वैशम्पायन उवाच वनं गते कौरवेन्द्रे दुःखशोकसमन्विताः। बभूवुः पाण्डवा राजन् मातृशोकेन चान्विताः॥
Vaishampayana said, Upon the retirement of the king of the Kurus into the forest, the Pandavas, O king, afflicted besides by grief on account of their mother, became very dispirited.
तथा पौरजनः सर्वः शोचन्नास्ते जनाधिपम्। कुर्वाणाश्च कथास्तत्र ब्राह्मणा नृपतिं प्रति॥
The citizens also of Hastinapur were possessed by deep sorrow. The Brahmanas always talked of the old king.
कथं नु राजा वृद्धः स वने वसति निर्जने। गान्धारी च महाभागा सा च कुन्ती पृथा कथम्॥
How, indeed, will the king, who has become old, live in the solitary forest? How will the highly blessed Gandhari, and Pritha, the daughter of Kuntibhoja, live there?
सुखार्हः स हि राजर्षिरसुखी तद् वनं महत्। किमवस्थः समासाद्य प्रज्ञाचक्षुर्हतात्मजः॥
The royal sage has always lived in the enjoyment of every comfort. He will certainly be very miserable. Arrived in the deep forest, what is now the condition of that personage of royal descent, who is, again, bereft of vision?
सुदुष्कृतं कृतवती कुन्ती पुत्रानपश्यती। राज्यश्रियं परित्यज्य वनं सा समरोचयत्॥
Difficult is the feat that Kunti has performed by separating herself from her sons. Alas, renouncing royal prosperity, she choose a life in the forest.
विदुरः किमवस्थश्च भ्रातुः शुश्रूषुरात्मवान्। स च गावल्गणिर्थीमान् भर्तृपिण्डानुपालकः॥
What, again, is the condition of Vidura who is always devoted to the service of his elder brother? How also is the intelligent son of Gavalgani who is so faithful to the salt given him by his master?
आकुमारं च पौरास्ते चिन्ताशोकसमाहताः। तत्र तत्र कथाश्चक्रुः समासाद्य परस्परम्॥
The citizens, including even the minors, meeting together, asked one another these questions.
पाण्डवाश्चैव ते सर्वे भृशं शोकपरायणाः। शोचन्तो मातरं वृद्धामूर्नातिचिरं पुरे॥
The Pandavas also, greatly stricken with grief, bewailed for their old mother, and could not live in their city long.
तथैव वृद्धं पितरं हतपुत्रं जनेश्वरम्। गान्धारी च महाभागां विदुरं च महामतिम्॥
Thinking also of their old sire, the king, who had lost all his children, and the highly blessed Gandhari, and Vidura of great intelligence, they could not enjoy peace of mind.
नैषां बभूव सम्प्रीतिस्तान् विचिन्तयतां तदा। न राज्ये न च नारीषु न वेदाध्ययनेषु च॥
They had no pleasure in sovereignty, nor in women, nor in the study of the Vedas.
परं निर्वेदमगमंश्चिन्तयन्तो नराधिपम्। तं च ज्ञातिवधं घोरं संस्मरन्तः पुनः पुनः॥
Despair entered their souls as they thought of the old king and as they repeated, of that terrible destruction of kinsinen.
अभिमन्योश्च बालस्य विनाशं रणमूर्धनि। कर्णस्य च महाबाहो संग्रामेप्वपलायिनः॥ तथैव द्रौपदेयानामन्येषां सुहृदामपि। वधं संस्मृत्य ते वीरा नानिप्रमनसोऽभवन्॥
Indeed, thinking of the destruction of the youthful Abhimanyu on the field of battle, of the mighty-armed Karna who never retreated from fight, of the sons of Draupadi, and of other friends of theirs, those heroes became highly dispirited.
हतप्रवीरां पृथिवी हृतरत्नां च भारत। सदैव चिन्तयन्तस्ते न शर्म चोपलेभिरे॥
They could not get peace of mind upon repeatedly thinking that the Earth had become divested of both her heroes and her riches.
द्रौपदी हतपुत्रा च सुभद्रा चैव भाविनी। नातिप्रीतियुते देव्यो तदाऽऽस्तामप्रहृष्टवत्॥
Draupadi had lost all her children, and the beautiful Subhadra also had become childless. They, too, were of cheerless hearts and grieved greatly.
वैराट्यास्तनयं दृष्ट्वा पितरं ते परिक्षितम्। धारयन्ति स्म ते प्राणांस्तव पूर्वपितामहाः॥
Seeing, however, the son of Virata's daughter, viz., your sire Parikshit, your grandsires somehow lived.