01.137
Core:Last rites of Kunti and Pandavas.
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said:
atha rātryāṁ vyatītāyām aśeṣo nāgaro janaḥ। tatrājagāma tvarito didṛkṣuḥ pāṇḍunandanān ॥1॥
Then, when the night had passed, all the people of the city hurried there, desiring to see the sons of Pāṇḍu.
nirvāpayanto jvalanaṁ te janā dadṛśus tataḥ। jātuṣaṁ tadgṛhaṁ dagdham amātyaṁ ca purocanam ॥2॥
While extinguishing the fire, the people then saw the lac house burnt down and the minister Purocana as well.
nūnaṁ duryodhanenedaṁ vihitaṁ pāpakarmaṇā। pāṇḍavānāṁ vināśāya ityevaṁ cukruṣur janāḥ ॥3॥
Surely, this was arranged by the wicked Duryodhana for the destruction of the Pāṇḍavas — thus cried out the people.
vidite dhṛtarāṣṭrasya dhārtarāṣṭro na saṁśayaḥ। dagdhavān pāṇḍudāyādān na hy enaṁ pratiṣiddhavān ॥4॥
When Dhṛtarāṣṭra knew it, there is no doubt — his son had burned the heirs of Pāṇḍu, and he had not restrained him.
nūnaṁ śāntanavo bhīṣmo na dharmam anuvartate। droṇaś ca viduraś caiva kṛpaś cānye ca kauravāḥ ॥5॥
Surely Bhīṣma, the son of Śāntanu, does not follow righteousness, nor do Droṇa, Vidura, Kṛpa, and the other Kauravas.
te vayaṁ dhṛtarāṣṭrasya preṣayāmo durātmanaḥ। saṁvṛttas te paraḥ kāmaḥ pāṇḍavān dagdhavān asi ॥6॥
We are agents of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the evil-minded one. Your supreme desire is fulfilled — you have burnt the Pāṇḍavas.
tato vyapohamānās te pāṇḍvārthe hutāśanam। niṣādīṁ dadṛśur dagdhāṁ pañcaputrām anāgasam ॥7॥
Then, while clearing the fire for the sake of the Pāṇḍavas, they saw the Niṣāda woman, burnt, with her five innocent sons.
khanakena tu tenaiva veśma śodhayatā bilam। pāṁsubhiḥ pratyapihitaṁ puruṣais tair alakṣitam ॥8॥
While cleansing the house, the same digger had covered the tunnel with earth, and it remained unnoticed by those men.
tatas te preṣayāmāsur dhṛtarāṣṭrasya nāgarāḥ। pāṇḍavān agninā dagdhān amātyaṁ ca purocanam ॥9॥
Then the townspeople sent word to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Pāṇḍavas had been burnt by fire, along with the minister Purocana.
śrutvā tu dhṛtarāṣṭras tad rājā sumahad apriyam। vināśaṁ pāṇḍuputrāṇāṁ vilalāpa suduḥkhitaḥ ॥10॥
Having heard that very grievous news, King Dhṛtarāṣṭra greatly lamented the destruction of the sons of Pāṇḍu in deep sorrow.
adya pāṇḍur mṛto rājā bhrātā mama sudurlabhaḥ। teṣu vīreṣu dagdheṣu mātrā saha viśeṣataḥ ॥11॥
Today King Pāṇḍu, my rare brother, is dead — especially with those heroes burned along with their mother.
gacchantu puruṣāḥ śīghraṁ nagaraṁ vāraṇāvatam। satkārayantu tān vīrān kuntirājasutāṁ ca tām ॥12॥
Let men go quickly to the city of Vāraṇāvata and honor those heroes and her, the daughter of Kuntirāja.
kārayantu ca kulyāni śubhrāṇi ca mahānti ca। ye ca tatra mṛtās teṣāṁ suhṛdo'rcantu tān api ॥13॥
Let pure and great funeral rites be performed, and let the friends of those who died there also be honored.
evaṁgate mayā śakyaṁ yadyat kārayituṁ hitam। pāṇḍavānāṁ ca kuntyāś ca tat sarvaṁ kriyatāṁ dhanaiḥ ॥14॥
In this situation, let whatever beneficial acts are possible for me to do for the Pāṇḍavas and for Kuntī — let all that be done with wealth.
evam uktvā tataś cakre jñātibhiḥ parivāritaḥ। udakaṁ pāṇḍuputrāṇāṁ dhṛtarāṣṭro’mbikāsutaḥ ॥15॥
Thus having spoken, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, son of Ambikā, surrounded by his relatives, performed water-libation for the sons of Pāṇḍu.
cukruśuḥ kauravāḥ sarve bhṛśaṁ śokaparāyaṇāḥ। viduras tv alpaśaś cakre śokaṁ veda paraṁ hi saḥ ॥16॥
All the Kauravas wailed intensely, absorbed in grief, but Vidura expressed only slight sorrow — for he indeed knew the supreme truth.
pāṇḍavāś cāpi nirgatya nagarād vāraṇāvatāt। javena prayayū rājan dakṣiṇāṁ diśam āśritāḥ ॥17॥
The Pāṇḍavas, having departed from the city of Vāraṇāvata, went swiftly, O King, taking refuge in the southern direction.
vijñāya niśi panthānaṁ nakṣatrair dakṣiṇāmukhāḥ। yatamānā vanaṁ rājan gahanaṁ pratipedire ॥18॥
Facing south and discerning the path by stars at night, they strove and entered a dense forest, O King.
tataḥ śrāntāḥ pipāsārtā nidrāndhāḥ pāṇḍunandanāḥ। punar ūcur mahāvīryaṁ bhīmasenam idaṁ vacaḥ ॥19॥
Then the sons of Pāṇḍu, exhausted, thirsty, and drowsy, again spoke these words to mighty Bhīmasena.
itaḥ kaṣṭataraṁ kiṁ nu yad vayaṁ gahane vane। diśaś ca na prajānīmo gantuṁ caiva na śaknumaḥ ॥20॥
What is more difficult than this — that we are in a dense forest, we do not know the directions, and we are unable to go on?
taṁ ca pāpaṁ na jānīmo yadi dagdhaḥ purocanaḥ। kathaṁ nu vipramucyema bhayād asmād alakṣitāḥ ॥21॥
And we do not know whether that sinner Purocana is burned. How shall we escape unnoticed from this fear?
punar asmān upādāya tathaiva vraja bhārata। tvaṁ hi no balavān eko yathā satatagas tathā ॥22॥
Carry us again and go forth just as before, O Bhārata. You alone are strong for us and tireless in movement.
ity ukto dharmarājena bhīmaseno mahābalaḥ। ādāya kuntīṁ bhrātṛṁś ca jagāmāśu mahābalaḥ ॥23॥
Thus addressed by Dharmarāja, mighty Bhīmasena took Kuntī and his brothers and swiftly went forth, the mighty one.
