जनमेजय उवाच यदिदं शोचितं राज्ञाधृतराष्ट्रेण वै मुरे। प्रव्राज्य पाण्डवान् वीरान् सर्वमेतन्निरर्थकम्॥
Janamejaya said : O (Muni), king Dhritarashtra must uselessly have lamented after having sent the heroic sons of Pandu into exile.
कथं च राजा पुत्रं तमुपेक्षेताल्पचेतसम्। दुर्योधनं पाण्डुपुत्रान् कोपयानं महारथान्॥
Why did the king thus permit his narrowminded son Duryodhana to excite the anger of those mighty warriors, the sons of Pandu?
किमासीत् पाण्डुपुत्राणां वने भोजनमुच्यताम्। वानेयमथवा कृष्टमेतदाख्यातु नो भवान्॥
What was the food of the sons of Pandu while they lived in the woods? You explain to me-was it obtained from the woods or was it the product of cultivation?
वैशम्पायन उवाच वानेयांश्च मृगांश्चैव शुद्धैर्बाणैर्निपातितान्। ब्राह्मणानां निवेद्याचमभुञ्जन् पुरुषर्षभाः॥
Vaishampayana said : The best of men ate the produce of the wilderness and the (meat of) deer killed with pure arrows, which they first dedicated to the Brahmanas.
तांस्तु शूरान् महेष्वासांस्तदा निवसतो वने। अन्वयुाह्मणा राजन् साग्नयोऽनग्नयस्तथा॥
O king, both classes of Brahmanas (those worshipping with fire and those worshipping without it) followed these heroes wielding large bows while they lived in the wilderness.
ब्राह्मणानां सहस्राणि स्रातकानां महात्मनाम्। दश मोक्षविदां तत्र यान् बिभर्ति युधिष्ठिरः॥
There were ten thousand most illustrious Snataka Brahmanas, who had perfect knowledge in the matter and means of salvation and whom Yudhishthira fed in the woods.
रुरून् कृष्णमृगांश्चैव मेध्यांश्चान्यान् वनेचरान्। बाणैरुन्मथ्य विविधैर्ब्राह्मणेभ्यो न्यवेदयत्॥
He dedicated the black and other kinds of deer and clean animals of the forest to those Brahmanas, after having killed them with his arrows.
न तत्र कश्चिद् दुर्वर्णो व्याधितो वापि दृश्यते। कृशो वा दुर्बलो वापि दीनो भीतोऽपि वा पुनः॥
None of those who lived with Yudhishthira in the woods looked either pale or diseased, lean or weak and timid or terrified.
पुत्रानिव प्रियान् भ्रातृज्ञातीनिव सहोदरान्। पुपोष कौरवश्रेष्ठोधर्मराजो युधिष्ठिरः॥
The best of the Kurus, the most virtuous Yudhishthira, supported his dear brothers as if they were his sons; and maintained his relatives, as if they were his own brothers.
पतींश्च द्रौपदी सर्वान् द्विजातींश्च यशस्विनी। मातृवद् भोजयित्वाचे शिष्टमाहारयत् तदा॥
The famous Draupadi first supplied her husband and the Brahmanas with food like their mother and at last she took her food herself.
प्राची राजा दक्षिणां भीमसेनो यमौ प्रतीचीमथ वाप्युदीचीम्। धनुर्धराणां सहितो मृगाणां क्षयं चक्रुर्नित्यमेवोपगम्य॥
The king going towards the east and Bhima towards the south and the twins towards the west or the north, put an end to the race of the deer in the forest (by daily killing them with their bows) for the sake of meat.
तथा तेषां वसतां काम्यके वै विहीनानामर्जुनेनोत्सुकानाम्। रधीयतां जपतां जुह्वतां च॥
Thus the Pandavas lived in the forest of Kamyaka for five years; but all the while they remained very anxious on account of the absence of Arjuna and were always busy with study, prayers and sacrifices.