15. THE ESCAPE OF THE PANDAVAS :

AFTER taking reverential leave of the
elders and embracing their comrades, the
Pandavas proceeded to Varanavata. The
citizens accompanied them a part of their
way and returned unwillingly to the city.


Vidura pointedly warned Yudhishthira in
words intelligible only to the prince:
"He alone will escape from danger who
forestalls the intentions of an astute
enemy. There are weapons sharper than
those made of steel. And the wise man
who would escape destruction must know
the means to guard against them. The
conflagration that devastates a forest
cannot hurt a rat which shelters itself in a
hole or a porcupine which burrows in the
earth. The wise man knows his bearings
by looking at the stars."


Though they had started on their journey
in sunshine of joy, they now proceeded in
a dark cloud of sorrow and anxiety.
The people of Varanavata were very
happy to learn of the coming of the
Pandavas to their city and welcomed
them. After a brief stay in other houses
while the palace specially meant for them
was being got ready, they moved into it
under Purochana's guidance.


It was named "Sivam" which means
prosperity, and that was the name which,
in ghastly irony, was given to the
deathtrap. Yudhishthira diligently
examined the whole place bearing in mind
Vidura's warning and verified that the
building was without a shadow of doubt
constructed with combustible material.
Yudhishthira told Bhima: "Though we
know very well that the palace is a trap of
death, we should not make Purochana
suspect that we know his plot. We should
get away at the right moment but escape
would be difficult if we gave room for any
suspicion."


So they stayed in that house to all
appearance free from care. 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.
Some bustled aimlessly in futile efforts to
put out the conflagration and all joined in
the cry: "Alas! Alas! This surely is
Duryodhana's work, and he is killing the
sinless Pandavas!"


The palace was reduced to ashes.
Purochana's residence was enveloped in
flames before he could escape and he fell
an unpitied victim to his own wicked plot.
The people of Varanavata, sent the
following message to Hastinapura: "The
palace which was the abode of the
Pandavas has burnt down and no one in it
escaped alive."


Vyasa has beautifully described the then
mental state of Dhritarashtra: "Just as the
water of a deep pool is cool at the bottom
and warm on the surface, so the heart of
Dhritarashtra was at once warm with joy
and chilled with sorrow."


Dhritarashtra and his sons cast off their
royal garments in token of mourning for
the Pandavas whom they believed
consumed in the fire. They dressed
themselves in single garments as became
sorrowful kinsmen and went to the river
and performed the propitiatory funeral
rites.


No outward show of heart broken
bereavement was omitted. It was noticed
by some that Vidura was not so overcome
by sorrow as the others and this was set
down to his philosophical bent of mind.
But the real reason was that he knew that
the Pandavas had escaped to safety.
When he looked sad, he was in fact
following with his mind's eye the weary
wanderings of the Pandavas. Seeing that
Bhishma was sunk in sorrow, Vidura
secretly comforted him by revealing to
him the story of their successful escape.
Bhima saw that his mother and brothers
were exhausted by their nightly vigils as
well as by fear and anxiety. He therefore
carried his mother on his shoulders and
took Nakula and Sahadeva on his hips,
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 bearthe 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.