01.134
Core:Knowing well evil intentions of Purochana, Pandavas enter the lac palace.
Vaiśampāyana said:
Then all the citizens of Vāraṇāvata, endowed with all auspiciousness and acting without sloth, came forth from the city according to the scriptures.
Hearing that the sons of Pāṇḍu had arrived, thousands came in various vehicles, joyfully approaching those excellent men.
Having reached the sons of Kuntī, the people of Vāraṇāvata surrounded them, offering blessings for victory and respectfully attending upon them.
Surrounded by them, Yudhiṣṭhira, the king of dharma and tiger among men, shone like Indra among the gods.
Honored by the citizens and in turn honoring them, the faultless ones entered Vāraṇāvata, which was adorned and crowded with people.
Having entered the city, the heroes swiftly went to the homes of Brāhmaṇas who were engaged in their respective duties, O king.
The best among men also approached the homes of city officers, warriors, and even those of Vaiśyas and Śūdras.
Honored by the townsfolk, the Pāṇḍavas, bulls among the Bharatas, went to their residence, led by Purocana.
Purocana gave them eatables, food, drinks, auspicious beds, and excellent seats.
There, they were honored by him with very valuable arrangements and dwelt being attended upon by the people of the city.
After they had stayed ten nights there, Purocana then offered them a house called auspicious, but in truth inauspicious.
There, the tiger-like men entered with their entourage, by Purocana’s word, like yakṣas entering Kailāsa.
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.
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.
This house has indeed been well built by skilled and trusted craftsmen; this wicked Purocana, gaining my trust, desires to burn me.
That great-intellect Vidura had seen this danger then, O son of Pṛthā, and had warned me earlier.
We, having been warned by him, are aware of this inauspicious house, built secretly and well by teachers under Duryodhana’s influence.
Bhīma said:
If you think this house is flammable and arranged thus, then let us go to where we earlier stayed—it is better.
Yudhiṣṭhira said:
Here, I think we should stay, as if guided by the invisible, like those lost, searching from here for a certain desired path.
If Purocana finds out our intent, then acting quickly he may even burn us forcibly.
This Purocana does not fear either outcry or unrighteousness; for indeed, he acts in this way, being fixed in Duryodhana’s intent.
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.
But if we flee out of fear of burning, Duryodhana, greedy for the kingdom, might have us all killed through his spies.
Standing firm, one aligned with a faction may certainly destroy the unsupported and resource-poor with his superior means.
Therefore, we must deceive both this sin and that sinner Duryodhana, and live in hiding here and there.
So, we shall roam this earth as if fond of hunting; thus, paths for escape will become known to us.
Let us construct today itself a well-covered underground tunnel; by hiding our breath, fire will not consume us there.
So that Purocana or any citizen may not perceive us while we dwell here, we must act accordingly without any negligence.
