The conversation between Vyasa and Yudhishthira

Dwelling in the woods, the high-souled Pandavas spent one and ten years in a miserable plight. Although deserving of happiness, those foremost of men, brooding over their circumstances, passed their days miserably, living on fruits and roots. That royal sage, the mighty-armed Yudhishthira, reflecting that the extremity of misery that had befallen his brothers, was owing to his own fault, and remembering those sufferings that had arisen from his act of gambling, could not sleep peacefully. He felt as if his heart had been pierced with a lance. Remembering the harsh words of the Suta's son, the Pandava, repressing the venom of his wrath, passed his time in humble guise, sighing heavily. Arjuna and both the twins and the illustrious Draupadi, and the mighty Bhima - he that was strongest of all men - experienced the most poignant pain in casting their eyes on Yudhishthira. Thinking that a short time only remained of their exile, those bulls among men, influenced by rage and hope and by resorting to various exertions and endeavours, made their bodies assume almost different shapes.

After a little while, that mighty ascetic, Vyasa, the son of Satyavati, came there to see the Pandavas. Seeing him approach, Kunti's son, Yudhishthira, stepped forward, and duly received that high-souled one. Having gratified Vyasa by bowing down unto him, Pandu's son of subdued senses, after the Rishi had been seated, sat down before him, desirous of listening to him. Beholding his grandsons lean and living in the forest on the produce of the wilderness, that mighty sage, moved by compassion, said these words, in accents choked in tears,

“O mighty-armed Yudhishthira! O you best of virtuous persons! Those men that do not perform ascetic austerities never attain great happiness in this world. People experience happiness and misery by turns; for surely, O bull among men! no man ever enjoys unbroken happiness. A wise man endued with high wisdom, knowing that life has its ups and downs, is neither filled with joy nor with grief. When happiness comes, one should enjoy it; when misery comes, one should bear it, as a sower of crops must bide his season. Nothing is superior to asceticism: by asceticism one acquires mighty fruit. Do you know, O Bharata! that there is nothing that asceticism cannot achieve. Truth, sincerity, freedom from anger, justice, self-control, restraint of the faculties, immunity from malice, guilelessness, sanctity, and mortification of the senses, these, O mighty monarch! purify a person of meritorious acts. Foolish persons addicted to vice and bestial ways, attain to brutish births in after life and never enjoy happiness. The fruit of acts done in this world is reaped in the next. Therefore should one restrain his body by asceticism and the observance of vows. O king! Free from guile and with a cheerful spirit, one should, according to his power, bestow gifts, after going down to the recipient and paying him homage. A truth-telling person attains a life devoid of trouble. A person void of anger attains sincerity, and one free from malice acquires supreme contentment. A person who has subdued his senses and his inner faculties, never knows tribulation; nor is a person of subdued senses affected by sorrow at the height of other's prosperity. A man who gives everyone his due, and the bestower of boons, attain happiness, and come by every object of enjoyment; while a man free from envy reaps perfect ease. He that honours those to whom honour is due, attains birth in an illustrious line; and he that has subdued his senses, never comes by misfortune. A man whose mind follows good, after having paid his debt to nature, is on this account, born again endued with a righteous mind.”

Yudhishthira said,

“O eminently virtuous one! O mighty sage! Of the bestowal of gifts and the observance of asceticism, which is of greater efficacy in the next world, and which, harder of practice?”

Vyasa said,

“There is nothing, O child! in this world harder to practise than charity. Men greatly thirst after wealth, and wealth also is gotten with difficulty. Nay, renouncing even dear life itself, heroic men enter into the depths of the sea and the forest for the sake of wealth. For wealth, some betake themselves to agriculture and the tending of kine, and some enter into servitude. Therefore, it is extremely difficult to part with wealth that is obtained with such trouble. Since nothing is harder to practise than charity, therefore, in my opinion, even the bestowal of boons is superior to everything. Specially is this to be borne in mind that well-earned gains should, in proper time and place, be given away to pious men. But the bestowal of ill-gotten gains can never rescue the giver from the evil of rebirth. It has been declared, O Yudhishthira! that by bestowing, in a pure spirit, even a slight gift in due time and to a fit recipient, a man attains inexhaustible fruit in the next world. In this connection is instanced the old story regarding the fruit obtained by Mudgala, for having given away only a drona of corn.”

Yudhishthira said,

“Why did that high-souled one give away a drona of corn? And, to whom and in what prescribed way did he give it? Do tell me this. Surely, I consider the life of that virtuous person as having borne fruit with whose practices the possessor himself of the six attributes, witnessing everything, was well pleased."

Vyasa then told Yudhishthira the story of Mudgala.

Durvasa tests the Pandavas

When Duryodhana heard that the Pandavas were living as happily in the woods as in a city, he longed, with the artful Karna, Duhshasana and others, to do them harm. While those evil-minded persons were employed in concerting various wicked designs, the virtuous and celebrated ascetic Durvasa, following the bent of his own will, arrived at the city of the Kurus with ten thousand disciples. Seeing the irascible ascetic arrived, Duryodhana and his brothers welcomed him with great humility, self-abasement and gentleness. Himself attending on the Rishi as a menial, the prince gave him a right worshipful reception. The illustrious Muni stayed there for a few days, while king Duryodhana, watchful of his imprecations, attended on him diligently by day and night. Sometimes the Muni would say, “I am hungry, O king! give me some food quickly.” And sometimes he would go out for a bath and, returning at a late hour, would say, “I shall not eat anything today as I have no appetite,” and so saying would disappear from his sight. And sometimes, coming all on a sudden, he would say, “Feed us quickly.” And at other times, bent on some mischief, he would awake at midnight and having caused his meals to be prepared as before, would carp at them and not partake of them at all. Trying the prince in this way for a while, when the Muni found that the king Duryodhana was neither angered, nor annoyed, he became graciously inclined towards him. Then, the intractable Durvasa said unto him,

“I have power to grant you boons. You may ask of me whatever lies nearest to your heart. May good fortune be yours. Pleased as I am with you, you may obtain from me anything that is not opposed to Dharma and morals.”

Hearing these words of the great ascetic, Suyodhana felt himself to be inspired with new life. Indeed, it had been agreed upon between himself and Karna and Duhshasana as to what the boon should be that he would ask of the Muni if the latter were pleased with his reception. And the evil-minded king, bethinking himself of what had previously been decided, joyfully solicited the following favour, saying,

“The great king Yudhishthira is the eldest and the best of our race. That pious man is now living in the forest with his brothers. You, therefore, once become the guest of that illustrious one as you have with your disciples been mine for some time. If you are minded to do me a favour, go unto him at a time when that delicate and excellent lady, the celebrated princess of Panchala, after having regaled with food the Brahmanas, her husbands and herself, may lie down to rest.”

The Rishi replied, “So shall I act for your satisfaction.” And having said this to Suyodhana, that great Brahmana, Durvasa, went away in the very same state in which he had come. Suyodhana regarded himself to have attained all the objects of his desire. Holding Karna by the hand he expressed great satisfaction. Karna, too, joyfully addressed the king in the company of his brothers, saying,

“By a piece of singular good luck, you have fared well and attained the objects of your desire. By good luck it is that your enemies have been immersed in a sea of dangers that is difficult to cross. The sons of Pandu are now exposed to the fire of Durvasa's wrath. Through their own fault they have fallen into an abyss of darkness.”

Expressing their satisfaction in this strain, Duryodhana and others, bent on evil machinations, returned merrily to their respective homes.

One day, having previously ascertained that the Pandavas were all seated at their ease and that Krishna was reposing herself after her meal, the sage Durvasa, surrounded by ten thousand disciples repaired to that forest. The illustrious and upright king Yudhishthira, seeing that guest arrived, advanced with his mothers to receive him. Joining the palms of his hands and pointing to a proper and excellent seat, he accorded the Rishis a fit and respectful welcome. The king said unto him,

“Return quick, O adorable sir! after performing your diurnal ablutions and observances.”

That sinless Muni, not knowing how the king would be able to provide a feast for him and his disciples, proceeded with the latter to perform his ablutions. That host of the Muni, of subdued passions, went into the stream for performing their ablutions.

Meanwhile, the excellent princess Draupadi, devoted to her husbands, was in great anxiety about the food to be provided for the Munis. When after much anxious thought she came to the conclusion that means there were none for providing a feast, she inwardly prayed to Krishna, the slayer of Kamsa. The princess said,

“Krishna! O Krishna of mighty arms! O son of Devaki whose power is inexhaustible! O Vasudeva! O lord of the Universe, who dispells the difficulties of those that bow down to you! You are the soul, the creator and the destroyer of the Universe. You, O lord! are inexhaustible and the saviour of the afflicted. You are the preserver of the Universe and of all created beings. You are the highest of the high, and the spring of the mental perceptions Akuli and Chiti! O Supreme and Infinite Being! O giver of all good! Be you the refuge of the helpless. O Primordial Being! Incapable of being conceived by the soul or the mental faculties or otherwise, you are the ruler of all and the lord of Brahma. I seek your protection. O god! you are ever kindly disposed towards those that take refuge in you. Cherish me with your kindness. O you with a complexion dark as the leaves of the blue lotus, and with eyes red as the corolla of the lily, and attired in yellow robes with, besides, the bright Kaustubha gem in your bosom, you are the beginning and the end of creation, and the great refuge of all. You are the supreme light and essence of the Universe! Your face is directed towards every point. They call you Supreme Gem and the depository of all treasures. Under your protections, O lord of the gods, all evils lose their terror. As you did protect me before from Duhshasana, do you extricate me now from this difficulty."

The great and sovereign God, and Lord of the earth, of mysterious movements, the lord Krishna who is ever kind to the dependents, adored by Krishna, and perceiving her difficulty, instantly repaired to that place leaving the bed of Rukmini who was sleeping by his side. Beholding Vasudeva, Draupadi bowed down to him in great joy and informed him of the arrival of the Munis and every other thing. Having heard everything Krishna said unto her,

“I am very much afflicted with hunger, give me some food without delay, and then you may go about your work.”

At these words of Krishna, Krishna became confused, and replied unto him, saying,

“The sun-given vessel remains full till I finish my meal. But as I have already taken my meal today, there is no food in it now.”

Then that lotus-eyed and adorable being said unto Krishna,

“This is no time for jest, O Krishna. I am much distressed with hunger, go you quickly to fetch the vessel and show it to me.”

When Krishna, that ornament of the Yadu's race, had the vessel brought unto him, with such persistence, he looked into it and saw a particle of rice and vegetable sticking at its rim. Swallowing it he said unto her,

“May it please the god Hari, the soul of the Universe, and may that god who partakes at sacrifices, be satiated with this.”

Then the long-armed Krishna, that soother of miseries, said unto Bhimasena,

“Speedily invite the Munis to dinner.”

Then, the celebrated Bhimasena quickly went to invite all those Munis, Durvasa and others, who had gone to the nearest stream of transparent and cool water to perform their ablutions. Meanwhile, these ascetics, having plunged into the river, were rubbing their bodies and observing that they all felt their stomachs to be full. Coming out of the stream, they began to stare at one another. Turning towards Durvasa, all those ascetics observed,

“Having bade the king make our meals ready, we have come here for a bath. But how can we eat anything now, for our stomachs seem to be full to the throat. The repast has been uselessly prepared for us. What is the best thing to be done now?”

Durvasa replied,

“By spoiling the repast, we have done a great wrong to that royal sage, king Yudhishthira. Would not the Pandavas destroy us by looking down upon us with angry eyes? I know the royal sage Yudhishthira to be possessed of great ascetic power. You Brahmanas, I am afraid of men that are devoted to Hari. The high-souled Pandavas are all religious men, learned, war-like, diligent in ascetic austerities and religious observances, devoted to Vasudeva, and always observant of rules of good conduct. If provoked, they can consume us with their wrath as fire does a bale of cotton. Therefore, you disciples, do you all run away quickly without seeing them again!"

All those Brahmanas, thus advised by their ascetic preceptor, became greatly afraid of the Pandavas and fled away in all directions. Then Bhimasena not seeing those excellent Munis in the celestial river, made a search after them here and there at all the landing places. Learning from the ascetics of those places that they had run away, he came back and informed Yudhishthira of what had happened. Then all the Pandavas of subdued senses, expecting them to come, remained awaiting their arrival for some time. Yudhishthira said,

“Coming dead of night the Rishis will deceive us. How can we escape from this difficulty created by the facts?”

Seeing them absorbed in such reflections and breathing long deep sighs at frequent intervals, the illustrious Krishna suddenly appeared to them and addressed them these words:

“Knowing, you sons of Pritha! your danger from that wrathful Rishi, I was implored by Draupadi to come, and therefore have I come here speedily. But now you have not the least fear from the Rishi Durvasa. Afraid of your ascetic powers, he has made himself scarce ere this. Virtuous men never suffer. I now ask your permission to let me return home. May you always be prosperous!”

Hearing Krishna's words, the sons of Pritha, with Draupadi, became easy in mind. Cured of their fever of anxiety, they said unto him,

“As persons drowning in the wide ocean safely reach the shore by means of a boat, so have we, by your aid, O lord Govinda, escaped from this inextricable difficulty. Do you now depart in peace, and may prosperity be yours.”

Thus dismissed, he repaired to his capital and the Pandavas too, wandering from forest to forest passed their days merrily with Draupadi. It was thus that the machinations of the wicked sons of Dhritarashtra about the Pandavas in the forest, were frustrated.