वैशंपायन उवाच एतच्छ्रुत्वा तु कौन्तेया ब्राह्मणात् संशितव्रतात्। सर्वे चास्वस्थमनसो बभूवुस्ते महाबलाः॥
Vaishampayana said : Having heard this, son of Kunti appeared as if they were pieced with darts. Those mighty men lost their peace of mind.
ततः कुन्ती सुतान् दृष्ट्वा सर्वास्तद्गतचेतसः। युधिष्ठिरमुवाचेदं वचनं सत्यवादिनी॥
Thereupon that truthful lady Kunti, seeing all his son's minds are in great anxiety, thus spoke to Yudhishthira.
कुन्त्युवाच चिररात्रोषिताः स्मेह ब्राह्मणस्य निवेशने। रममाणाः पुरे रम्ये लब्धभैक्षा महात्मनः॥
Kunti said: We have now lived for many nights in the abode of this Brahmana; we have very pleasantly passed in this beautiful city, living on the alms of many high-souled men.
यानीह रमणीयानि वनान्युपवनानि च। सर्वाणि तानि दृष्टानि पुनः पुनररिंदम॥
O chastiser of foes, we have seen again and again all the beautiful woods and forests in this part of the country.
पुनर्द्रष्टुं हि तानीह प्रीणयन्ति न नस्तथा। भैक्षं च न तथा वीर लभ्यते कुरुनन्दन।॥
To see them again would give us no pleasure. O heroic descendant of Kuru, alms are not so easily obtainable now as before.
ते वयं साधु पञ्चालान् गच्छाम यदि मन्यसे। अपूर्वदर्शनं वीर रमणीयं भविष्यति॥
O blessed one, if you wish to go to Panchala, let us go there. O hero, we have not seen it before it must be beautiful.
सुभिक्षाश्चैव पञ्चालाः श्रूयन्ते शत्रुकर्शन। यज्ञसेनश्च राजासौ ब्रह्मण्य इति शुश्रुम॥
O destroyer of foes, we have heard that alms are easily obtainable in Panchala and the king Yajnasena is devoted to the Brahmanas.
एकत्र चिरवासश्च क्षमो न च मतो मम। ते तत्र साधु गच्छामो यदि त्वं पुत्र मन्यसे॥
It is not my opinion that one should live long in one place. Therefore, O son, if you like it is well for us to go there.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच भवत्या यन्मतं कार्यं तदस्माकं परं हितम्। अनुजांस्तु न जानामि गच्छेयुर्नेति वा पुनः॥
Yudhishthira said: That which is your opinion and command is (always) to our great good. (But) I do not know whether my younger brothers are willing togo.
वैशम्पायन उवाच ततः कुन्ती भीमसेनमर्जुनं यमजौ तथा। उवाच गमनं ते च तथेत्येवाब्रुवंस्तदा॥
Vaishampayana said : Thereupon Kunti spoke to Bhimasena, Arjuna and the twins (Nakula and Sahadeva) about the (proposed) journey and they said, “Be it so."
तत आमन्त्र्य तं विप्रं कुन्ती राजन् सुतैः सह। प्रतस्थे नगरी रम्यां द्रुपदस्य महात्मनः॥
O king, then Kunti saluting the Brahmana started for the beautiful city of the illustrious Drupada. Thus ends hundred and sixty eighth chapter, the departure for the Panchala country, in the Chaitraratha of the Adi Parva.