01.135
Core:Skilled digger sent by Vidura builds tunnel secretly.
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said:
vidurasya suhṛt kaścit khanakaḥ kuśalaḥ kvacit। vivikte pāṇḍavān rājan idaṁ vacanam abravīt ॥1॥
A certain skilled miner, a friend of Vidura, once said this to the Pāṇḍavas in private, O king.
prahito vidureṇāsmi khanakaḥ kuśalo bhṛśam। pāṇḍavānāṁ priyaṁ kāryam iti kiṁ karavāṇi vaḥ ॥2॥
I am a skilled miner, sent by Vidura. Tell me, what shall I do for you that would be for your welfare?
pracchannaṁ vidureṇoktaḥ śreyas tvam iha pāṇḍavān। pratipādaya viśvāsād iti kiṁ karavāṇi vaḥ ॥3॥
Vidura has secretly instructed me to ensure the welfare of the Pāṇḍavas here out of trust—so what shall I do for you?
kṛṣṇapakṣe caturdaśyāṁ rātrāv asya purocanaḥ। bhavanasya tava dvāri pradāsyati hutāśanam ॥4॥
On the night of the fourteenth day in the dark fortnight, Purocana will set fire to the door of this house of yours.
mātrā saha pradagdhavyāḥ pāṇḍavāḥ puruṣarṣabhāḥ। iti vyavasitaṁ pārtha dhārtarāṣṭrasya me śrutam ॥5॥
I have heard that it is resolved by the son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Pāṇḍavas, bulls among men, are to be burned along with their mother, O son of Pṛthā.
kiñcic ca vidureṇokto mlecchavācāsi pāṇḍava। tvayā ca tat tathet yuktam etad viśvāsa-kāraṇam ॥6॥
Vidura also once spoke in a foreign tongue, O Pāṇḍava, and you replied accordingly—this has become a reason for my trust.
uvāca taṁ satyadhṛtiḥ kuntī-putro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ। abhijānāmi saumya tvāṁ suhṛdaṁ vidurasya vai ॥7॥
Yudhiṣṭhira, son of Kuntī and true in resolve, said to him: “O gentle one, I indeed recognize you as a friend of Vidura.”
śucim āptaṁ priyaṁ caiva sadā ca dṛḍha-bhaktikam। na vidyate kaveḥ kiñcid abhijñāna-prayojanam ॥8॥
One who is pure, trusted, dear, and always firmly devoted—such a person needs no sign of recognition from the wise.
yathā naḥ sa tathā nas tvaṁ nirviśeṣā vayaṁ tvayi। bhavataḥ sma yathā tasya pālayāsmān yathā kaviḥ ॥9॥
As he was ours, so are you; we are one with you. Be to us what he was, and protect us as the wise would do.
idaṁ śaraṇam āgneyam mad-artham iti me matiḥ। purocanena vihitaṁ dhārtarāṣṭrasya śāsanāt ॥10॥
This shelter, I believe, is flammable and built for my destruction by Purocana under the command of Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s son.
sa pāpaḥ kośavāṁś caiva sa-sahāyaś ca durmatiḥ। asmān api ca duṣṭātmā nitya-kālaṁ prabādhate ॥11॥
That wicked, wealthy, and evil-minded man with allies, constantly torments us, O evil-souled one.
sa bhavān mokṣayatv asmān yatnenāsmād hutāśanāt। asmāsv iha hi dagdheṣu sakāmaḥ syāt suyodhanaḥ ॥12॥
May you deliver us with effort from this fire; for if we are burned here, Duryodhana will have his desire fulfilled.
samṛddham āyudhāgāram idaṁ tasya durātmanaḥ। vaprānte niṣpratīkāram āśliṣyedam kṛtaṁ mahat ॥13॥
This great and well-stocked armory of that wicked one has been built defenselessly on the outskirts to ensnare us.
idaṁ tad aśubhaṁ nūnaṁ tasya karma cikīrṣitam। prāg eva viduro veda tenāsmān anvabodhayat ॥14॥
This indeed is the evil act he intended; Vidura already knew this, and thus warned us.
seyam āpad anuprāptā kṣattā yāṁ dṛṣṭavān purā। purocanasyāviditān asmāṁs tvaṁ vipramocaya ॥15॥
This danger foreseen long ago by the wise Vidura has now arrived; rescue us from Purocana’s notice.
sa tatheti pratiśrutya khanako yatnam āsthitaḥ। parikhām utkiran nāma cakāra su-mahad bilam ॥16॥
Having promised thus, the miner undertook the task and dug a large tunnel, like a moat.
cakre ca veśmanas tasya madhye nāti-mahan mukham। kapāṭa-yuktam ajñātaṁ samaṁ bhūmyā ca bhārata ॥17॥
In the center of that house, he made a concealed, not-too-large door-level opening with a door, hidden and level with the ground, O Bhārata.
purocana-bhayāc caiva vyadadhāt saṁvṛtaṁ mukham। sa tatra ca gṛha-dvāri vasaty aśubha-dhīḥ sadā ॥18॥
Out of fear of Purocana, he made a concealed entrance. And that evil-minded Purocana always dwelt at the house entrance.
tatra te sāyudhāḥ sarve vasanti sma kṣapāṁ nṛpa। divā caranti mṛgayāṁ pāṇḍaveyā vanād vanam ॥19॥
There, all the armed Pāṇḍavas stayed through the nights, O king, and roamed the forests for hunting by day.
viśvastavad aviśvastā vañcayantaḥ purocanam। atuṣṭās tuṣṭavad rājan ūṣuḥ parama-duḥkhitāḥ ॥20॥
Though distrusting, they acted as if trusting, deceiving Purocana; though deeply troubled, they appeared content, O king.
na cainān anvabudhyanta narā nagara-vāsinaḥ। anyatra vidura-āmātyāt tasmāt khanaka-sattamāt ॥21॥
No one among the city dwellers knew their plans—except the minister Vidura and that excellent miner.
