“Vaishampaayana said, ‘About this time, the learned
Vidura had sent into those forest a man of pure character and much trusted by
him. This person going to where he had been directed, saw the Pandavas with
their mother in the forest employed in a certain place in measuring the depth
of a river. The design that the wicked Duryodhana had formed had been, through
his spies, known to Vidura of great intelligence, and therefore, he had sent
that wise person to the Pandavas. Sent by Vidura to them, he showed the Pandavas
on the sacred banks of the Ganga a boat with engines and flags, constructed by
trusted architects, capable of withstanding wind and wave and endued with the
speed of the storm or of thought.
“He then addressed the Pandavas in these words to show
that he had really been sent by Vidura, ‘O Yudhishthira, listen to these words
the learned Vidura had said (to you) as a proof of the fact that I come from
him. “Neither the consumer of straw and the wood nor the drier of dew ever
burns the inmates of a hole in the forest. He escapes from death who protects
himself knowing this, etc.” By these credentials know me to be the person
who has been truly sent by Vidura and to be also his trusted agent. Vidura, familiar
with everything, has again said, “O son of Kunti (Yudhishthira), you shall surely defeat in battle Karna,
and Duryodhana with his brothers, and Shakuni.” This boat is ready on the waters, and it will sail pleasantly thereon
and shall certainly carry you all from these regions!’
“Then seeing those foremost of men with their mother thoughtful
and sad he caused them to go into the boat that was on the Ganga, and
accompanied them himself. Addressing them again, he said, ‘Vidura having smelt
your heads and embraced you (mentally), has said again that in commencing your
auspicious journey and going alone you should never be careless.’
“Saying these words to those heroic princes (Pandavas), the person sent
by Vidura took those bulls among men (Pandavas) over to the other side of the Ganga in his boat. Having taken them over
the water and seen them all safe on the opposite bank, he uttered the word
‘Jaya’ (victory) to their success
and then left them and returned to the place from where he had come.
“The
respected Pandavas also sending through that person some message to Vidura,
began, after having crossed the Ganga, to proceed with speed and in great
secrecy.’”
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