sidhellman/clean_data.txt · Datasets at Hugging Face

text stringlengths 0 182
slackened. This my body, endued with penances, I have been able to sustain only in consequence of my meeting with thee.[59]
These two mothers of thine, subsisting now upon fallen leaves of trees, and observing vows similar to mine, will not live long.
Duryodhana and others, who have become denizens of the other world, have been seen by us, through the puissance of Vyasa's
penances and through (the merit of) this my meeting with thee. O sinless one, the purpose of my life has been attained. I now
wish to set myself to the practice of the austerest of penances. It behoveth thee to grant me permission. On thee now the
obsequial cake, the fame and achievements, and the race of our ancestors, rest. O mighty-armed one, do thou then depart either
tomorrow or this very day. Do not tarry, O son. O chief of Bharata's race, thou hast repeatedly heard what the duties are of
kings. I do not see what more I can say unto thee. I have no longer any need with thee, O thou of great puissance.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Unto the (old) monarch who said so, king Yudhishthira replied,--'O thou that art conversant with
every rule of righteousness, it behoveth thee, not to cast me off in this way. I am guilty of no fault. Let all my brothers and
followers depart as they like. With steadfast vows I shall wait upon thee and upon these two mothers of mine.' Unto him
Gandhari then said,--'O son, let it not be so. Listen, the race of Kuru is now dependant on thee. The obsequial cake also of my
father-in-law depends on thee. Depart then, O son. We have been sufficiently honoured and served by thee. Thou shouldst do
what the king says. Indeed, O son, thou shouldst obey the behests of thy sire.'

"Vaisampayana continued,--'Thus addressed by Gandhari, King Yudhishthira, rubbing his eyes which were bathed in tears of
affection, said these words of lament. 'The king casts me off, as also Gandhari of great fame. My heart, however, is bound to
thee. How shall I, filled as I am with grief, leave thee? I do not, however, at the same time, venture to obstruct thy penances, O
righteous lady. There is nothing higher than penances. It is by penances that one attains to the Supreme. O queen, my heart no
longer turns as of old towards kingdom. My mind is wholly set upon penances now. The whole Earth is empty now. O
auspicious lady, she does not please me any longer. Our kinsmen have been reduced in number. Our strength is no longer what
it was before. The Panchalas have been wholly exterminated. They exist in name only. O auspicious lady, I do not behold any
one that may assist as their re-establishment and growth. All of them have been consumed to ashes by Drona on the field of
battle. Those that remained were slain by Drona's son at night. The Chedis and the Matsyas, who were our friends, no longer
exist. Only the tribes of the Vrishnis are all that remain, Vasudeva having upheld them. Beholding only the Vrishnis I wish to
live. My desire of life, however, is due to my wish of acquiring merit and not wealth or enjoyment. Do thou cast auspicious
looks upon us all. To obtain thy sight will be difficult for us. The king will commence to practise the most austere and
unbearable of penances.' Hearing these words, that lord of battle, the mighty-armed Sahadeva, with eyes bathed in tears,
addressed Yudhishthira, saying,--'O chief of Bharata's race, I dare not leave my mother. Do thou return to the capital soon. I
shall practise penances, O puissant one. Even here I shall emaciate my body by penances, engaged in serving the feet of the
king and of these my mothers.' Unto that mighty-armed hero, Kunti, after an embrace, said--'Depart, O son. Do not say so. Do
my bidding. Do all of you go hence. Let peace be yours. Ye sons, let happiness be yours. By your stay here, our penances will
be obstructed. Bound by the ties of my affection for thee, I shall fall off from my high penances. Therefore, O son, leave us.
Short is the period that we have of life, O thou of great puissance.' By these and diverse other speeches of Kunti, the minds of
Sahadeva and king Yudhishthira were composed. Those foremost ones of Kuru's race, having received the permission of their
mother as also of the (old) monarch, saluted the latter and began to take his leave.'

"Yudhishthira said, 'Gladdened by auspicious blessings, we shall return to the capital. Indeed, O king, having received thy
permission, we shall leave this retreat, freed from every sin.' Thus addressed by the high-souled king Yudhishthira the just, that
royal sage, viz., Dhritarashtra, blessed Yudhishthira and gave him permission. The king comforted Bhima, that foremost of all
persons endued with great strength. Endued with great energy and great intelligence, Bhima showed his submissiveness to the
king. Embracing Arjuna and clasping those foremost of men, viz., the twins also, and blessing them repeatedly, the Kuru king
gave them permission to depart. They worshipped the feet of Gandhari and received her blessings also. Their mother Kunti
then smelt their heads, and dismissed them. They then circumambulated the king like calves, when prevented from sucking
their dams. Indeed, they repeatedly walked round him, looking steadfastly at him.[60] Then all the ladies of the Kaurava
household, headed by Draupadi, worshipped their father-in-law according to the rites laid down in the scriptures, and took his
leave. Gandhari and Kunti embraced each of them, and blessing them bade them go. Their mothers-in-law instructed them as to
how they should conduct themselves. Obtaining leave, they then departed, with their husbands. Then loud sounds were heard,
uttered by the charioteers that said,--'Yoke, yoke,'--as also of camels that grunted aloud and of steeds that neighed briskly. King
Yudhishthira, with his wives and troops and all his kinsmen, set out for Hastinapura."'

SECTION XXXVII

(Naradagamana Parva)

"Vaisampayana said, 'After two years had elapsed from the date of the return of the Pandavas (from the retreat of their sire), the
celestial Rishi, Narada, O king, came to Yudhishthira. The mighty-armed Kuru king, that foremost of speakers, viz.,
Yudhishthira, having duly worshipped him, caused him to take a seat. After the Rishi had rested awhile, the king asked him,
saying,--'It is after a long time that I behold thy holy self arrived at my court. Art thou in peace and happiness, O learned
Brahmana? What are those countries which thou hast passed through? What shall I do to thee? Do thou tell me. Thou art the
foremost of regenerate ones, and thou art our highest refuge.'

"Narada said, 'I have not seen thee for a long while. Hence it is that I have come to thee from my ascetic retreat. I have seen
many sacred waters, and the sacred stream Ganga also, O king.'

"Yudhishthira said, 'People dwelling on the banks of Ganga report that the high-souled Dhritarashtra is practising the austerest
of penances. Hast thou seen him there? Is that perpetuator of Kuru's race in peace? Are Gandhari and Pritha, and the Suta's son
Sanjaya also, in peace? How, indeed, is it faring with that royal sire of mine? I desire to hear this, O holy one, if thou hast seen
the king (and knowest of his condition).'

"Narada said, 'Listen, O king, with calmness to me as I tell thee what I have heard and seen in that ascetic retreat. After thy
return from Kurukshetra, O delighter of the Kurus, thy sire, O king, proceeded towards Gangadwara. That intelligent monarch
took with him his (sacred) fire, Gandhari and his daughter-in-law Kunti, as also Sanjaya of the Suta caste, and all the Yajakas.
Possessed of wealth of penances, thy sire set himself to the practice of severe austerities. He held pebbles of stone in his mouth
and had air alone for his subsistence, and abstained altogether from speech. Engaged in severe penances, he was worshipped by
all the ascetics in the woods. In six months the king was reduced only to a skeleton. Gandhari subsisted on water alone, while
Kunti took a little every sixth day. The sacred fire, O monarch, (belonging to the Kuru king) was duly worshipped by the
sacrificing assistants that were with him, with libations of clarified butter poured on it. They did this whether the king saw the
rite or not. The king had no fixed habitation. He became a wanderer through those woods. The two queens, as also Sanjaya,
followed him. Sanjaya acted as the guide on even and uneven land. The faultless Pritha, O king, became the eye of Gandhari.
One day, that best of kings proceeded to a spot on the margin of Ganga. He then bathed in the sacred stream and finishing his
ablutions turned his face towards his retreat. The wind rose high. A fierce forest-conflagration set in. It began to burn that
forest all around. When the herds of animals were being burnt all around, as also the snakes that inhabited that region, herds of
wild boars began to take themselves to the nearest marshes and waters. When that forest was thus afflicted on all sides and
such distress came upon all the living creatures residing there, the king, who had taken no food, was incapable of moving or
exerting himself at all. Thy two mothers also, exceedingly emaciated, were unable to move. The king, seeing the conflagration
approach him from all sides, addressed the Suta Sanjaya, that foremost of skilful charioteers, saying,--'Go, O Sanjaya, to such a
place where the fire may not burn thee. As regards ourselves, we shall suffer our bodies to be destroyed by this fire and attain
to the highest goal.' Unto him, Sanjaya, that foremost of speakers, said,--'O king, this death, brought on by a fire that is not
sacred, will prove calamitous to thee. I do not, however, see any means by which thou canst escape from this conflagration.
That which should next be done should be indicated by thee.' Thus addressed by Sanjaya the king once more said,--'This death
cannot be calamitous to us, for we have left our home of our own accord. Water, fire, wind, and abstention from food,[61] (as
means of death), are laudable for ascetics. Do thou, therefore, leave us, O Sanjaya, without any delay. Having said these words
to Sanjaya, the king concentrated his mind. Facing the east, he sat down, with Gandhari and Kunti. Beholding him in that
attitude, Sanjaya walked round him. Endued with intelligence, Sanjaya said,--'Do thou concentrate thy soul, O puissant one.'
The son of a Rishi, and himself possessed of great wisdom, the king acted as he was told. Restraining all the senses, he
remained like a post of wood. The highly blessed Gandhari, and thy mother Pritha too, remained in the same attitude. Then thy
royal sire was overtaken by the forest-conflagration. Sanjaya, his minister, succeeded in escaping from that conflagration. I saw
him on the banks of Ganga in the midst of ascetics. Endued with great energy and great intelligence, he bade them farewell and

slackened. This my body, endued with penances, I have been able to sustain only in consequence of my meeting with thee.[59]

These two mothers of thine, subsisting now upon fallen leaves of trees, and observing vows similar to mine, will not live long.

Duryodhana and others, who have become denizens of the other world, have been seen by us, through the puissance of Vyasa's

penances and through (the merit of) this my meeting with thee. O sinless one, the purpose of my life has been attained. I now

wish to set myself to the practice of the austerest of penances. It behoveth thee to grant me permission. On thee now the

obsequial cake, the fame and achievements, and the race of our ancestors, rest. O mighty-armed one, do thou then depart either

tomorrow or this very day. Do not tarry, O son. O chief of Bharata's race, thou hast repeatedly heard what the duties are of

kings. I do not see what more I can say unto thee. I have no longer any need with thee, O thou of great puissance.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Unto the (old) monarch who said so, king Yudhishthira replied,--'O thou that art conversant with

every rule of righteousness, it behoveth thee, not to cast me off in this way. I am guilty of no fault. Let all my brothers and

followers depart as they like. With steadfast vows I shall wait upon thee and upon these two mothers of mine.' Unto him

Gandhari then said,--'O son, let it not be so. Listen, the race of Kuru is now dependant on thee. The obsequial cake also of my

father-in-law depends on thee. Depart then, O son. We have been sufficiently honoured and served by thee. Thou shouldst do

what the king says. Indeed, O son, thou shouldst obey the behests of thy sire.'

"Vaisampayana continued,--'Thus addressed by Gandhari, King Yudhishthira, rubbing his eyes which were bathed in tears of

affection, said these words of lament. 'The king casts me off, as also Gandhari of great fame. My heart, however, is bound to

thee. How shall I, filled as I am with grief, leave thee? I do not, however, at the same time, venture to obstruct thy penances, O

righteous lady. There is nothing higher than penances. It is by penances that one attains to the Supreme. O queen, my heart no

longer turns as of old towards kingdom. My mind is wholly set upon penances now. The whole Earth is empty now. O

auspicious lady, she does not please me any longer. Our kinsmen have been reduced in number. Our strength is no longer what

it was before. The Panchalas have been wholly exterminated. They exist in name only. O auspicious lady, I do not behold any

one that may assist as their re-establishment and growth. All of them have been consumed to ashes by Drona on the field of

battle. Those that remained were slain by Drona's son at night. The Chedis and the Matsyas, who were our friends, no longer

exist. Only the tribes of the Vrishnis are all that remain, Vasudeva having upheld them. Beholding only the Vrishnis I wish to

live. My desire of life, however, is due to my wish of acquiring merit and not wealth or enjoyment. Do thou cast auspicious

looks upon us all. To obtain thy sight will be difficult for us. The king will commence to practise the most austere and

unbearable of penances.' Hearing these words, that lord of battle, the mighty-armed Sahadeva, with eyes bathed in tears,

addressed Yudhishthira, saying,--'O chief of Bharata's race, I dare not leave my mother. Do thou return to the capital soon. I

shall practise penances, O puissant one. Even here I shall emaciate my body by penances, engaged in serving the feet of the

king and of these my mothers.' Unto that mighty-armed hero, Kunti, after an embrace, said--'Depart, O son. Do not say so. Do

my bidding. Do all of you go hence. Let peace be yours. Ye sons, let happiness be yours. By your stay here, our penances will

be obstructed. Bound by the ties of my affection for thee, I shall fall off from my high penances. Therefore, O son, leave us.

Short is the period that we have of life, O thou of great puissance.' By these and diverse other speeches of Kunti, the minds of

Sahadeva and king Yudhishthira were composed. Those foremost ones of Kuru's race, having received the permission of their

mother as also of the (old) monarch, saluted the latter and began to take his leave.'

"Yudhishthira said, 'Gladdened by auspicious blessings, we shall return to the capital. Indeed, O king, having received thy

permission, we shall leave this retreat, freed from every sin.' Thus addressed by the high-souled king Yudhishthira the just, that

royal sage, viz., Dhritarashtra, blessed Yudhishthira and gave him permission. The king comforted Bhima, that foremost of all

persons endued with great strength. Endued with great energy and great intelligence, Bhima showed his submissiveness to the

king. Embracing Arjuna and clasping those foremost of men, viz., the twins also, and blessing them repeatedly, the Kuru king

gave them permission to depart. They worshipped the feet of Gandhari and received her blessings also. Their mother Kunti

then smelt their heads, and dismissed them. They then circumambulated the king like calves, when prevented from sucking

their dams. Indeed, they repeatedly walked round him, looking steadfastly at him.[60] Then all the ladies of the Kaurava

household, headed by Draupadi, worshipped their father-in-law according to the rites laid down in the scriptures, and took his

leave. Gandhari and Kunti embraced each of them, and blessing them bade them go. Their mothers-in-law instructed them as to

how they should conduct themselves. Obtaining leave, they then departed, with their husbands. Then loud sounds were heard,

uttered by the charioteers that said,--'Yoke, yoke,'--as also of camels that grunted aloud and of steeds that neighed briskly. King

Yudhishthira, with his wives and troops and all his kinsmen, set out for Hastinapura."'

SECTION XXXVII

(Naradagamana Parva)

"Vaisampayana said, 'After two years had elapsed from the date of the return of the Pandavas (from the retreat of their sire), the

celestial Rishi, Narada, O king, came to Yudhishthira. The mighty-armed Kuru king, that foremost of speakers, viz.,

Yudhishthira, having duly worshipped him, caused him to take a seat. After the Rishi had rested awhile, the king asked him,

saying,--'It is after a long time that I behold thy holy self arrived at my court. Art thou in peace and happiness, O learned

Brahmana? What are those countries which thou hast passed through? What shall I do to thee? Do thou tell me. Thou art the

foremost of regenerate ones, and thou art our highest refuge.'

"Narada said, 'I have not seen thee for a long while. Hence it is that I have come to thee from my ascetic retreat. I have seen

many sacred waters, and the sacred stream Ganga also, O king.'

"Yudhishthira said, 'People dwelling on the banks of Ganga report that the high-souled Dhritarashtra is practising the austerest

of penances. Hast thou seen him there? Is that perpetuator of Kuru's race in peace? Are Gandhari and Pritha, and the Suta's son

Sanjaya also, in peace? How, indeed, is it faring with that royal sire of mine? I desire to hear this, O holy one, if thou hast seen

the king (and knowest of his condition).'

"Narada said, 'Listen, O king, with calmness to me as I tell thee what I have heard and seen in that ascetic retreat. After thy

return from Kurukshetra, O delighter of the Kurus, thy sire, O king, proceeded towards Gangadwara. That intelligent monarch

took with him his (sacred) fire, Gandhari and his daughter-in-law Kunti, as also Sanjaya of the Suta caste, and all the Yajakas.

Possessed of wealth of penances, thy sire set himself to the practice of severe austerities. He held pebbles of stone in his mouth

and had air alone for his subsistence, and abstained altogether from speech. Engaged in severe penances, he was worshipped by

all the ascetics in the woods. In six months the king was reduced only to a skeleton. Gandhari subsisted on water alone, while

Kunti took a little every sixth day. The sacred fire, O monarch, (belonging to the Kuru king) was duly worshipped by the

sacrificing assistants that were with him, with libations of clarified butter poured on it. They did this whether the king saw the

rite or not. The king had no fixed habitation. He became a wanderer through those woods. The two queens, as also Sanjaya,

followed him. Sanjaya acted as the guide on even and uneven land. The faultless Pritha, O king, became the eye of Gandhari.

One day, that best of kings proceeded to a spot on the margin of Ganga. He then bathed in the sacred stream and finishing his

ablutions turned his face towards his retreat. The wind rose high. A fierce forest-conflagration set in. It began to burn that

forest all around. When the herds of animals were being burnt all around, as also the snakes that inhabited that region, herds of

wild boars began to take themselves to the nearest marshes and waters. When that forest was thus afflicted on all sides and

such distress came upon all the living creatures residing there, the king, who had taken no food, was incapable of moving or

exerting himself at all. Thy two mothers also, exceedingly emaciated, were unable to move. The king, seeing the conflagration

approach him from all sides, addressed the Suta Sanjaya, that foremost of skilful charioteers, saying,--'Go, O Sanjaya, to such a

place where the fire may not burn thee. As regards ourselves, we shall suffer our bodies to be destroyed by this fire and attain

to the highest goal.' Unto him, Sanjaya, that foremost of speakers, said,--'O king, this death, brought on by a fire that is not

sacred, will prove calamitous to thee. I do not, however, see any means by which thou canst escape from this conflagration.

That which should next be done should be indicated by thee.' Thus addressed by Sanjaya the king once more said,--'This death

cannot be calamitous to us, for we have left our home of our own accord. Water, fire, wind, and abstention from food,[61] (as

means of death), are laudable for ascetics. Do thou, therefore, leave us, O Sanjaya, without any delay. Having said these words

to Sanjaya, the king concentrated his mind. Facing the east, he sat down, with Gandhari and Kunti. Beholding him in that

attitude, Sanjaya walked round him. Endued with intelligence, Sanjaya said,--'Do thou concentrate thy soul, O puissant one.'

The son of a Rishi, and himself possessed of great wisdom, the king acted as he was told. Restraining all the senses, he

remained like a post of wood. The highly blessed Gandhari, and thy mother Pritha too, remained in the same attitude. Then thy

royal sire was overtaken by the forest-conflagration. Sanjaya, his minister, succeeded in escaping from that conflagration. I saw

him on the banks of Ganga in the midst of ascetics. Endued with great energy and great intelligence, he bade them farewell and