वैशम्पायन उवाच एवं ते पुरुषव्याघ्राः पाण्डवा मातृनन्दनाः। स्मरन्तो मातरं वीरा वभूवुर्भृशदुःखिताः॥
Those foremost of men, the heroic Pandavas, those delighters of their mother-became greatly stricken with grief.
राजकार्येषु पुरा व्यासक्ता नित्यशोऽभवन्। ते राजकार्याणि तदा नाकार्षुः सर्वतः पुरे।॥
They who had formerly been always engaged in royal offices, did not at that time attend to those deeds at all in their capital.
प्रविष्टा इव शोकेन नाभ्यनन्दन्त किञ्चन। सम्भाष्यमाणा अपि ते न किञ्चित् प्रत्यपूजयन्॥
Stricken with deep sorrow, they could not find pleasure from anything. It any body asked them, they never honored him with an answer.
ते स्म वीरा दुराधर्षा गाम्भीर्ये सागरोपमाः। शोकोपहतविज्ञाना नष्टसंज्ञा इवाभवन्॥
Although those irresistible heroes were grave like the ocean, yet they were now deprived of their knowledge and their very senses by the grief they left.
अचिन्तयंश्च जननी ततस्ते पाण्डुनन्दनाः। कथं नु वृद्धमिथुनं वहत्यतिकृशा पृथा॥
Thinking of their mother, the sons of Pandu became anxious as to how their emaciated mother was serving the old pair.
कथं च स महीपालो हतपुत्रो निराश्रयः। पल्या सह वसत्येको वने श्वापदसेविते॥
How, indeed, is that king; whose sons have all been killed and who is without refuge, living alone, with only his wife, in the forest haunted by beasts of prey?
सा च देवी महाभागा गान्धारी हतबान्धवा। पतिमन्धं कथं वृद्धमन्वेति विजने वने।॥
Alas, how does that highly blessed queen, Gandhari, whose dear ones have all been killed, follow her blind husband in the solitary forest.
एवं तेषां कथयतामौत्सुक्यमभवत् तदा। गमने चाभवद् बुद्धिधृतराष्ट्रदिदृक्षया॥
Such was the anxiety shown by the Pandavas when they talked with one another. They then set their hearts upon beholding the king in his forest asylum.
सहदेवस्तु राजानं प्रणिपत्येदमब्रवीत्। अहो मे भवतो दृष्टं हृदयं गमनं प्रति॥
Then bowing down to the king, Sahadeva said, “I think you wish to see our sire.
न हि त्वां गौरवेणाहमशकं वक्तुमञ्जसा। गमनं प्रति राजेन्द्र तदिदं समुपस्थितम्॥
From my respect for you, however, I could not speedily speak on the subject of our journey to the forest. The time for that sojourn in now come.
दिष्ट्या द्रक्ष्यामि तां कुन्ती वर्तयन्ती तपस्विनीम्। जटिलां तापसी वृद्धां कुशकाशपरिक्षताम्॥
By good luck I shall see Kunti performing penances, with matted locks on her head, practising severe austerities, and emaciated by sleeping on blades of Kusha and Kasha.
प्रासादहर्म्यसंवृद्धामत्यन्तसुखभागिनीम्। कदा तु जननीं श्रान्तां द्रक्ष्यामि भृशदुःखिताम्॥
She was brought up in palaces, and nursed in every comfort and luxury. Alas, when shall I see my mother who is now toil-worn and plunged into great misery.
अनित्याः खलु मर्त्यानां गतयो भरतर्षभ। कुन्ती राजसुता यत्र वसत्यसुखिता वने॥
Forsooth, O chief of Bharata's race, the ends of men are exceedingly uncertain, since Kunti, who is a princess by birth, is now living in misery in the forest.'
सहदेववचः श्रुत्वा द्रौपदी योषितां वरा। उवाच देवी राजानमभिपूज्याभिनन्द्य च॥
Hearing these words of Sahadeva, queen Draupadi, that foremost of all women duly honoring the king, said, with proper salutations,
कदा द्रक्ष्यामि नां देवीं यदि जीवति सा पृथा। जीवन्त्या ह्यद्य मे प्रीतिर्भविष्यति जनाधिप॥
Alas, when shall I see queen Pritha, if, indeed, she is alive! I shall consider my life as not passed in vain if I succeed in seeing her once more, O king.
एषा तेऽस्तु मतिर्नित्यं धर्मे ते रमतां मनः। योऽद्यत्वमस्मान् राजेन्द्र श्रेयसा योजयिष्यसि॥
Let this sort of understanding be ever firm in you. Let your mind always take a pleasure in such virtue as is involved, O king of kings, in your desire of granting such a high boon on us.
अग्रपादस्थितं चेमं विद्धि राजन् वधूजनम्। काङ्क्षन्तं दर्शनं कुन्त्या गान्धार्याः श्वशुरस्य च॥
Know, O king, that all these ladies of your house are staying with their feet raised for the journey, from desire of seeing Kunti and Gandhari, and my father-in-law.
इत्युक्तः स नृपो देव्या द्रौपद्या भरतर्षभ। सेनाध्यक्षान् समानाय्या सर्वानिदमुवाच ह॥
Thus addressed by queen Draupadi, the king, O chief of Bharata's race, summoned all the leaders of his army to his presence and told them.
निर्यातयत मे सेनां प्रभूतरथकुञ्जराम्। द्रक्ष्यामि वनसंस्थं च धृतराष्ट्रं महीपतिम्॥
'Cause my army, full of cars and elephants, to march out. I shall see king Dhritarashtra who is now living in the forest.
स्त्र्यध्यक्षांश्चाब्रवीद् राजा यानानि विविधानि मे। सज्जीक्रियन्तां सर्वाणि शिबिकाश्च सहस्रशः॥
To the officers in charge of the ladies word the king gave the order, 'Let various kinds of conveyances be properly equipt, as also all my closed litters counting by thousands.
शकटापणवेशाश्च कोशः शिल्पिन एव च। निर्यान्तु कोषपालाश्च कुरुक्षेत्राश्रमं प्रति॥
Let carriages and granaries and wardrobes, and treasuries, be equipt and ordered out, and let mechanics have ihe command to march out. Let men in charge of treasuries go out on the way leading to the ascetic hermitage of Kurukshetra.
यश्च पौरजनः कश्चिद् द्रष्टुमिच्छति पार्थिवम्। अनावृतः सुविहितः स च यातु सुरक्षितः॥
Whoever amongst the citizens wishes to see the king, is allowed to do so without any restriction. Let him properly protected.
सूदाः पौरोगवाश्चैव सर्वं चैव महानसम्। विविधं भक्ष्यभोज्यं च शकटैरुह्यतां मम॥
Let cooks and superintendents of kitchens, and the whole culinary establishment, and various kinds of edibles and viands be ordered to be borne out on carts and conveyances. proceed,
प्रयाणं घुष्यतां चैव श्वोभूत इति मा चिरम्। क्रियतां पथि चाप्यद्य वेश्मानि विविधानि च॥
Let it be proclaimed that we march out tomorrow. Indeed, let no delay take place. Let pavilions and resting houses of various kinds be erected on the way.
एवमाज्ञाप्य राजा स भ्रातृभिः सहपाण्डवः। श्वोभूते निर्ययौ राजन् सस्त्रीवृद्धपुरःसरः॥
These were the commands which the eldest son of Pandu gave, with his brothers. When morning came, O monarch, the king started with a large following of women and old men.
स बहिर्दिवसानेव जनौघं परिपालयन्। न्यवसन्नृपतिः पञ्च ततोऽगच्छद् वनं प्रति॥
Going out of his city, king Yudhishthira waited five days for such citizens as might accompany him and then went towards the forest.