सम्भव पर्व — पाण्डुको कथा

Vaishampayana said : After the death of the deer, the king (Pandu) like a friend (of his) wept bitterly with his wives, being much afflicted with grief.

Pandu said: The wicked men, though born in virtuous families, being illuded with passions, become overwhelmed with misery as the fruit of their own acts.

I have heard that my father, though begotten by a virtuous man, died when he was still a youth, only because a slave of lust.

In the field of that lustful king, I was begotten by Krishna Dvaipayana of truthfull speech who was like Brahma himself.

(Being the son of such a man) with my heart devoted to sin I lead wandering life in pursuit of deer. The gods have all forsaken me.

I shall now seek for salvation; my heart is a great slave of passion. The great impediments to salvation is the desire to beget children. I shall now adopt Brahmacharya, following the example of my father.

I shall certainly bring my passions under complete control by severe asceticism. Forsaking my wives and other relatives and shaving my head, I shall alone wander over the earth, begging my food from the lords of the forests (tree). Forsaking every object of affection and aversion and covering my body with dust, I shall make the shelter of trees and deserted houses my home.

I shall never yield to the influence of sorrow or joy; I shall regard praise and blame in the same light; I shall not seek benedictions or bows. I shall be in peace with all; I shall not accept gifts.

I shall not mock any one; I shall not contract my brow at any body; I shall be ever cheerful; and I shall be devoted to the good of all creatures.

I shall not harm any of the four orders of the creation, either mobile or immobile. I shall treat them all equally, as if they are my own children.

I shall daily beg my food from only five or ten families. If it is impossible to get food thus, I shall remain fasting I shall rather go with little food then to ask a man twice.

If I do not obtain food after completing my round of seven or ten houses, I shall not enlarge my round out of covetousness. Whether I obtain or fail to obtain alms, I shall remain a great ascetic equally unmoved.

The cutting off my one arm with an axe and the smearing of the other with sandal, both will be equally regarded by me as the same. I shall not desire good from one or evil from the other. I shall not be pleased with life or displeased with death. I shall neither wish to live or fear to die.

Washing my heart of all sins, I shall certainly transcend those sacred rites productive of happiness that men perform at inauspicious moments. I shall also abstain from all acts of Dharma and Artha and from all those acts those that lead to the gratification of senses.

Being freed from all sins and snares of the world, I shall be as free as the wind.

Acting always in this way and treading in the path of fearlessness, I shall at last lay down my life.

I am destitute of the power of begetting children. I shall not certainly deviate from the line of duty, in order to tread in the vile path of the world which is full of misery.

Whether respected or disrespected by the world, that man, who, being desireless, becomes full of desire, behaves like a dog.

Vaishampayana said : The king, having said this in sorrow, signed and looking at (his wives) Kunti and Madri said-

After gratifying all, tell the princess of Koshala, Vidura, the king with all his friends mother Satyavati, Bhishma, the royal priests, the high-souled, Soma drinking Brahmans of rigid vows and those old men who live under our protection that 'Pandu has retired into a forest'.

Having heard these words of their husband who had fixed his mind to retire into a forest, both Kunti and Madri addressed him in these proper words.

“O best of the Bharata race, there are many other Ashramas (modes of life) in which you can perform with us, your lawfully wedded wives, great asceticism.

In which you can obtain the salvation of your body, you may obtain heaven as your reward. As the great fruit (of your action) you can certainly become the lord of heaven.

We shall also perform great asceticism with our husband, controlling our passions and abandoning all desires and pleasures.

O greatly learned man, if you abandon us, we shall then certainly give up our lives to day.

Pandu said: If your this determination be conformable to virtue, then I shall with you both follow the imperishable path of my father.

Abandoning the luxuries of village and towns, robed in barks of trees and living on fruits and roots and practicing the severest asceticism, I shall roam in the great forest.

Bathing in the morning and in the evening, I shall perform the Homa. I shall reduce my body by eating sparingly; I shall wear rags and skins; I shall carry matted hair on my head.

Exposing myself to heat and cold and disregarding hunger and thirst, I shall reduce my body by performing most difficult asceticism. I shall live on fruits, ripe or unripe; I shall be in contemplation; I shall worship the Pitris and the celestial with speech and with the fruit of the forest.

I shall not see the dwellers of cities or the dwellers of forest. I shall not even harm them (the dwellers of forest), not to speak of the dwellers of villages.

I shall thus perform the severest practices of Vanaprastha, performing the severer ones gradually, till lay down my body.

Vaishampayana said : Having said this to his wives, the descendant of Kuru, the king (Pandu), gave his jewel of the diadem, his necklace of precious gold, his bracelets, his car rings, his valuable robes and the ornaments of the ladies to the Brahmanas. He then said-

"Going to Hastinapur, inform all that Pandu, the descendant of Kuru, has retired into the forest with his wives, abandoning wealth, desires, happiness and sexual appetite.” Then assembled followers and attendants.

Hearing these and other sorrowful words of that lion of the Bharata race, bewailed in grief and cried, "Alas! O!"

They shed hot tears to leave the king. They left that forest and went to Hastinapur, taking all the wealth with them.

Going to the city, they told the illustrious king all that had happened and they gave him all the wealth.

Having heard all that had happened in the great forest, the best of men, king Dhritarashtra, wept for Pandu.

He derived no pleasure in the comforts of his beds, seats and luxuries. Afflicted with the loss of his brother, he continually brooded over it.

The descendant of Kuru, the royal prince (Pandu), living on fruits and roots went with his two wives to the Nagashata mountains.

He then went to Chaitraratha and then to Kalakuta. Crossing the Himalayas, he went to Gandhamadana.

Protected by Mahabhutas, Siddhas and great Rishis, that great king lived sometimes on the plain and sometimes on the hills. He then went to the lake Indradyumna; and then crossing the Hansakuta, the great king performed his penances on the mountain with hundred peaks.