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14.THE ESCAPE OF THE PANDAVAS
supporting Yudhishthira and Arjuna with
his two hands.
Thus heavily laden, he strode effortlessly
like a lordly elephant forcing his way
through the forest and pushing aside the
shrubs and trees that obstructed his path.
When they reached the Ganges, there was
a boat ready for them in charge of a
boatman who knew their secret. They
crossed the river in the darkness, and
entering a mighty forest they went on at
night in darkness that wrapped them like a
shroud and in a silence broken hideously
by the frightful noises of wild animals.
At last, quite fordone by toil, they sat
down unable to bear the pangs of thirst
and overcome by the drowsiness of sheer
fatigue. Kuntidevi said: "I do not care
even if the sons of Dhritarashtra are here
to seize me, but I must stretch my legs."
She forthwith laid herself down and was
sunk in sleep.
Bhima forced his way about the tangled
forest in search of water in the darkness.
And finding a pool, he wetted his upper
garment, made cups of lotus leaves and
brought water to his mother and brothers
who were perishing with thirst.
Then, while the others slept in merciful
forgetfulness of their woes, Bhima alone
sat awake absorbed in deep thought. "Do
not the plants and the creepers of the
forest mutually help each other and live in
peace?" he reflected; "why should the
wicked Dhritarashtra and Duryodhana try
to injure us in these ways?" Sinless
himself, Bhima could not understand the
springs of sinfulness in others and was
lost in grief.
The Pandavas marched on, suffering
many hardships and overcoming many
dangers. Part of the way, they would carry
their mother to make better speed.
Sometimes, tired beyond even heroic
endurance, they would pause and rest.
Sometimes, full of life and the glorious
strength of youth, they would race with
each other.
They met Bhagavan Vyasa on the way.
All of them bowed before him and
received encouragement and wise counsel
from him.
When Kunti told him of the sorrows that
had befallen them, Vyasa consoled her
with these words: "No virtuous man is
strong enough to live in virtue at all times,
nor is any sinner bad enough to exist in
one welter of sin. Life is a tangled web
and there is no one in the world who has
not done both good and evil. Each and
everyone has to bear the consequence of
his actions. Do not give way to sorrow."
Then they put on the garb of brahmanas,
as advised by Vyasa, went to the city of
Ekachakra and stayed there in a
brahmana's house, waiting for better days.
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