361) As the tapas and strength of Nahusha got filled in Bhima, slowly Nahusha started losing his strength.
362) When Bhima had departed, Yudhishthira noticed several ill omens and a doubt developed in his mind. He asked Draupadi – “Where has Bhima gone?”
363) Getting to know that he had gone for hunting, Dharmaraja found the path made due to Bhima’s thighs forcefully bringing down big trees and went in the same direction. He noticed Bhima constricted by the python and asked.
364) Yudhishthira heard the reason from Nahusha in its entirety. Out of affection for his brother, he answered all the questions asked by him. Immediately, Nahusha rose to Swarga.
365) As their forefather Nahusha, putting on divine robes and ear-rings, left for Swarga in an aero-plane, Dharmaraja and Bhima returned to their ashrama. There, Dharmaraja narrated all the incidents.
366) Listening to the narration, all the brothers who had extreme devotion towards Bhima, along with the best of the Rishis and Draupadi, became embarrassed after knowing that Bhima was held by the python. Out of friendship towards him, they told him the same too.
Note: The incident caused somewhat of an embarrassment to Draupadi, the Pandavas and the Sages. They told Bhima that they felt so.
367) “Such a daring act is not appropriate. Even though you were capable, you did not attempt to free yourself and thereby caused lot of pain to your close ones”.
368) “Don’t not repeat this” – saying thus, all of them came near Bhima and hugged him. After some days, the Pandavas got together with some of the chief Rishis and left for Dvaita forest, that was near the Kuru country.
369) There, Bhagavan Sri Krishna, the one with unlimited strength, came to meet them along with Satyabhamaa. Worshipped well by the Pandavas, he engaged with them, doing banter on a lot of topics.
370) Satyabhamaa and Draupadi, the two best amongst women, joyfully engaged in conversation. When Satyabhamaa, the omniscient one who is without any defects, asked Draupadi in order to test her, Draupadi replied.
371) Draupadi narrated the entire Stree-Dharma to Satyabhamaa, knowing fully well that she was defect-less and omniscient. Teaching the world was the purpose (of that narration).
372) Draupadi was aware that Satyabhamaa’s words were in jest, and replied to her with affection in the same manner.
Note: Satyabhamaa asked Draupadi how she had kept her five husbands under control!
373) Later, Sri Krishna, after staying there for a few days, returned to Dwaraka with Satyabhamaa, after being warmly sent off by the Pandavas.
374) Once, when all the Pandavas were away for hunting, Jayadratha, the King of Sindhu, came to that excellent Ashrama along with Kotikashya and his army. There, he saw Draupadi.
375) Jayadratha, who was on his way to a wedding, sent Kotikashya when he saw Draupadi with a message saying – “Come to me”. When she refused, that evil sinner came forward to grab her hand.
376) When Draupadi shook her hand, that sinner fell down unconscious. He got up and, without shame, rushed to kidnap her. Then, as she was helpless, Draupadi asked Sage Dhaumya to follow her, along with the Agni.
Note: Draupadi asked Sage Dhaumya to carry the Aupasana Agni with him.
377) Draupadi climbed his chariot even as she was saying – “You cannot leave in peace now”. The Pandavas noticed several ill omen and immediately returned to the Ashrama.
378) They heard the whole incident from a maid and immediately chased the King of Sindhu. They saw Sage Dhaumya who was shouting – “Bhimasena!”. In front of him, they saw the evil sinner Jayadratha.
379) The Pandavas roared like lions. Seeing them, Draupadi got down from the chariot and returned to the Ashrama along with Sage Dhaumya. The Pandavas then started pounding the army of the Saindhava with great valour.
380) First, Bhimasena beheaded Kotikashya, who had called Draupadi to come to Jayadratha, and sent him to his death. He reached Tamas.
381) Bhima and Arjuna destroyed the entire army of the Saindhava. They sent back Dharmaraja, Nakula and Sahadeva and chased the escaping Jayadratha. Arjuna rendered him chariot-less.
382) When he started running on his feet, Bhimasena caught him and rendered a few blows. He went into great sorrow, even as Bhima brought him to Draupadi’s feet. The son of Dharma released him.
383) “I am Draupadi’s servant” – Bhima released him after making him say so. He went away to the forest, fully embarrassed. The Pandavas started living there with great joy.
384) Then, Sage Markandeya came to the Pandavas and told them numerous stories. Those stories were varied, and were composed of the three types of Bhashas.
Note: The three types of Bhashas are Guhya, Darshana and Samadhi.
385) Relying upon the face value of the incidents, Devatas and Sages narrate stories. Only the essence of those stories are to be grasped. The superficial stories are never to be accepted.
386-387) In the ‘Samadhi’ Bhasha, all the meanings are acceptable. There is no doubt. In the ‘Darshana’ Bhasha that corresponds to other philosophies, only the fact that those philosophies are such and such are to be accepted. The interpretations are not to be considered as truth. The Vedic Darshana is of course always acceptable. In the Guhya Bhasha, the main purport is the one that is hidden and is to be interpreted and accepted. This is the key to understanding Bhashas.
388) Jayadratha, whose hair was cut off by Bhimasena, except for five tufts, performed a penance to please Shiva and asked for a boon to be able to stop the Pandavas. Shiva, being pleased with Arjuna’s penance, granted him a boon that he would be able to stop all of them (for a day) except Arjuna.
389) Even as the Pandavas were in the forest, Duryodhana performed a Yajna known as the Paundarika, out of competition with them. That Yajna was not equivalent to even a fraction of the Rajasuya.
390) As per Duryodhana’s orders, Dushasana sent a messenger to the Pandavas in order to insult them and told them – “Come (to the Yajna)”. Bhimasena sent a reply – “We shall come without fail to the Yajna that is war”.
391) After a few days, the Kauravas held a ill-intentioned discussion with Karna and Shakuni, and in order to display their great wealth to the Pandavas and Draupadi and insult them, proceeded along with their wives.
392) Accompanied by chariots decked with gold and precious stones, excellent elephants, horses and foot-soldiers, they put on attractive dresses and garlands and decorated themselves well, and quickly proceeded towards the Dvaita forest.
393) Getting to know that they have made an excuse of watching cows, and desiring to break their pride, Indra sent Chitrasena after granting him a boon to possess the necessary strength to arrest them.
Note: Chitrasena was a Gandharva.
394) Chitrasena proceeded to the lake where Duryodhana desired to take bath, along with an army of sixty thousand crores, and the best Gandharvas. As per the orders of Duryodhana, his assistants told the Gandharvas thus.
395) “The King of Kings, Duryodhana, is soon to come here for taking bath. You people need to get out of this Tirtha. Obey his orders” – when they said thus, the Gandharvas laughed loudly.
396) They replied – “Devendra is the lord of the three worlds. We will obey (only) his orders dutifully. We do not listen to the words of even Emperors amongst humans. What then to say about the orders of this lowly hero Duryodhana”.
397) When they spoke thus, an angered Duryodhana started attacking those excellent Gandharvas with a shower of arrows. Karna and the Kaurava brothers also started attacking them. In turn, the Gandharvas too hit back at Duryodhana’s army.
398) For a duration of one muhurtha, the battle between the Gandharvas and Duryodhana went equal. After that, due to the boon of Indra, and due to the maya of the brave Gandharvas, their strength started to increase.
399) Brahma and Vishnu, for the sake of the Pandavas, had granted strength to those Gandharvas to destroy the pride of Duryodhana. They faced the Kauravas.
400) At first, Chitrasena fought against Karna. Fighting with a sense of competition against Arjuna in mind, Karna failed to win against him, due to the words of Sri Parashurama, the one with the six auspicious attributes.
Note: Sri Parashurama had cursed Karna that he would lose in any battle where he engaged with a sense of one-upmanship or competition against Arjuna.
Anandatirtha Prathishtana 