ANUDYUTA PARVA: Chapter 79

Colloquy between Draupadi and Kunti,

वैशम्पायन उवाच तस्मिन् सम्प्रस्थिते कृष्णा पृथां प्राप्य यशस्विनीम्। अपृच्छद् भृशदुःखार्ता याश्चान्यास्तत्र योषितः॥
Vaishampayana said Thereupon, when Krishna (Draupadi) was about to start, she went to the illustrious Pritha (Kunti) and asked her leave and that of the other ladies who were all plunged in grief.

यथार्ह वन्दनाश्लेषान् कृत्वा गन्तुमियेष सा। ततो निनादः सुमहान् पाण्डवान्तःपुरेऽभवत्॥
Saluting and embracing every one of them as each deserved, she desired to go away. Thereupon loud lamentations rose within the inner apartments of the Pandavas.

कुन्ती च भृशसंतप्ता द्रौपदी प्रेक्ष्य गच्छतीम्। शोकविह्वलया वाचा कृच्छ्राद् वचनमब्रवीत्॥
Kunti, being greatly afflicted on seeing Draupadi on the eve of her journey, uttered these words in a voice choked with grief.

कुन्त्युवाच वत्से शोको न ते कार्यः प्राप्येदं व्यसनं महत्। स्त्रीधर्माणामभिज्ञासि शीलाचारवती तथा॥
Kunti said O child, do not grieve that this great calamity has overtaken you. You are well aware of all the duties of the female sex. Your character and conduct are as they should be.

न त्वां संदेष्टुमर्हासि भर्तृन् प्रति शुचिस्मिते। साध्वीगुणसमापन्ना भूषितं ते कुलद्वयम्॥
O lady of sweet smiles, I need not instruct you as to your duties towards your lords. You are chaste and accomplished; your qualifications and accomplishments have adorned our two races (those of the Kurus and the Pandavas).

सभाग्याः कुरवश्चमे ये न दग्धास्त्वयानचे। अरिष्टं व्रज पन्थानं मदनुध्यानबृंहिता॥
The Kurus are (very) fortunate that they have not been burnt by your wrath. O siniess one, go away in safety, blessed by my prayer.

भाविन्यर्थे हि सत्स्त्रीणां वैकृतं नोपजायते। गुरुधर्माभिगुप्ता च श्रेयः क्षिप्रमवाप्स्यसि॥
The hearts of good woman never moved by what is inevitable. Protected by great virtue, you will soon obtain good fortune.

सहदेवश्च मे पुत्रः सदावेक्ष्योः वने वसन्। यथेदं व्यसनं प्राप्य नायं सीदेमहामतिः॥
While living in the woods, keep your eyes always on my child Sahadeva, so that his mind may not sink under this great calamity.

तथेत्युक्त्वा तु सा देवी स्रवन्नेत्रजलाविला। शोणिताक्तैकवसना मुक्तकेशी विनिर्ययौ॥
Vaishampayana said Saying, "so be it,” the lady Draupadi clad in one cloth stained with blood, and with dishevelled hair, came out (of the inner apartment in tears.

तां क्रोशन्तीं पृथा दुःखादनुवव्राज गच्छतीम्। अथापश्यत् सुतान् सर्वान् हृताभरणवाससः॥
As she went away weeping and lamenting, Pritha (Kunti) herself in grief, followed her. She saw her sons, shorn of their ornaments and robes.

रुरुचर्मावृततनून् ह्रिया किंचिदवाङ्मुखान्। परैः परीतान् संहृष्टैः सुहृद्धिश्चानुशोचितान्॥
Their body clad in deer skins and their heads cast down. They were surrounded by rejoining foes and they were pitied by friends.

तदवस्थान् सुतान् सर्वानुपसृत्यातिवत्सला। स्वजमानावदच्छोकात् तत्तद् विलपती बहु॥
Kunti, possessing excess of parental affection, approached her sons who were in that state. Embracing them all, she spoke thus her voice choked with grief.

कुन्त्युवाच कथं सद्धर्मचारित्रान् वृत्तस्थितिविभूषितान्। अक्षुद्रान् दृढभक्तांश्च दैवतेज्यापरान् सदा॥
Kunti said You are virtuous and well-conducted; you are adorned with all excellent qualities; your behaviours is (always) respectful. You are all high minded, you are (always).

व्यसनं वः समभ्यागात् कोऽयं विधिविपर्ययः। कस्यापध्यानजं चेदं धिया पश्यामि नैव तत्॥
Engaged in the service of your superiors; you are ever devoted to the gods and the performance of sacrifices, why then this calamity has overtaken you? Whence in this your reverse of fortune? I do not see whose wickedness and sin have fallen on you.

स्यात् तु मद्भाग्यदोषोऽयं याहं युष्मानजीजनम्। दुःखायासभुजोऽत्यर्थं युक्तानप्युत्तमैर्गुणैः॥
All this must be due to my bad fortune, for I have given birth to you. It is for this you have been overtaken by this calamity, notwithstanding your possessing excellent accomplishments.

कथं वत्स्यथ दुर्गेषु वने ऋद्धिविनाकृताः। वीर्यसत्त्वबलोत्साहतेजोभिरकृशाः कृशाः॥
Your are not wanting in energy prowess, strength, firmness and might. How will you live in great wilderness shorn of your wealth and possession?

यद्येतदेवमज्ञास्यं वने वासो हि वि ध्रुवम्। शतशृङ्गन्मृते पाण्डौ नागमिष्यं गजाह्वयम्॥
If I had known before that you were destined to live in the forest, I would not have (then) come after Pandu's death from the mountains of Shatashringa to Hastinapur.

धन्यं वः पितरं मन्ये तपोमेधान्वितं तथा। यः पुत्राधिमसम्प्राप्य स्वर्गेच्छाम करोत् प्रियाम्॥
Fortunate was your father; I consider it now, for he recapped the fruit of asceticism and there fore did not meet with the misery appertaining to one's sons. He considered the desire to attain to heaven as the most delightful.

धन्यां चातीन्द्रियज्ञानामिमां प्राप्तां परां गतिम्। मन्ये तु माद्रीं धर्मज्ञां कल्याणी सर्वथैव तु॥
I consider today the virtuous and the blessed Madri as very fortunate, for she had, a fore-knowledge of what would happen and had thus obtained the great emancipation,

रत्या मत्या च गत्या च ययाहमभिसन्धिता। जीवितप्रियतां मह्यं धिमां संक्लेशभागिनीम्॥
Madri looked upon me as her stay and her mind and her affections were ever fixed on me. Fie on my desire of life? I suffer all this woe for it.

पुत्रकान विहास्ये वः कृच्छ्रलब्धान् प्रियान् सतः। साहं यास्यामि हि वनं हा कृष्णे किं जहासि माम्॥
O sons, you are all excellent; and you are all dear to me. I have obtained you after much suffering. I cannot leave you; I will go with you. O Krishna, alas, why do you leave me so?

अन्तवत्यसुधर्मेऽस्मिन् धात्रा किं नु प्रमादतः। ममान्तो नैव विहितस्तेनायुर्न जहाति माम्॥
Everything possessing life is sure to perish. Has Dhatra (creator) forgotten to ordain my death? Perhaps it is so; and that is why life does not quit me.

हा कृष्ण द्वारकावासिन् क्वासि संकर्षणानुज। कस्मान्न त्रायसे दुःखान्मां चेमांश्च नरोत्तमान्॥
O Krishna, O dweller of Dwarka, O younger brother of Sankarshana (Baladeva), where are you? Why do you not save me and these best of men (the Pandavas)?

अनादिनिधनं ये त्वामनुध्यायन्ति वै नराः। तांस्त्वं पासीत्ययं वादः स गतो व्यर्थतां कथम्॥
The men say that you are without beginning and without end and that you save those who think of you. Why does this saying now turn to be false?

इमे सद्धर्ममाहात्म्ययशोवीर्यानुवर्तिनः। नार्हन्ति व्यसनं भोक्तुं नन्वेषां क्रियतां दया!॥
These my sons are ever attached to virtue, nobility, good fame and prowess. They do not deserve to suffer afflictions. Show kindness towards them.

सेयं नीत्यर्थविज्ञेषु भीष्मद्रोणकृपादिषु। स्थितेषु कुलनाथेषु कथमापदुपागता॥
When such leaders of our race as Bhisma, Drona, and Kripa, all learned in morality and Artha, are present how could such a calamity (at all) happen?

हा पाण्डो हा महाराज क्वासि किं समुपेक्षसे। पुत्रान् विवास्यतः साधूनरिभि तनिर्जितान्॥
Alas Pandu! Alas, lord where are you? How could you see your good children sent into exile thus persecuted by gambling?

सहदेव निवर्तस्व ननु त्वमसि मे प्रियः। शरीरादपि माद्रेय मा मा त्याक्षीः कुपुत्रवत्॥
Sahadeva, you do not go. You are dearer to me than my own body. O son of Madri, do not forsake me; you should be kind to me.

व्रजन्तु भ्रातरस्तेऽमी यदि सत्याभिसंधिनः। मत्परित्राणजं धर्ममिहैव त्वमवाप्नुहि॥
If they are bound by the dictates of virtue, let these your (elder) brothers go. You earn that virtue which is the fruit of waiting upon me (a mother).

वैशम्पायन उवाच एवं विलपती कुन्तीमभिवाद्य प्रणम्य च। पाण्डवा विगतानन्दा वनायैव प्रवव्रजुः॥
Vaishampayana said Consoling their weeping (mother) Kunti and bowing to her, the Pandavas set for the forest in great grief.

विदुरश्चापि तामा" कुन्तीमाश्वास्य हेतुभिः। प्रावेशयद् गृहं क्षत्ता स्वयमार्ततरः शनैः॥
Vidura, himself greatly grieved, consoled the afflicted Kunti with reasons, and Khattwa (Vidura) then led her slowly to his house.

धार्तराष्ट्रस्त्रियस्ताश्च निखिलेनोपलभ्य तत्। गमनं परिकर्षं च कृष्णाया द्यूतमण्डले॥
The ladies of Dhritarashtra's house hold, hearing every thing as it had happened namely the exile (of the Pandavas) and the dragging of Krishna (Draupadi) in the assembly of gambling.

रुरुदुः सुस्वनं सर्वा विनिन्दन्त्यः कुरून् भृशम्। दध्युश्च सुचिरं कालं करासक्तमुखाम्बुजाः॥
Loudly wept, all greatly censuring the Kurus. The ladies of the royal household sat silent for a long time covering their lotus like faces with their hands.

राजा च धृतराष्ट्रस्तु पुत्राणामनयं तदा। ध्यायन्नुद्विग्नहृदयो न शान्तिमधिजग्मिवान्॥
King Dhritarashtra, thinking of the dangers that threatened his sons, became a prey to anxiety and could not get any peace of mind.

स चिन्तयन्ननेकाग्रः शोकव्याकुलचेतनः। क्षत्तुः सम्प्रेषयामास शीघ्रमागम्यतामिति॥
Anxious meditating on everything and with mind deprived of its equanimity by grief, he sent for Khattwa (Vidura) asking him to come (to him) without delay.

ततो जगाम विदुरो धृतराष्ट्रनिवेशनम्। तं पर्यपृच्छत् संविग्नो धृतराष्ट्रो जनाधिपः॥
Thereupon Vidura went to Dhritarashtra's palace and the ruler of men Dhritarashtra asked him in great anxiety.