104. THE PASSING AWAY OF THE THREE :

WHEN Yudhishthira at last gave his
consent for Dhritarashtra's retirement to
the forest, Dhritarashtra and Gandhari
went back to their residence and broke
their fast.



Kunti sat with Gandhari and they ate
together. Dhritarashtra asked Yudhishthira
to sit by him and gave him his last
blessings.



Then the old man stepped out and, with
his hand resting on Gandhari's shoulder,
slowly walked out of the city on his
journey to the forest.



Gandhari, who, because her lord and
husband was blind, gave up the use of her
eyes and wrapped her face with a cloth all
her life, placed her hand on Kunti's
shoulder and slowly walked along, thus
guided.



Kunti had decided in her mind to go with
Gandhari to the forest. As she walked on,
she was speaking to Yudhishthira: "Son,
do not ever let your speech be angry when
you speak to Sahadeva. Remember with
love Karna who died a hero's death on the
battlefield. He was my son, but I
committed the crime of not disclosing it to
you. Look after Draupadi with unfailing
tenderness. Do not ever give cause for
grief to Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and
Sahadeva. Keep this ever in mind, son.
The burden of the family is now wholly
on you."



Dharmaputra had till then believed that
Kunti was accompanying Gandhari only
for a distance to say goodbye. When he
heard her speak thus, he was taken aback
and was speechless for a few minutes.



When he recovered from the shock he
said: "Mother, not thus! You blessed us
and sent us to battle. It is not right you
should now desert us and go to the forest."
Yudhishthira's entreaties were however of
no avail. Kunti held to her purpose.



"I must join my lord and husband
wherever he be now. I shall be with
Gandhari and go through the discipline of
forest life and soon join your father. Go
back unagitated. Return to the city. May
your mind ever stand steady on dharma."
Thus did Kunti bless her illustrious son
and depart.



Yudhishthira stood speechless. Kunti went
on her way, looking back occasionally at
him and her other sons.



Each with hand on the shoulder of the
other, this picture of the three elders of the
tribe wending their way to the forest,
leaving their sons behind, is painted by
the poet so vividly that it fills the reader
with solemn grief, as if the parting
happened in his own family now.



Dhritarashtra, Gandhari and Kunti spent
three years in the forest. Sanjaya was with
them. When one day, Dhritarashtra
finished his ablutions and returned to their
hermitage, the forest had caught fire.



The wind blew and the flames spread
everywhere. The deer and the wild boars
ran in herds hither and thither, and rushed
madly to the pools.



Dhritarashtra told Sanjaya: "This fire will
envelop us all. You had better save
yourself."



Saying this, the blind old king, Gandhari
with her eves blindfolded and Kunti sat
down on the ground, the three of them,
facing eastwards in yoga posture and
calmly gave themselves up to the flames.
Sanjaya, who had been to the blind king,
throughout all his days, his only light and
was dear to him like life itself, spent the
rest of his days in the Himalayas as a
sanyasin.



Next :105. KRISHNA PASSES AWAY



Continues...