तीर्थयात्रा पर्व — गन्धमादनमा प्रवेश

Vaishampayana said : O king, then those foremost of bow men, those immeasurably effulgent heroes, equipped with quivers and arrows and armed with swords and holding bows stringed at full and wearing finger protector made of guana-skin, went towards the Gandhamadana, with the Panchal princess and the best of Brahmanas.

On their way they saw many lakes, rivers, mountains, forests with trees of wide spreading shades standing on the summit of the mountains,

Places with trees bearing flowers and fruits in all seasons and regions frequented by the as were celestials Rishis. Subduing their souls within their souls and living on fruits and roots,

They passed through rugged, craggy and difficult pigeons seeing (on their way) various kinds of animals.

Those high-souled heroes then entered the mountain inhabited by the Rishis, the Siddhas and the immortals and frequented by the Kinnaras which is the favourite pigeon of the Gandharvas and the Apsaras.

O king, they entering Gandhamadana mountain, a violent wind arose accompanied with heavy shower of rain.

Thereupon clouds of dust with innumerable dry leaves rose and suddenly covered the earth, the atmosphere and the sky,

The sky being covered with dust, nothing could be seen. They (the Pandavas) could not even express their mental feelings to one another by word.

With eyes enveloped in darkness and pushed by the wind full of particles of rocks, they could not see one another.

There arose great sounds proceeding from the trees and also from those trees that continually broke down blown up by the wind and also from those trees that fell down on the ground.

distracted by the wind, they thought in their mind, “Is the heaven coming down or is the earth or the mountain being rent asunder?”

Being pushed by the wind and being alarmed, they felt their way by their hands and they took shelter under the way-side trees, anthills and caverns.

Then taking hold of his bow and taking also Draupadi (by the hand), the greatly powerful Bhimasena stood underneath a tree.

Dharmaraja (Yudhishthira) and Dhaumya crept into a deep wood. Taking the sacred fire, Sahadeva took shelter under a rock.

Nakula with Lomasha and other greatly ascetic Brahinanas stood alarmed, each underneath a tree.

When the wind had abated and the dust had subsided, there came down a heavy shower of rain in great torrents.

There arose a great noise (of the rains falling on the mountain-side) like that of the roaring of the thunder. The swift flashing lightning began to play gracefully on the clouds.

Being helped by the swift wind, showers of rain incessantly poured and filled all sides round.

O king, all around flowed many stream-lets covered with froth and mud.

Carrying volumes of water and covered with large quantity of froth, they rushed down with tremendous roars uprooting many trees.

When the noise had ceased and the wind had abated and the water had subsided and the sun had arisen,

O descendant of Bharata, they cautiously came out and met together. Those heroes then again proceeded towards the Gandhamadana mountain.