Rishi Brihadashva visits Yudhishthira in Kamyaka forest
The Pandavas live cheerless without Arjuna in Kamyaka
After Arjuna had gone away from Kamyaka, the Pandavas were filled with sorrow and grief. With cheerless hearts, they very much resembled pearls unstrung from a wreath, or birds shorn of their wings. Without that hero of white steeds that forest looked like the Chaitraratha woods when deprived of the presence of Kubera. The Pandavas, deprived of the company of Arjuna, continued to live in Kamyaka in perfect cheerlessness. They slew with pure arrows various kinds of sacrificial animals for the Brahmanas. Daily slaying those wild animals and sanctifying them properly, they offered them unto the Brahmanas. It was thus that they, afflicted with sorrow lived there with cheerless hearts after Arjuna’s departure. Draupadi in particular, remembering her third lord, addressed the anxious Yudhishthira and said: “That Arjuna who with two hands rivals the thousand-armed Arjuna of old, without that foremost of the sons of Pandu, this forest does not seem at all beautiful in my eyes. Without him, whenever I cast my eyes, this earth seems to be forlorn. Even this forest with its blossoming trees and so full of wonders, without Arjuna seems not so delightful as before. Without him who is like a mass of blue clouds in hue, who has the prowess of an infuriated elephant, and whose eyes are like the leaves of the lotus, this Kamyaka forest does not seem beautiful to me. Remembering that hero capable of drawing the bow with his left hand, and the twang of whose bow sounds like the roar of thunder, I cannot feel any happiness, O king!”
Hearing her lament in this strain, Bhimasena, addressed Draupadi in these words: “O blessed lady of slender waist! The agreeable words you utter delight my heart like the quaffing of nectar. Without him whose arms are long and symmetrical, and stout and like unto a couple of iron maces and round and marked by the scars of the bow-strings and graced with the bow and sword and other weapons and encircled with golden bracelets and like unto a couple of five-headed snakes, without that tiger among men the sky itself seems to be without the sun. Without that mighty-armed one relying upon whom the Panchalas and the Kauravas fear not the sternly-exerting ranks of the celestials themselves, without that illustrious hero relying upon whose arms we all regard our foes as already vanquished and the earth itself as already conquered, without that Arjuna I cannot obtain any peace in the woods of Kamyaka. The different directions also, wherever I cast my eyes, appear to be empty!”
After Bhima had concluded, Nakula, with voice choked with tears, said: “Without him whose extraordinary deeds on the field of battle constitute the talk of even the gods, without that foremost of warriors, what pleasure can we have in the woods? Without him who having gone towards the north had vanquished mighty Gandharva chiefs by hundreds, and who having obtained numberless handsome horses of the Tittiri and Kalmasha species all endowed with the speed of the wind, presented them from affection unto his brother the king, on the occasion of the great Rajasuya sacrifice, without that dear and illustrious one, without that terrible warrior born after Bhima, without that hero equal unto a god I do not desire to live in the Kamyaka woods any longer.”
After Nakula's lamentations, Sahadeva said: “He who having vanquished mighty warriors in battle won wealth and virgins and brought them unto the king on the occasion of the great Rajasuya sacrifice, that hero of immeasurable splendour who having vanquished single-handed the assembled Yadavas in battle, ravished Subhadra with the consent of Vasudeva, he, who having invaded the dominion of the illustrious Drupada gave unto the preceptor Drona his tuition fee, beholding, O king, that Jishnu's bed of grass empty in our asylum, my heart refuses consolation. A migration from this forest is what I would prefer for without that hero this forest cannot be delightful."
Hearing these words of his brothers as also of Draupadi, all of whom were anxious on account of Arjuna, king Yudhishthira became melancholy.
Rishi Brihadashva visits Yudhishthira
When Arjuna went to Indra's region for obtaining weapons, the Pandavas continued to dwell with Draupadi in Kamyaka. One day, they, afflicted with grief, were seated with Draupadi on a clean and solitary sward. Grieving for Arjuna, overwhelmed with sorrow, their voices were choked with weeping. Tortured by Arjuna’s absence, grief afflicted them equally. Filled with sorrow at their separation from Arjuna and at the loss of their kingdom, the mighty-armed Bhima among them addressed Yudhishthira, saying:
“That Arjuna on whom depend the lives of the Pandavas and on whose death the Panchalas as also ourselves with our sons and Satyaki and Vasudeva are sure to die, has gone away at your behest. What can be sadder than this that the virtuous Arjuna has gone away at your command, thinking of his many griefs? Depending upon the might of that illustrious hero's arms, regard our foes as already vanquished in battle, and the whole earth itself as already acquired by us. It was for the sake of that mighty warrior that I refrained from sending to the other world all the Dhartarashtras along with the Subalas, in the midst of the assembly. Gifted with might of arms, and supported by Vasudeva, we have to suppress the wrath that has been roused in us, because you are the root of that wrath. Indeed, with Krishna's help, slaying our foes headed by Karna, we are able to rule the entire earth thus conquered by our own arms. Endued with manliness, we are yet overwhelmed with calamities, in consequence of your gambling vice, while the foolish null of Dhritarashtra are growing stronger with the tributes gathered from dependent kings. It behoves you to keep in view the duties of the Kshatriya, it is not the duty of a Kshatriya to live in the woods. The wise are of the opinion that to rule is the foremost duty of a Kshatriya. You are conversant with Kshatriya morality. Do not, therefore, deviate from the path of duty.
“Turning away from the woods, let us, summoning Arjuna and Krishna, slay the sons of Dhritarashtra, even before the twelve years are complete. Even if these Dhartarashtras be surrounded by soldiers in array of battle, I shall send them to the other world by dint of might alone. I shall slay all the sons of Dhritarashtra along with the Saubalas, indeed, Duryodhana, Karna, and any one else that will fight with me. After I shall have slain all our foes, you may come back unto the woods. By acting thus, no fault will be yours. Washing it off, by various sacrifices, we may ascend to a superior heaven. Such a consummation may come to pass, if our king proves not unwise or procrastinating. You are, however, virtuous. Verily the deceitful should be destroyed by deceit. To slay the deceitful by deceit, is not regarded as sinful. It is also said by those versed in morality that one day and night is equal unto a full year. The Veda also, is often heard, suggests that a year is equivalent to a day when passed in the observance of certain difficult vows. If the Vedas are an authority with you, regard the period of a day and something more as the equivalent of thirteen years. This is the time to slay Duryodhana with his adherents. Else, he will beforehand bring the whole earth obedient to his will.
“All this is the result of your addiction to gambling. We are on the verge of destruction already, in consequence of your promise of living one year undiscovered. I do not find the country where, if we live, the wicked-minded Suyodhana may not be able to trace us by his spies. Finding us out, that wretch will again deceitfully send us into such exile in the woods. Or if that sinful one beholds us emerge, after the expiry of the pledged period of non-discovery, he will again invite you to dice, and the play will once more begin. Summoned once more, you will again efface yourself at dice. You are not skilled at dice, and when summoned at play, you will be deprived of your senses. Therefore, you will have to lead a life in the woods again. If, it behoves you not to make us wretched for life, observe fully the ordinance of the Vedas, which inculcates that the deceitful ought to be slain by deceit. If I, but have your command, I would go to Hastinapura and, even as fire falling upon a heap of grass consumes it, would slay Duryodhana, putting forth my utmost might. It behoves you, therefore, to grant me the permission.”
Thus addressed by Bhima, king Yudhishthira the just, smelt the crown of that son of Pandu, and pacifying him said: “O mighty-armed one! Without doubt, you will, assisted by the wielder of the Gandiva, slay Suyodhana at the expiry of the thirteenth year. But, as for your assertion that, the time is complete, I cannot dare tell an untruth, for untruth is not in me. Without the help of fraud, you will kill the wicked and irrepressible Duryodhana, with his allies.”
While Yudhishthira was speaking unto Bhima thus, there came the great and illustrious Rishi Brihadashva before them. Beholding that virtuous ascetic before him, the righteous king worshipped him according to the ordinance, with the offering of Madhuparka. When the ascetic was seated and refreshed, Yudhishthira sat by him, and looking up at the former, addressed him thus in exceedingly piteous accents:
“O holy one! Summoned by cunning gamblers skilled at dice, I have been deprived of wealth and kingdom through gambling. I am not an adept at dice, and am unacquainted with deceit. Sinful men, by unfair means, vanquished me at play. They even brought into the public assembly my wife dearer unto me than life itself. Defeating me a second time, they have sent me to distressful exile in this great forest, clad in deer skins. At present I am leading a distressful life in the woods in grief of heart. Those harsh and cruel speeches they addressed me on the occasion of that gambling match, and the words of my afflicted friends relating to the match at dice and other subjects, are all stored up in my remembrance. Recollecting them I pass the whole night in anxiety. Deprived also of the company Arjuna, on whom depend the lives of us all, I am almost deprived of life. Oh! When shall I see the sweet-spoken and large-hearted Arjuna so full of kindness and activity, return to us, having obtained all weapons? Is there a king on this earth who is more unfortunate than myself? Have you ever seen or heard of any such before? To my thinking, there is no man more wretched than I am.”
Brihadashva said: “O great king! you say, ‘There is no person more miserable than I am’. If you will listen, I will relate unto you the history of a king more wretched than yourself”
Thereupon the king said unto the ascetic: “O illustrious one! tell me, I desire to hear the history of the king who had fallen into such a condition.”
Brihadashva said: “O king! listen attentively with your brothers, I will narrate the history of a prince more miserable than yourself. There was a celebrated king among the Nishadhas, named Virasena. He had a son named Nala, versed in virtue and wealth. It has been heard by us that, that king was deceitfully defeated by Pushkara, and afflicted with calamity, he dwelt in the woods with his spouse. While he was living in the forest, he had neither slaves nor cars, neither brother nor friends with him. But you are surrounded by your heroic brothers like unto the celestials, and also by foremost regenerate ones like unto Brahma himself. Therefore, it behoves you not to grieve.”
Yudhishthira said: “I am anxious to hear in detail the history of the illustrious Nala. It behoves you therefore to relate it unto me.”
Then Brihadashwa related to Yudhishtira the story of Nala and Damayanti. He continued: “O great king! you also will, with your kindred and relatives, so blaze forth in effulgence soon. For, it was thus that king Nala, had fallen into distress along with his wife, in consequence of dice. Nala suffered such dire woe all alone and recovered his prosperity, whereas you, with heart fixed on virtue, are sporting in joy in this great forest, accompanied by your brothers and Draupadi. When you are also, mixing daily with blessed Brahmanas versed in the Vedas and their branches, you have little cause for sorrow. This history, besides, of the Naga Karkotaka, of Damayanti, of Nala and of that royal sage Rituparna, is destructive of evil. This history, destructive of the influence of Kali, is capable of comforting persons like you when they listen to it. Reflecting upon the uncertainty of success of human exertion, it behoves you not to joy or grieve at prosperity or adversity. Having listened to this history, be comforted, and yield not to grief. It behoves you not to pine under calamity. Indeed, men of self-possession, reflecting upon the caprice of destiny and the fruitlessness of exertion, never suffer themselves to be depressed. They that will repeatedly recite this noble history of Nala, and that will hear it recited, will never be touched by adversity. He that listens to this old and excellent history has all his purposes crowned with success and, without doubt, obtains fame, besides sons and grandsons and animals, a high position among men, and health, and joy. The fear also that you entertainest, viz., some one skilled in dice will summon me, I will for once dispel. I know the science of dice in its entirety. I am gratified with you; take this lore, O son of Kunti! I will tell unto you.”
King Yudhishthira then, with a glad heart, said unto Brihadashva: “O illustrious one! I desire to learn the science of dice from you.”
The Rishi then gave his dice-lore unto the high-souled son of Pandu, and having given it unto him, that great ascetic went to the sacred waters of Hayashirsha for a bath.
