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14.THE ESCAPE OF THE PANDAVAS
Meanwhile,
Vidura had sent an expert miner who met
them in secret and said: "My password is
the veiled warning Vidura gave you. I
have been sent to help you for your
protection."
This was meant to indicate to
Yudhishthira and to him alone,
Duryodhana's hideous plot and the means
of escape from danger. Yudhishthira
answered that he had grasped Vidura's
meaning, and later he communicated it to
Kuntidevi.
Henceforward the miner worked for many
days in secret, unknown to Purochana,
and completed a subterranean egress from
the wax house right under and across the
walls and the moat, which ran round the
precincts.
Purochana had his quarters at the gateway
of the palace. The Pandavas kept armed
vigil during night, but by day they used to
go out hunting in the forest, to all
appearance bent on pleasure but really to
make themselves familiar with the forest
paths.
As has already been said, they carefully
kept to themselves their knowledge of the
wicked plot against their lives. On his side
Purochana, anxious to lull all suspicion
and make the murderous fire seem an
accident, waited fully a year before
putting the plot into effect.
At last Purochana felt he had waited long
enough. And the watchful Yudhishthira,
knowing that the fated moment had
arrived, called his brothers together and
told them that now or never was the time
for them to escape.
Kuntidevi arranged a sumptuous feast for
the attendants that day. Her idea was to
lull them to well-fed sleep at night.
At midnight, Bhima set fire to the palace
in several places. Kuntidevi and the
Pandava brothers hurried out through the
subterranean passage, groping their way
out in the darkness. Presently, there was a
roaring fire all over the palace and a fast
swelling crowd of frightened citizens all
around in loud and helpless lamentation.
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