The words of Draupadi

Vaishampayana said : Thereupon the sons of Pritha with Draupadi banished to the forest, sat one evening, stricken with grief and sorrow and began to talk with one another.

The beloved, beautiful, learned and faithful Draupadi addressed, the following words to the pious king (Yudhishthira).

Draupadi said : No feeling for us exists in the mind of that vile, vicious-souled and cruel son of Dhritarashtra.

For, that vicious-minded one, O king, having sent you along with me to the forest clad in deer-skin, feels no mortification.

For, the heart of that one of impious deed is made of steel since he could address harsh words to his pious eldest brother.

Having brought you, who are used to happiness, to such a miserable plight that vicious-souled wretch delights with his friends.

O descendant of Bharata, O king, when clad in deer-skin you set out for the forest, only four vicious wights did not shed tears; Duryodhona, Karna, the evil-minded Shakuni and the fierce and vicious brother Dushashana.

O foremost of the Kurus, the other Kurus filled with sorrow, shed tears from their eyes.

O great king, seeing this your bed and recollecting what you had before I grieve for you, who do not deserve misery and have been brought up in every luxury.

Thinking of that ivory seat in your court crested with jewels and seeing this scat of Kusha grass grief assails me.

I saw you in your court surrounded by the kings; seeing you without kings how can my mind have peace?

O descendant of Bharata, I am beside myself on seeing you pasted with mud, you, gifted with the effulgence of sun whom I saw before pasted with sandal.

O king of kings, I see you now clad in bark, whom I saw before clothed in white silken raiment.

(Formerly) pure food of every kind was taken from your house, on golden plates to thousands of Brahmanas.

O lord, best food was given by you to ascetics, the houseless and those leading domestic lives, like an accomplished king.

Formerly living in your palace you had thousands of plates filled with every kind of food and used to worship the Brahmana, satisfying every desire of theirs.

Not beholding all these, how can my heart, O king have peace! Thy youthful brothers, adorned with ear-rings, were formerly treated by cooks with sweat and skillfully prepared dishes-I now behold them all, unused to misery, in the forest living on the produces of the forest. My mind finds no peace, O lord of men. Beholding this Bhimasena sorry and living in forest and thinking over this, does not your mind in proper time become wrathful, Bhimasena who used to perforin all actions unaided.

Beholding him stricken with sorrow who was used to all happiness, surrounded by numerous conveyances and clothed in costly raiment, why does not your anger blaze up?

Beholding him in the forest why does not your anger blaze up, this great one is prepared to slay all Kurus in battle. In honour of your promise Vrikodara bears all this.

O King, this Arjuna though possessed of two hands is equal to Arjuna of a thousand arms for light handedness in discharging arrows; he is equal to Yama at the end of Yuga; humbled by the prowess of whose weapons all the kings. Waited upon the Brahmanas in your sacrifice, O great king, beholding this foremost of men worshipped of Devas and Danavas. Arjuna stricken with anxiety, does not your mind become worked with anger?

O king, beholding Partha used to happiness and unworthy of misery, living in the forest. Your anger is not excited, I am stricken with wonder for this.

O Bharata, who mounted on a single car, vanquished men and serpents. Beholding him in the forest why is not your anger excited?

He was honoured with the present of various vehicles, horses and elephants; he, the slayer of foes, wrested wealth by force from various other kings and discharges with one velocity hundreds of shafts; is not your mind worked up with ire beholding him in exile?

Beholding him fair, able-bodied, youthful and the best of swordsmen. Nakula in exile does not your anger blaze up?

Beholding, O Yudhishthira, O king, the heroic and handsome son of Madri, Sahadeva, in exile do you forgive (them)?

Beholding, O king of men, these Nakula and Sahadeva, unworthy of misery, stricken with grief does not your anger blaze up?

Beholding me in the forest born in the race of Drupada, the daughter-in-law of the great Pandu, sister of Dhristadyumna, the devoted spouse of a heroes, do you forgive them, O king?

Forsooth, O foremost of Bharatas, you have no anger, since beholding me and your brothers your mind is not pained.

This is the saying of Smriti, that in this world there is not a Kshatriya who is without anger, but in you do I behold today the contradiction.

The Kshatriya who does not manifest his energy in proper hour is disregarded by all creatures, O son of Pritha.

Therefore you should by no means, vouchsafe your forgiveness to the enemies; forsooth, by your energy you may destroy them all.

So that Kshatriya too becomes unpopular with all and meets with destruction both in this world and in the next, whose anger is not appeased when the time for forgiveness comes.