03.091
Vaiśampāyana said.
Then, as Kaunteya was departing, the forest-dwelling Brahmanas approached and, O King, said these words. (03-91-1)
O king, you will visit the holy places with your brothers, accompanied by the divine sage Lomaśa, the great-souled one. (03-91-2)
O great king, O son of Pāṇḍu, you ought to lead us as well. For indeed, without you, we are not able to accomplish those things, O Kaurava. (03-91-3)
O lord of men, the difficult and rough places, infested by wild animals, and the fords are inaccessible to men when they are few. (03-91-4)
You, brothers, who are always valiant and the best among archers, protected by you who are brave, may we also proceed indeed. (03-91-5)
O protector of the earth, O lord of men, it is indeed by your favor that we may obtain the auspicious result of pilgrimages and vows. (03-91-6)
O king, may we, protected by your vigor, purified and bathed in the sacred fords, become those whose sins are washed away by seeing the sacred fords. (03-91-7)
You too, O Bhārata, know of King Kārtavīrya, Aṣṭaka, and the royal sage Lomapāda, indeed. (03-91-8)
O king, as the heroic and universal ruler descended from Bharata, you will surely attain those worlds that are hard to reach, being purified by immersion in holy places. (03-91-9)
O king, we desire to see, together with you, Prabhāsa and other holy places, Mahendra and other mountains, Gaṅgā and other rivers, and Plakṣa and other trees. (03-91-10)
O king, if you have any affection for the Brāhmaṇas, quickly carry out our request; then you will attain benefit. (03-91-11)
O mighty-armed one, the sacred places are always filled with demons who hinder asceticism. You ought to protect us from them. (03-91-12)
The sacred fords described by Dhaumya, wise Nārada, and also by the divine sage Lomaśa of great austerity, (03-91-13)
O king, wander everywhere in the proper manner. Purified of sin, you are protected by us along with Lomaśa. (03-91-14)
He, thus honored by them and filled with tears of joy, surrounded by his heroic brothers including Bhīmasena, the bull among the Pāṇḍavas, said "Certainly" to all those sages. (03-91-15)
Having taken leave of Lomaśa and of Dhaumya the priest, then that best of the Pāṇḍavas, self-controlled, together with his brothers and Draupadī of flawless limbs, resolved in his mind to depart. (03-91-16)
Then the greatly fortunate Vyāsa, along with Nārada and Parvata, wise ones, approached Pāṇḍava (Yudhiṣṭhira) in the Kāmyaka forest to see him. (03-91-17)
King Yudhiṣṭhira honored them in accordance with the proper rites. Having been thus honored, those greatly fortunate ones then spoke to Yudhiṣṭhira. (03-91-18)
Yudhishthira, the two brothers, and Bhima, do uprightness with your mind. Having achieved purity of mind, go as pure ones to the holy places. (03-91-19)
The Brāhmaṇas declare that discipline of the body constitutes a human vow; a purified mind and intellect is said by the twice-born to be the divine vow. (03-91-20)
O king, indeed, a mind that is not wicked is sufficient for the brave. Embracing friendship and a pure mind, go to the sacred places. (03-91-21)
Therefore, you, being purified in mind and by vows of bodily discipline, having undertaken the divine vow as stated, will obtain the result as described. (03-91-22)
The Pāṇḍavas, having promised thus along with Kṛṣṇā, all performed auspicious rites attended by sages—both divine and human. (03-91-23)
He embraced the feet of Lomaśa, Dvaipāyana, Nārada, and of the divine sage Parvata, O king. (03-91-24)
Joined by Dhaumya, the heroes, along with other forest-dwellers, set out when the month of Mārgaśīrṣa had passed and the Puṣya constellation had arrived. (03-91-25)
Then, having taken hard things, wearing bark-cloth, deer-skin, and matted hair, and equipped with impenetrable armours, they visited the sacred places. (03-91-26)
Attended by Indrasena and others, by his servants, with fourteen chariots, by those engaged in the kitchen and other attendants. (03-91-27)
O Janamejaya, the heroic Pāṇḍavas, armed, with girded swords, wearing quivers full of arrows, and facing east, set out. (03-91-28)
