01.134
Core:Knowing well evil intentions of Purochana, Pandavas enter the lac palace.
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said:
tataḥ sarvāḥ prakṛtayo nagarād vāraṇāvatāt। sarva-maṅgala-saṁyuktā yathā-śāstraṁ atandritāḥ ॥1॥
Then all the citizens of Vāraṇāvata, endowed with all auspiciousness and acting without sloth, came forth from the city according to the scriptures.
śrutvā āgatān pāṇḍu-putrān nānā-yānaiḥ sahasraśaḥ। abhijagmur nara-śreṣṭhān śrutvāiva parayā mudā ॥2॥
Hearing that the sons of Pāṇḍu had arrived, thousands came in various vehicles, joyfully approaching those excellent men.
te samāsādya kaunteyān vāraṇāvatakā janāḥ। kṛtvā jayāśiṣaḥ sarve parivāryopatasthire ॥3॥
Having reached the sons of Kuntī, the people of Vāraṇāvata surrounded them, offering blessings for victory and respectfully attending upon them.
tair vṛtaḥ puruṣavyāghraḥ dharmarājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ। vibabhau deva-saṅkāśaḥ vajrapāṇir ivāmaraiḥ ॥4॥
Surrounded by them, Yudhiṣṭhira, the king of dharma and tiger among men, shone like Indra among the gods.
satkṛtās te tu pauraiś ca paurān satkṛtya cānaghāḥ। alaṅkṛtaṁ janākīrṇaṁ viviśur vāraṇāvatam ॥5॥
Honored by the citizens and in turn honoring them, the faultless ones entered Vāraṇāvata, which was adorned and crowded with people.
te praviśya puraṁ vīrās tūrṇaṁ jagmur atho gṛhān। brāhmaṇānāṁ mahīpāla ratānāṁ sveṣu karmasu ॥6॥
Having entered the city, the heroes swiftly went to the homes of Brāhmaṇas who were engaged in their respective duties, O king.
nagarādhikṛtānāṁ ca gṛhāṇi rathināṁ tathā। upatasthur nara-śreṣṭhā vaiśya-śūdra-gṛhān api ॥7॥
The best among men also approached the homes of city officers, warriors, and even those of Vaiśyas and Śūdras.
arcitāś ca naraiḥ pauraiḥ pāṇḍavā bharatarṣabhāḥ। jagmur āvasathaṁ paścāt purocana-puraskṛtāḥ ॥8॥
Honored by the townsfolk, the Pāṇḍavas, bulls among the Bharatas, went to their residence, led by Purocana.
tebhyo bhakṣyānna-pānāni śayanāni śubhāni ca। āsanāni ca mukhyāni pradadau sa purocanaḥ ॥9॥
Purocana gave them eatables, food, drinks, auspicious beds, and excellent seats.
tatra te satkṛtās tena su-mahārha-paricchadāḥ। upāsyamānāḥ puruṣair ūṣuḥ pura-nivāsibhiḥ ॥10॥
There, they were honored by him with very valuable arrangements and dwelt being attended upon by the people of the city.
daśarātroṣitānāṁ tu tatra teṣāṁ purocanaḥ। nivedayāmāsa gṛhaṁ śivākhyam aśivaṁ tadā ॥11॥
After they had stayed ten nights there, Purocana then offered them a house called auspicious, but in truth inauspicious.
tatra te puruṣavyāghrā viviśuḥ sa-paricchadāḥ। purocanasya vacanāt kailāsam iva guhyakāḥ ॥12॥
There, the tiger-like men entered with their entourage, by Purocana’s word, like yakṣas entering Kailāsa.
tattvagāram abhiprekṣya sarvadharma-viśāradaḥ। uvācāgneyaṁ ity evaṁ bhīmasenaṁ yudhiṣṭhiraḥ। jighran saumya vasā-gandhaṁ sarpir-jatu-vimiśritam ॥13॥
Observing the true nature of the house, Yudhiṣṭhira, skilled in all dharmas, said to Bhīmasena, “This is flammable,” as he smelled the odor of fat mixed with ghee and resin.
kṛtaṁ hi vyaktam āgneyam idaṁ veśma parantapa। śaṇa-sarjara-saṁ vyaktam ānītaṁ gṛhakarmaṇi। muñja-balvaja-vaṁśādi dravyaṁ sarvaṁ ghṛtokṣitam ॥14॥
This house is evidently made flammable, O scorcher of foes; hemp and śarjara resin have clearly been brought for its construction. All materials—muñja grass, balvaja reeds, bamboo, etc.—are smeared with ghee.
śilpibhiḥ sukṛtaṁ hy āptair vinītair veśma-karmaṇi। viśvastaṁ mām ayaṁ pāpo dagdhukāmaḥ purocanaḥ ॥15॥
This house has indeed been well built by skilled and trusted craftsmen; this wicked Purocana, gaining my trust, desires to burn me.
imāṁ tu tāṁ mahābuddhir viduro dṛṣṭavāṁs tadā। āpadaṁ tena māṁ pārtha sa sambodhitavān purā ॥16॥
That great-intellect Vidura had seen this danger then, O son of Pṛthā, and had warned me earlier.
te vayaṁ bodhitās tena buddhavanto'śivaṁ gṛham। ācāryaiḥ sukṛtaṁ gūḍhair duryodhana-vaśānugaiḥ ॥17॥
We, having been warned by him, are aware of this inauspicious house, built secretly and well by teachers under Duryodhana’s influence.
bhīma uvāca॥
Bhīma said:
yad idaṁ gṛham āgneyam vihitaṁ manyate bhavān। tatraiva sādhu gacchāmo yatra pūrvoṣitā vayam ॥18॥
If you think this house is flammable and arranged thus, then let us go to where we earlier stayed—it is better.
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said:
iha yat tair nirākārair vastavyam iti rocaye। naṣṭair iva vicinvadbhiḥ gatim iṣṭāṁ dhruvām itaḥ ॥19॥
Here, I think we should stay, as if guided by the invisible, like those lost, searching from here for a certain desired path.
yadi vindeta cākāram asmākaṁ hi purocanaḥ। śīghrakārī tato bhūtvā prasahyāpi daheta naḥ ॥20॥
If Purocana finds out our intent, then acting quickly he may even burn us forcibly.
nāyaṁ bibhety upakrośād adharmād vā purocanaḥ। tathā hi vartate mandaḥ suyodhana-mate sthitaḥ ॥21॥
This Purocana does not fear either outcry or unrighteousness; for indeed, he acts in this way, being fixed in Duryodhana’s intent.
api ceha pradagdheṣu bhīṣmo'smāsu pitāmahaḥ। kopaṁ kuryāt kimarthaṁ vā kauravān kopyeta saḥ। dharma ity eva kupyeta tathānye kuru-puṅgavāḥ ॥22॥
If we were burned here, even Bhīṣma our grandsire may become angry—yet why would he turn against the Kauravas? He would be angered only in the name of dharma; likewise, the other foremost Kurus.
vayaṁ tu yadi dāhasya bibhyataḥ pradravema hi। spaśair no ghātayet sākṣān rājya-lubdhaḥ suyodhanaḥ ॥23॥
But if we flee out of fear of burning, Duryodhana, greedy for the kingdom, might have us all killed through his spies.
apada-sthān pade tiṣṭhann apakṣān pakṣasaṁsthitaḥ। hīna-kośān mahākośaḥ prayogair ghātayed dhruvam ॥24॥
Standing firm, one aligned with a faction may certainly destroy the unsupported and resource-poor with his superior means.
tad asmābhir imaṁ pāpaṁ taṁ ca pāpaṁ suyodhanam। vañcayadbhir nivastavyaṁ channa-vāsaṁ kvacit kvacit ॥25॥
Therefore, we must deceive both this sin and that sinner Duryodhana, and live in hiding here and there.
te vayaṁ mṛgayā-śīlāś carāma vasudhām imām। tathā no viditā mārgā bhaviṣyanti palāyatām ॥26॥
So, we shall roam this earth as if fond of hunting; thus, paths for escape will become known to us.
bhaumaṁ ca bilam adyaiva karavāma su-saṁvṛtam। gūḍhocchvasān na nas tatra hutāśaḥ sampradhakṣyati ॥27॥
Let us construct today itself a well-covered underground tunnel; by hiding our breath, fire will not consume us there.
vasato'tra yathā cāsmān na budhyeta purocanaḥ। pauro vāpi janaḥ kaścit tathā kāryam atandritaiḥ ॥28॥
So that Purocana or any citizen may not perceive us while we dwell here, we must act accordingly without any negligence.
