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28.PASUPATA
Those miscreants have seized
our kingdom by fraud and are enjoying it,
while you lie torpid like a gorged python.
You say that we should abide by our
promise. How can the world-renowned
Arjuna live incognito? Can the Himalayas
be hidden under a handful of grass? How
can the lion-hearted Arjuna, Nakula and
Sahadeva live in hiding? Can the famous
Draupadi walk about unrecognized by
others? Even if we do these impossible
things, the son of Dhritarashtra will find
out through his spies. Hence, this promise
of ours is impossible of performance and
has been put on us merely to thrust us out
again for another thirteen years. The
sastras too support me when I say that a
filched promise is no promise. A handful
of grass thrown to a tired bull ought to be
enough as expiation for breaking such a
promise. You should resolve to kill our
enemies immediately. There is no higher
duty for a kshatriya."
Bhima was never tired of pressing his
view. Draupadi also would refer to the
dishonor she had suffered at the hands of
Duryodhana, Karna and Duhsasana and
would quote authorities from the
scriptures that would give Yudhishthira
anxiety to think.
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