Section XXVII

Vaisampayana said, "Exiled to the woods the sons of Pritha with Krishna seated in the evening, conversed with one another afflicted with sorrow and grief. And the handsome and well informed Krishna dear unto her lords and devoted to them, thus spake unto Yudhishthira,

Then sinful, cruel, and wicked-minded son of Dhritarashtra certainly feels no sorrow for us, when, O king, that evil-hearted wretch having sent you with myself into the woods dressed in deer-skin feels no regret! The heart of that wretch of evil deeds must surely be made of steel when he could at that time address you, his virtuous eldest brother, in words so harsh! Having brought you who deserves to enjoy every happiness and never such woe, into such distress, alas, that wicked-minded and sinful wretch joys with his friends!

O Bharata, when dressed in deer-skin you have set out for the woods, only four persons, O monarch, viz., Duryodhana, Karna, the evil-minded Sakuni, and Dussasana that bad and fierce brother of Duryodhana, did not shed tears! With the exception of these, O you best of the Kurus, all other Kurus filled with sorrow shed tears from their eyes! Beholding this your bed and recollecting what you had before, I grieve, O king, for you who deserves not woe and hast been brought up in every luxury!

Remembering that seat of ivory in your court, decked with jewels and beholding this seat of kusa grass, grief consumes me, O king! I saw you, O king, surrounded in your court by kings! What peace can my heart know in not beholding you such now? I beheld your body, effulgent as the sun, decked with sandal paste! Alas, grief deprives me of my senses in beholding you now besmeared with mud and dirt! I saw you before, O king, dressed in silken clothes of pure white! But I now behold you dressed in rags?

Formerly, O king, pure food of every kind was carried from your house on plates of gold for Brahmanas by thousands! And, O king, food also of the best kind was formerly given by you unto ascetics both houseless and living in domesticity! Formerly, living in dry mansion you had ever filled with food of every kind plates by thousands, and worshipped the Brahmanas gratifying every wish of theirs!

What peace, O king, can my heart know in not beholding all this now? And, O great king, these your brothers, endued with youth and decked with ear-rings, were formerly fed by cook with food of the sweet flavour and dressed with skill!

Alas, O king, I now behold them all, so undeserving of woe, living in the woods and upon what the wood may yield! My heart, O King knows no peace! Thinking of this Bhimasena living in sorrow in the woods, does not your anger blaze up, even though it is time?

Why does not your anger, O king, blaze up upon beholding the illustrious Bhimasena who ever performs everything unaided, so fallen into distress, though deserving of every happiness?

Why, O king, does not your anger blaze up on beholding that Bhima living in the woods who was formerly surrounded with numerous vehicles and dressed in costly apparel? This exalted personage is ready to slay all the Kurus in battle. He bears, however, all this sorrow, only because he waites for the fufilment of your promise!

This Arjuna, O king, though possessed of two hands, is equal, for the lightness of his hand in discharging shafts, to (Kartavirya) Arjuna of a thousand arms! He Is even (to foes), like unto Yama himself at the end of the Yuga! It was by the prowess of his weapons that all the kings of the earth were made to wait upon the Brahmanas at your sacrifice? Beholding that Arjuna that tiger among men worshipped by both the celestials and the Danavas so anxious, why, O king, dost you not feel indignant?

I grieve, O Bharata, that your wrath does not blaze up at sight of that son of Pritha in exile, that prince who deserves not such distress and who has been brought up in every luxury! Why does not your wrath blaze up at sight of that Arjuna in exile, who, on a single car, has vanquished celestials and men and serpents?

Why, O king, does not your wrath blaze up at sight of that Arjuna in exile who, honoured with offerings of cars and vehicles of various forms and horses and elephants, forcibly took from the kings of the earth their treasures, who is the chastiser of all foes, and who at one impetus can throw full five hundred arrows?

Why, O king, does not your wrath blaze up at sight of Nakula, in exile, who so fair and able-bodied and young, is the foremost of all swordsmen? Why, O king, dost you pardon the foe. O Yudhishthira, at sight of Madri’s son, the handsome and brave Sahadeva in exile? Why does not your anger blaze up, O king, it sight of both Nakula and Sahadeva overwhelmed with grief, though so undeserving of distress?

Why also, O king, dost you pardon the foe at sight of myself in exile who, born in the race of Drupada and, therefore, the sister of Dhrishtadyumna, am the daughter-in-law of the illustrious Pandu and the devoted wife of heroes? Truly, O you best of the Bharatas, you have no anger, else why is it that your mind is not moved at sight of your brothers and myself (in such distress)? It is said that there is no Kshatriya in the world who is bereft of anger. I now behold in you, however, a refutation of the proverb!

That Kshatriya, O son of Pritha, who discovers not his energy when the opportunity comes, is ever disregarded by all creatures! Therefore, O king, you should not extend your forgiveness to the foe. Indeed, with your energy, without doubt, you, mayst slay them all! So also, O king, that Kshatriya who is not appeased when the time for forgiveness comes, becomes unpopular with every creature and meets with destruction both in this and the other world!'"