata, of the great acts of the Kurus.
But, O thou of ascetic wealth, recite now that wonderful narration fully.
I feel a great curiosity to hear it. It behoveth thee to recite it,
therefore, in full. I am not satisfied with hearing in a nutshell the
great history. That could never have been a trifling cause for which the
virtuous ones could slay those whom they should not have slain, and for
which they are yet applauded by men. Why also did those tigers among men,
innocent and capable of avenging themselves upon their enemies, calmly
suffer the persecution of the wicked Kurus? Why also, O best of
Brahmanas, did Bhima of mighty arms and of the strength of ten thousand
elephants, control his anger, though wronged? Why also did the chaste
Krishna, the daughter of Drupada, wronged by those wretches and able to
burn them, not burn the sons of Dhritarashtra with her wrathful eyes? Why
also did the two other sons of Pritha (Bhima and Arjuna) and the two sons
of Madri (Nakula and Sahadeva), themselves injured by the wretched Kurus,
follow Yudhishthira who was greatly addicted to the evil habit of
gambling? Why also did Yudhishthira, that foremost of all virtuous men,
the son of Dharma himself, fully acquainted with all duties, suffer that
excess of affliction? Why also did the Pandava Dhananjaya, having Krishna
for his charioteer, who by his arrows sent to the other world that
dauntless host of fighting men (suffer such persecution)? O thou of
ascetic wealth, speak to me of all these as they took place, and
everything that those mighty charioteers achieved.’