पाण्डवहरूको काम्यक वनमा प्रवेश

Vaishampayana said : O foremost of men, having heard the words of Bhima, that chastiser of foes, the son of Kunti, Yudhishthira, sighed and reflected in silence. (He thought in his mind) “I have heard the duties of king recited to me. I have heard also the duties of the different orders. He sees truly who sees how to regulate his conduct both in the present and in the future.

Knowing as I do the true course of Dharma, which is so difficult to be known, how can I forcibly grind it, which would be like my grinding the Meru (mountain)."

Having thus reflected for a moment and having also settled in his mind) what he should do, he thus spoke to Bhimasena without allowing him to say anything.

Yudhishthira said: O descendant of Bharata, O mighty-armed hero, what you say is true. O best of speakers, listen (also) to what I say.

O descendant of Bharata, O Bhimasena, the greatly sinful deeds that one wants to perforin depending only on his courage become a source of pain to him.

But, O mighty-armed hero, whatever is performed with (due) deliberation, with welldirected prowess, with all (necessary) appliances and with much previous thought, is (always) seen to be successful (at the end.) The celestials themselves favour such acts.

Hear something about the act which you think should be at once done from your pride of strength and restlessness of mind.

Bhurishrava, Shalva, the powerful Jarasandha, Bhishma, Drona, Karna, the mighty son of Drona (Ashvathama). The invincible sons of Dhritarashtra Duryodhana and others, all are accomplished in arms and ever ready for battle. Those kings and the rulers of the world, who have been injured by us, have all taken the side of the Kurus; and their affection has grown towards them.

O descendant of Bharata, they are engaged in seeking to do good to Duryodhana and not to us. With their treasury full and large army, they will try their best in the war (to defeat us).

All the officers of the Kuru army with their sons and relatives have been honoured by Duryodhana with the presentation of wealth according to proper divisions.

These heroes have been much honored by Duryodhana. My firm conviction is that they will give their lives in battle for him,

O mighty-armed hero, though the behaviour of Bhishma, Drona and the high-souled Kripa is the same (to both parties). Yet it is my firin conviction that they would sacrifice in battle their lives, then which there is nothing dearer in this world, so that they might pay off (their debt) in the shape of royal favours which they enjoy.

They are all masters in celestials weapons and they are all devoted to virtue. My opinion is that they cannot be vanquished even by the celestials with Vasava (Indra) at their head.

There is Karna, the great car-warrior, who is impetuous. ever angry, invincible, accomplished in all weapons and encased in impenetrable armour.

Without first defeating in battle all these foremost of men, you cannot, unaided as you are, kill Duryodhana.

O Vrikodara, I cannot sleep as I ponder upon the lightness of hand that the Suta's son (Karna) possesses. I consider him to be the foremost of all wielders of bows.

Vaishampayana said : Having heard these words, the impetuous Bhimasena became alarmed and pensive; and he did not utter a word.

When the Pandavas were talking one another, there came to that place the great ascetic Vyasa, the son of Satyavati.

When he arrived, he was duly worshipped by the sons of Pandu. That best of speakers then thus spoke to Yudhishthira.

Vyasa said : O mighty-armed Yudhishthira, O best of men, knowing by my intelligence what is passing in your mind, I have speedily come to this place.

O descendant of Bharata, O slayer of foes, I shall destroy the fever that is in your mind and I shall tell you, by means of what act according to the ordinance you will be able to kill Bhishma, Kripa, Karna, Drona, the son of Drona, Duryodhana and the other princes and Dushasana.

O king of kings, hearing it from me, accomplish the act with patience. Having accomplished it, soon destroy your this (mental) fever.

Vaishampayana said : That foremost of all eloquent men, the son of Parasara (Vyasa), taking him aside thus spoke to Yudhishthira in words of deep import.

Vyasa said: O best of the Bharatas, that prosperous time has come when the son of Pritha, Dhananjaya (Arjuna), will kill your enemies in battle.

Accept from me this knowledge, called Pratismriti. Uttered by me it is like success personified. You are capable of accepting it; I shall tell it to you.

Receiving it, the mighty-armed Arjuna will be able to accomplish his desire. O son of Pandu, let him go for the acquisition of weapons to Mahendra. Rudra, Varuna, Kubera and Yama. He is competent to see the celestials on account of his asceticism and prowess.

He is a Rishi of great effulgence; he is the friend of Narayana (Krishna); he is ancient, eternal celestials, invincible, ever successful and undeteriorating. O mighty-armed hero, he will achieve great deeds by receiving weapons from Indra, Rudra and the Lokapalas.

O son of Kunti, O ruler of the world, think of going from this forest to another (forest) that may be fit for your abode.

To reside in one place for a length of time is never pleasant. It might produce anxieties to the ascetics.

As you support numerous Brahmanas, learned in the Vedas, your continued residence here (in this forest) may exhaust the deer of the forest and may be destructive of the creepers and plant.

Vaishampayana said: Having thus addressed by that illustrious lord, the ascetic of great wisdom, the intelligent Vyasa, the son of Satyavati, learned in the mysteries of the world, then imported that foremost of knowledge to the willing Dharmaraja (Yudhishthira) who had meanwhile purified himself. Bidding farewell to the son of Kunti, he then disappeared.

Having received that knowledge, the virtuous-minded and the intelligent Yudhishthira carefully retained it in his memory and always repeated it at the proper times.

Being glad at the words of Vyasa, he, leaving the Dvaiytavana, went to the forest of Kamyaka on the banks of the Sarasvati.

O great king, the Brahmanas, possessing ascetic merits and versed in the science of ortheopy and orthography, followed him, as the Rishis follow the king of the celestials (Indra).

Thereupon arriving at Kamyaka, those highsouled chief's of the Bharata race took up their residence there with their friends and followers.

O king, those intelligent heroes then lived there for some time, devoting themselves to the science of archery and hearing the excellent Vedas.

They went about the forest every day with non-poisoned arrows in search of deer. They duly performed all the rites in honour of the Pitris, the celestials and the Brahmanas.