अंशावतरण पर्व

Vaishampayana said : Bowing down first to my preceptor with the eight parts of my body touching the ground and then worshipping with devotion, reverence and singleness of mind all the Brahmanas and learned men (present here), I shall now recite in full the narration, I heard from the best of intelligent men, the high-souled great Rishi, Vyasa.

O king, you are a proper person to hear the history of Bharata. I feel no fear to perform this great act (reciting the Bharata) encouraged as I am by my preceptor.

Hear, O king, why the quarrel between the Kurus and the Pandavas occurred and how occurred the exile (of the Pandavas) as the result of the game at dice, prompted by the desire of the Kurus to gain the kingdom,

And how the battle was fought to exterminate all men. O best of the Bharata race, I shall relate all this to you as you ask me.

On the death of their father, these heroes (the Pandavas) came back to their own home from the forest. They became experts in the science of archery within a very short time.

The Kauravas became jealous of the Pandavas, who were all gifted with great physical strength, energy and power of mind. They were also very popular with the citizens.

Thereupon, the wicked-minded Duryodhana, with Karna and the son of Subala, (Shakuni), tried to banish them and persecuted them in various ways.

The wicked-minded Duryodhana, guided by the bird of the evil omen, (Shakuni), ! persecuted the Pandavas by various means in order to have the undisputed possession of the kingdom.

That wretch of the son of Dhritarashtra gave poison to Bhima with his food, but that hero digested it.

That wretch one day bound the sleeping Bhima on the bank of the Ganges and throwing him into the water, went away.

But when the strong-armed Bhima, the son of Kunti, awoke, he tore up the strings with which he was bound and his pains were all gone.

While asleep, he was caused to be bitten in every part of his body by black snakes of virulent poisons, but that chastiser of foes did not still perish.

In all these various persecutions of the Pandavas by the Kurus, the high-souled Vidura was always engaged in counter-acting their evil designs and in saving the persecuted Pandavas.

As Indra keeps the heavens and earth in happiness, so did Vidura always keep the Pandavas in happiness.

When Duryodhana found himself incapable of destroying the Pandavas who were protected by Fate and kept alive for graver objects, by various secret and open means he called together his councillors, Karna, son Dushasana and others. He then caused a house of lac to be built with the knowledge of Dhritarashtra.

That king, the of Ambika, (Dhritarashtra), out of affection for his sons and being tempted by the desire for sovereignty, sent them (the Pandavas) to exile.

They (the Pandavas) went away with their mother from Hastinapur and when they went away, the son of the Vaisya woman (Vidura) became the adviser of those illustrious men.

Being saved through him from the house of lac, they fled at the dead of night to a deep forest. They, the sons of Kunti, came to a city, called Varanavata;

And those chastisers of foes, those illustrious men, lived there with their mother in the house of lac, as commanded by Dhritarashtra..

They lived in the house for one year, watchfully protecting themselves from Purochana. In the meantime they dug a subterranean passage according to the directions of Vidura.

They then set fire to the house of lac and burnt Purochana. They, those chastisers of foes, then fled with their mother in anxiety and in fear.

They saw, near a fountain in the forest, a fearful Rakshasa named Hidimba. They killed that king of Rakshasas. They, the sons of Pritha, afraid of the sons of Dhritarashtra, then fled in the darkness, so that they might not run the risk of being seen by any body. Here did Bhima acquire Hidimba of whom Ghatotkacha was born.

The Pandavas of rigid vows, learned in the Vedas, then came to a place called Ekachakra and lived there as Brahmacharies.

They those best of men, with their mother lived there for some time in the house of a Brahmana, in temperance and in abstinence.

It was here that the mighty-armed Bhima met with a greatly powerful and hungry maneating Rakshasa, named Baka.

The best of men, the son of Pandu, Bhima, soon killed him with the strength of his arms and thus made the citizens safe and fearless.

They then heard of the Sayamvara of Krishnaa, (Draupadi) the daughter of the king of Panchala. Having heard it, they went there and obtained her,

Having obtained Draupadi, they lived there for a year. And then those chastisers of foes, having been known, went back to Hastinapur.

They were then told by the king Dhritarashtra, and the son of Shantanu, as follows: "O dear children, so that dissensions may not take place among you all brothers and cousins,

We have settled that Khandavaprastha will be your abode. Therefore, casting of all jealousies go to live at Khandavaprastha, which contains many towns and broad roads, “Having heard these words, they (the Pandavas), with all their friends and followers, went to Khandavaprastha, taking with them many jewels and precious stones. And the sons of Pritha lived there for many years.

They brought by the force of their arms many chiefs and potentates under their subjugation. Setting their hearts on virtue and firmly adhering to truth,

Being unexcited by wrath, being calm in demeanour and putting down numerous evils, the Pandavas gradually rose in power. The greatly illustrious Bhima subjugated the East.

The heroic Arjuna conquered the North; Nakula the West and the slayer of heroic foes, Sahadeva, the South.

Having done this their kingdom extended over the whole world. Each like a sun in splendour, they looked like five suns; some reasons

And the earth appeared to have six suns on account of the presence of the heroic Pandavas. Then for the just king Yudhishthira sent to the forest his greatly powerful and heroic brother Savyasachin (Arjuna), dearer to him than life itself.

That best of men, the self-controlled and virtuous (Arjuna) lived in the forest for eleven years and one month.

Thus roving about in many places, on one occasion, he went to Krishna in Dwarka and he obtained there for his wife the lotus-eyed,

And sweet-speeched younger sister of Krishna, named Subhadra. Like Sachi with the great Indra and like Lakshmi with Krishna,

Subhadra was much pleased to be united with Arjuna, the son of Pandu. O best of kings, the son of Kunti with Krishna then gratified Agni by giving him the Khandava to burn, The task did not at all appear heavy to Arjuna, assisted as he was by Krishna.

As nothing is a heavy task to Vishnu, in the matter of destroying his enemies. Agni gave to the son of Pritha the excellent bow Gandiva.

An inexhaustible quiver and one warchariot, bearing an ape as its standard. On this occasion did Arjuna rescue the frightened great Asura Maya.

And he (Maya) built the beautiful assembly-hall, adorned with all sorts of jewels and precious stones. Seeing this building, the wicked Duryodhana was tempted to possess it.

Thereupon he deceived Yudhishthira by means of a game, played by the son of Subala (Shakuni) and he sent him to the forest for twelve years.

And another additional year to live in concealment, thus making the period (of banishment) complete thirteen years. On the fourteenth year, when they (the Pandavas) returned and claimed their kingdom,

O King, they did not get it. Thereupon war declared and the Pandavas, after exterminating the whole race of Kshatriyas and killing king Duryodhana obtained back their kingdom. This is the history of the Pandavas, who never acted under the influence of evil passions. O best of kings, this is the account of the dissension that ended in the loss of their kingdom by the Kurus and of the victory of the Pandavas. was