“Vaishampaayana said, ‘After the death of that deer,
king Pandu with his wives was deeply pained and wept bitterly. He exclaimed, ‘The
wicked, even if born in Dharmic families, misled by their own passions, become burried
with misery as the fruit of their own actions. I have heard that my father (Vichitravirya), though fathered
by Dharmaatma Shantanu, was cut off while still a youth, only because he had
become a slave to his kaamaa. In the soil of that lustful king (Vichitravirya)
(soil of Vichitravirya means here the wife of Vichitravirya), the illustrious Rishi Krishna-Dwaipayana (Vyasa) himself, of truthful speech, fathered me.
A son though I am of such a being, with my wicked heart wedded to evil, I am
yet leading a wandering life in the forest in the chase of the deer. Oh, the
very Devas have abandoned me! I shall seek moksha now. The great hindrances to moksha
are the desire to father children, and other concerns of the world. I shall now
adopt the Brahmacharya mode of life and follow in the imperishable wake of my
father. I shall certainly bring my passions under complete control by severe ascetic
penances. Forsaking my wives and other relatives and shaving my head, alone I shall
wander over the earth, begging (Bhiksha in Sanskrit) for my living from each of these trees standing here. Leaving every
object of affection and dislike, and covering my body with dust, I shall make
the shelter of trees or deserted houses my home. I shall never yield to
influence of sorrow or joy, and I shall regard fame and defame in the same
light. I shall not seek blessings or bows. I shall be at peace with all, and
shall not accept gifts. I shall not mock anybody, nor shall I knit my eyebrows
at any one, but shall be ever cheerful and devoted to the good of all
creatures. I shall not harm any of the four orders of life gifted with power of
motion or otherwise – creatures produced by means of egg, creatures which bring
forth live young from the body, worms and vegetables. But on the contrary,
preserve an equality of behaviour towards all, as if they were, my own
children. Once a day shall I beg of five or ten families at the most, and if I
do not succeed in obtaining alms (Bhiksha in Sanskrit), I shall then go without food. I shall rather limit myself than beg
more than once of the same person. If I do not obtain anything after completing
my round of seven or ten houses, moved by greed, I shall not enlarge my round.
Whether I obtain or fail to obtain alms (Bhiksha in Sanskrit). I shall be equally unmoved like a Maharishi.
One cutting off an arm of mine with an axe, and one smearing another arm with
sandal-paste, shall be regarded by me equally. I shall not wish prosperity to
the one or misery to the other. I shall not be pleased with life or displeased
with death. I shall neither desire to live nor to die. Washing my heart of all
sins, I shall certainly transcend those sacred rites productive of happiness,
that men perform in auspicious moments, days, and periods. I shall also abstain
from all acts of Dharma and Arthaa and also those that lead to the
gratification of the senses. Freed from all sins and traps of the world, I
shall be like the wind subject to none. Following the path of fearlessness and
bearing myself in this way I shall at last lay down my life. Without the power
of fathering children, firmly adhering to the line of duty I shall not
certainly deviate from that in order to walk in the evil path of the world that
is so full of misery. Whether respected or disrespected
in the world that man who from greed throws on others a begging look, certainly
behaves like a dog. (Destitute as I am of the power of procreation,
I should not certainly, from desire of offspring, request others to give me
children).’
“Vaishampaayana continued, ‘The king (Pandu), having thus wept in
sorrow, with a sigh looked at his two wives Kunti and Maadri, and addressing
them said, ‘Let the princess of Kosala (my mother Ambalika), Vidura, the king (Dhritarashtra –
when Pandu was on for hunting, Dhritarashtra was acting as the king) with our friends, the respectable
Satyavati, Bhishma, the priests of our family, illustrious Soma-drinking
Brahmanas of rigid vows (Vrata in Sanskrit) and all elderly citizens depending on us be informed, after being prepared
for it, that Pandu has retired into the forest to lead a life of Vanaprastha.'
“Hearing these words of their lord who had set his
heart on a life of Vanavaasa, both Kunti and Maadri addressed him in these
proper words, ‘O bull of Bharata's race (Pandu), there are many other modes of life which you
can adopt and in which you can undergo the severest penances along with us, your
wedded wives -- in which for the moksha of your body, you may obtain heaven. We
also, in the company of our lord, and for his benefit, controlling our passions
and bidding goodbye to all luxuries, shall subject ourselves to the severest Tapas.
O king, O you of great wisdom, if you abandon us, we shall then this very day
truly leave this world.’
“Pandu replied, ‘If, indeed, this your resolve springs
from Dharma, then with you both I shall follow the imperishable path of my
fathers. Abandoning the luxuries of cities and towns, dressed in barks of
trees, and living on fruits and roots, I shall wander in deep forest,
practising the severest penances. Bathing morning and evening, I shall perform
the homa. I shall reduce my body by eating very sparingly and shall wear rags
and skins and knotted locks on my head. Exposing myself to heat and cold and
disregarding hunger and thirst, I shall reduce my body by severe ascetic
penances, I shall live in isolation and I shall give myself up to meditation; I
shall eat fruit, ripe or green, that I may find. I shall offer oblations to the
Pitris (deceased forefathers) and Devas with speech, water and the fruits of the wilderness. I shall
not see, far less harm, any of the den residents of the forest, or any of my
relatives, or any of the residents of cities and towns. Until I lay down this
body, I shall thus practise the severe ordinances of the Vanaprastha Shaastraas,
always searching for severer ones that they may contain.’
“Vaishampaayana continued, ‘The Kuru king (Pandu), having said this to
his wives, gave away to Brahmanas the big jewel in his crown, his necklace of
precious gold, his bracelets, his large ear-rings, his valuable garments and
all the ornaments of his wives. Then summoning his attendants, he commended
them, saying, ‘You return to Hastinapura and proclaim to all that Pandu with
his wives has gone into the forest, foregoing wealth, desire, happiness, and
appetite of kaamaa.’
“Then those followers and attendants, hearing these
and other soft words of the king, set up a loud wail, uttering, ‘Oh, we are
incomplete!’ Then with hot tears trickling down their cheeks they left the
monarch (Pandu)
and returned to Hastinapura with speed carrying that wealth with them (that
was to be distributed in charity). Then
Dhritarashtra, that first of men, hearing from them everything that had
happened in the forest, wept for his brother (Pandu). He thought over his pain continually, little relishing the comfort of
beds and seats and dishes.
“Meanwhile,
the Kuru prince Pandu (after
sending away his attendants) accompanied
by his two wives and eating fruits and roots went to the mountains of Naagasabha.
He next went to Chaitraratha, and then crossed the Vaarishena, and finally
crossing the Himavat, he arrived at Gandhamadana. O king (Janamejaya), protected by Mahabhutas, Siddhas, and Maharishis,
Pandu lived sometimes on level ground and sometimes on mountain slopes. He then
journeyed on to the lake of Indradyumna, from where crossing the mountains of
Hamsakuta, he went to the mountain of hundred peaks (Shata-sringa) and there continued to practise severe Tapas.’”
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