वैशंपायन उवाच
तथानुमन्त्रितास् तेन धर्मराजेन ताः प्रजाः ॥
चक्रुर् आर्तस्वरं घोरं हा राजन्न् इति दुःखिताः ॥
गुणान् पार्थस्य संस्मृत्य दुःखार्ताः परमातुराः ॥
अकामाः संन्यवर्तन्त समागम्याथ पाण्डवान् ॥
निवृत्तेषु तु पौरेषु रथान् आस्थाय पाण्डवाः ॥
प्रजग्मुर् जाह्नवीतीरे प्रमाणाख्यं महावटम् ॥
तं ते दिवसशेषेण वटं गत्वा तु पाण्डवाः ॥
ऊषुस् तां रजनीं वीराः संस्पृश्य सलिलं शुचि ॥
उदकेनैव तां रात्रिम् ऊषुस् ते दुःखकर्शिताः ॥
अनुजग्मुश् च तत्रैतान् स्नेहात् के चिद् द्विजातयः ॥
साग्नयो ऽनग्नयश् चैव सशिष्यगणबान्धवाः ॥
स तैः परिवृतो राजा शुशुभे ब्रह्मवादिभिः ॥
तेषां प्रादुष्कृताग्नीनां मुहूर्ते रम्यदारुणे ॥
ब्रह्मघोषपुरस्कारः संजल्पः समजायत ॥
राजानं तु कुरुश्रेष्ठं ते हंसमधुरस्वराः ॥
आश्वासयन्तो विप्राग्र्याः क्षपां सर्वां व्यनोदयन् ॥
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca
tathānumantritās tena dharmarājena tāḥ prajāḥ ||
cakrur ārtasvaraṃ ghoraṃ hā rājann iti duḥkhitāḥ ||
guṇān pārthasya saṃsmṛtya duḥkhārtāḥ paramāturāḥ ||
akāmāḥ saṃnyavartanta samāgamyātha pāṇḍavān ||
nivṛtteṣu tu paureṣu rathān āsthāya pāṇḍavāḥ ||
prajagmur jāhnavītīre pramāṇākhyaṃ mahāvaṭam ||
taṃ te divasaśeṣeṇa vaṭaṃ gatvā tu pāṇḍavāḥ ||
ūṣus tāṃ rajanīṃ vīrāḥ saṃspṛśya salilaṃ śuci ||
udakenaiva tāṃ rātrim ūṣus te duḥkhakarśitāḥ ||
anujagmuś ca tatraitān snehāt ke cid dvijātayaḥ ||
sāgnayo 'nagnayaś caiva saśiṣyagaṇabāndhavāḥ ||
sa taiḥ parivṛto rājā śuśubhe brahmavādibhiḥ ||
teṣāṃ prāduṣkṛtāgnīnāṃ muhūrte ramyadāruṇe ||
brahmaghoṣapuraskāraḥ saṃjalpaḥ samajāyata ||
rājānaṃ tu kuruśreṣṭhaṃ te haṃsamadhurasvarāḥ ||
āśvāsayanto viprāgryāḥ kṣapāṃ sarvāṃ vyanodayan ||
Vaishampayana said: "Thus counseled by the King of Dharma, the citizens, grieving, raised a terrible cry: 'Alas, O king!' Remembering the virtues of Partha and tormented by grief, they turned back unwillingly after meeting the Pandavas. When the citizens had departed, the Pandavas mounted their chariots and went to the bank of the Ganga, to the great banyan tree called Pramana. Arriving there with what remained of the day, the heroes spent that night having touched the pure water; worn down by grief, they passed that night on water alone. Some twice-born followed them there out of love — some with sacred fires, some without, together with their disciples, groups, and kinsfolk. Surrounded by these knowers of Brahman, the king shone forth. When their fires had been kindled, in an hour both lovely and stern, conversation arose, preceded by the sacred sound. The finest brahmins, their voices sweet as swans, consoled the foremost of the Kurus and passed the whole night in this way."
c3170e0891b7 · published Jul 16, 2026, 4:33:27 PM UTC
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The first night of exile passes by water and fire: water purifies, fire keeps the vow, and the speech of the wise holds the heart together against despair. Thus the forest at once becomes not a wasteland but an ashram gathered around a king who has not yet lost his inner center.