Chapter 310

Yudhishthira said, “There is no limit to calamities. Nor is it possibleto ascertain either their final or efficient cause. It is the Lord ofjustice alone who distributeth the fruits of both virtue and vice.‘Thereupon Bhima said, ‘Surely, this calamity hath befallen us, because Idid not slay the Pratikamin on the very spot, when he dragged Krishna asa slave into the assembly. And Arjuna said, ‘Surely, this calamity hathbefallen us because I resented not those biting words piercing the verybones, uttered by the Suta’s son!’ And Sahadeva said, ‘Surely, O Bharata,this calamity hath befallen us because I did not slay Sakuni when hedefeated thee at dice!'”

Vaisampayana continued, “Then king Yudhishthira addressed Nakula saying,’Do thou, O son of Madri, climb this tree and look around the ten pointsof the horizon. Do thou see whether there is water near us or such treesas grow on watery grounds! O child, these thy brothers are all fatiguedand thirsty.’ Thereupon saying, ‘So be it,’ Nakula speedily climbed up atree, and having looked around, said unto his eldest brother, ‘O king, Isee many a tree that groweth by the water-side, and I hear also the criesof cranes. Therefore, without doubt, water must be somewhere here.’Hearing these words, Kunti’s son Yudhishthira, firm in truth, said, ‘Oamiable one, go thou and fetch water in these quivers!’ Saying, ‘So beit,’ at the command of his eldest brother Nakula quickly proceededtowards the place where there was water and soon came upon it. Andbeholding a crystal lake inhabited by cranes he desired to drink of it,when he heard these words from the sky, ‘O child, do not commit this rashact! This lake hath already been in my possession. Do thou, O son ofMadri, first answer my questions and then drink of this water and takeaway (as much as thou requirest). Nakula, however, who was exceedinglythirsty, disregarding these words, drank of the cool water, and havingdrunk of it, dropped down dead. And, O represser of foes, seeing Nakula’sdelay, Yudhishthira the son of Kunti said unto Sahadeva, the heroicbrother of Nakula, ‘O Sahadeva, it is long since our brother, he who wasborn immediately before thee, hath gone from hence! Do thou, therefore,go and bring back thy uterine brother, together with water.’ At this,Sahadeva, saying, ‘So be it,’ set out in that direction; and coming tothe spot, beheld his brother lying dead on the ground. And afflicted atthe death of his brother, and suffering severely from thirst, he advancedtowards the water, when these words were heard by him, ‘O child, do notcommit this rash act! This lake hath already been in my possession. Firstanswer my question, and then drink of the water and take away as much asthou mayst require.’ Sahadeva, however, who was extremely thirsty,disregarding these words, drank of the water, and having drunk of it,dropped down dead. Then Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, said unto Vijaya,’It is long since, O Vibhatsu, that thy two brothers have gone, Orepresser of foes! Blessed be thou! Do thou bring them back, togetherwith water. Thou art, O child, the refuge of us all when plunged indistress!’ Thus addressed, the intelligent Gudakesa, taking his bow andarrows and also his naked sword, set out tor that lake of waters. Andreaching that spot, he whose car was drawn by white steeds beheld thosetigers among men, his two younger brothers who had come to fetch water,lying dead there. And seeing them as if asleep, that lion among men,exceedingly aggrieved, raised his bow and began to look around that wood.But he found none in that mighty forest. And, being fatigued, he who wascapable of drawing the bow by his left hand as well, rushed in thedirection of the water. And as he was rushing (towards the water), heheard these words from the sky, ‘Why dost thou approach this water? Thoushalt not be able to drink of it by force. If thou, O Kaunteya, cananswer the question I will put to thee, then only shalt thou drink of thewater and take away as much as thou requirest, O Bharata!’ Thusforbidden, the son of Pritha said, ‘Do thou forbid me by appearing beforeme! And when thou shalt be sorely pierced with my arrows, thou wilt notthen again speak in this way!’ Having said this, Partha covered all sideswith arrows inspired by mantras. And he also displayed his skill inshooting at an invisible mark by sound alone. And, O bull of the Bharatarace, sorely afflicted with thirst, he discharged barbed darts andjavelins and iron arrows, and showered on the sky innumerable shaftsincapable of being baffled. Thereupon, the invisible Yaksha said, ‘Whatneed of all this trouble, O son of Pritha? Do thou drink only afteranswering my questions! If thou drink, however, without answering myquestions, thou shalt die immediately after.’ Thus addressed, Pritha’sson Dhananjaya capable of drawing the bow with his left hand as well,disregarding those words, drank of the water, and immediately afterdropped down dead. And (seeing Dhananjaya’s delay) Kunti’s sonYudhishthira addressed Bhimasena, saying, ‘O represser of foes, it is along while that Nakula and Sahadeva and Vibhatsu have gone to fetchwater, and they have not come yet, O Bharata! Good betide thee! Do thoubring them back, together with water!’ Thereupon saying, ‘So be it,’Bhimasena set out for that place where those tigers among men, hisbrothers, lay dead. And beholding them, Bhima afflicted though he waswith thirst, was exceedingly distressed. And that mighty armed herothought all that to have been the act of some Yaksha or Rakshasa. AndPritha’s son Vrikodara thought, ‘I shall surely have to fight today. Letme, therefore, first appease my thirst.’ Then that bull of the Bharatarace rushed forward with the intention of drinking. Thereupon the Yakshasaid, ‘O child, do not commit this rash act! This lake hath already beenin my possession. Do thou first answer my questions, and then drink andtake away as much water as thou requirest!'”

Vaisampayana continued, “Thus addressed by that Yaksha of immeasurableenergy, Bhima, without answering his questions, drank of the water. Andas soon as he drank, he fell down dead on the spot. Then thinking thathis brothers had left him long since, Yudhishthira waited for some time.And the king said unto himself again and again, ‘Why is it that the twosons of Madri are delaying? And why doth the wielder also of the Gandivadelay? And why doth Bhima too, endued with great strength, delay? I shallgo to search for them!’ And resolved to do this, the mighty-armedYudhishthira then rose up, his heart burning in grief. And that bullamong men, the royal son of Kunti thought within himself. ‘Is this forestunder some malign influence? Or, is it infested by some wicked beasts?Or, have they all fallen, in consequence of having disregarded somemighty being? Or, not finding water in the spot whither those heroes hadfirst repaired, they have spent all this time in search through theforest? What is that reason for which those bulls among men do not comeback?’ And speaking in this strain, that foremost of monarchs, theillustrious Yudhishthira, entered into that mighty forest where no humansound was heard and which was inhabited by deer and bears and birds, andwhich was adorned with trees that were bright and green, and which echoedwith the hum of the black-bee and the notes of winged warblers. As he wasproceeding along, he beheld that beautiful lake which looked as if it hadbeen made by the celestial artificer himself. And it was adorned withflowers of a golden hue and with lotuses and Sindhuvars. And it aboundedwith canes and Ketakas and Karaviras and Pippalas, and fatigued withtoil, Yudhishthira saw that tank and was struck with wonder.”