Chapter 21

” Vaisampayana said, ‘Upon the retirement of the chief of the Kurus intothe forest, the Pandavas, O king, afflicted besides by grief on accountof their mother, became very cheerless. The citizens also of Hastinapurawere possessed by deep sorrow. The Brahmanas always talked of the oldking. ‘How, indeed, will the king, who has become old, live in thesolitary woods? How will the highly blessed Gandhari, and Pritha, thedaughter of Kuntibhoja, live there? The royal sage has always lived inthe enjoyment of every comfort. He will certainly be very miserable.Arrived in deep woods, what is now the condition of that personage ofroyal descent, who is, again, bereft of vision? Difficult is the featthat Kunti has achieved by separating herself from her sons. Alas castingoff kingly prosperity, she chose a life in the woods. What, again, is thecondition of Vidura who is always devoted to the service of his elderbrother? How also is the intelligent son of Gavalgani who is so faithfulto the food given him by his master? Verily, the citizens, includingthose of even nonage meeting together, asked one another these questions.The Pandavas also, exceedingly afflicted with grief, sorrowed for theirold mother, and could not live in their city long, Thinking also of theirold sire, the king, who had lost all his children, and the highly blessedGandhari, and Vidura of great intelligence, they failed to enjoy peace ofmind. They had no pleasure in sovereignty, nor in women, nor in the studyof the Vedas. Despair penetrated their souls as they thought of the oldking and as they repeatedly reflected on that terrible slaughter ofkinsmen. Indeed, thinking of the slaughter of the youthful Abhimanyu onthe field of battle, of the mighty-armed Karna who never retreated fromthe fray, of the sons of Draupadi, and of other friends of theirs, thoseheroes became exceedingly cheerless. They failed to obtain peace or mindupon repeatedly reflecting that the Earth had become divested of both herheroes and her wealth. Draupadi had lost all her children, and thebeautiful Subhadra also had become childless. They too were of cheerlesshearts and grieved exceedingly. Beholding, however, the son of Virata’sdaughter, viz., thy sire Parikshit, thy grandsires somehow held theirlife-breaths.’