Paandav in Baaranaavat-1

Vaishampaayan Jee said - "Meanwhile Paandav got their chariots, touched the feet of Bheeshm, Dhritraashtra, Drone, Kripaa, Vidur, and other elders and greeting to other people according to their status, and set off to Baaranaavat. Vidur and some others followed them for some distance. The citizens seeing Paandav in distress, were also in distress. They were abusing Dhritraashtra for his partiality. They were saying that "No Paandav will ever be guilty if any of them will wage the war with Kaurav. How Bheeshm could tolerate this unjustified action? Since Paandu is not there, Dhritraashtra cannot bear his children. We do not agree with this. Shall we also go where Yudhishthir is going?" Hearing this Yudhishthir told them - "He is our father. We should obey him without any suspicion. That is our duty. For now you may go back to your houses and when there is time to do something for us, then you do it." The citizens blessed them and went back to their homes.

Then Vidur with the desire to warn Yudhishthir, said to him in Mlechchh jargon - "He that knows the scheme of enemies, he acts with the accordance of politics to avoid all dangers. He who knows that there are sharp weapons, not necessarily made of steel, which can cut the body; knows how to protect himself from them is never injured by enemies. He lives who protects himself by the knowledge that neither the Sun nor fire can burn the habitant living in holes in deep woods. The blind man does not see his way, he has no knowledge of direction, he who has no firmness can never acquire prosperity. Remembering this be on your guard. The man who has taken a weapon, not made of steel (of inflammable house), given to him by his enemies, can escape from fire by making his habitat like a jackal (having many outlets). By wandering, a man can know his ways; and by seeing the stars one can know the direction; and he who has full control on his five senses can never be oppressed by his enemies."

Yudhishthir replied - "I understood you." Vidur Jee bade them farewell, blessed them circumambulated them and came back to his home. When all had left, Kuntee said to Yudhishthir - "Vidur said something to you so indirectly that other people could not understand it, and you also replied him in the same manner. We also did not understand it. If it is not improper, tell us also about it." Yudhishthir replied - "Vidur Jee said - "The mansion built for us is made from inflammable material. You will not be able to know the path of your escape. Who can control their senses, can acquire the sovereignty of the world. And I said to him, "I have understood you." Thus the Paandav set out on the 8th day of the month of Phaalgun when Rohinee star was in ascendant.

Paandav in Baaranaavat

Vaishampaayan Jee said - "When Baaranaavat people saw Paandav coming in the town they became very happy. They came out riding various vehicles, carrying various kinds of things for them. Welcomed by the people they entered the city. First they went to Braahman, then went to the city officials, then the Soot and then the Vaishya, and lastly to Shoodra. Then they with Purochan, went to the palace he had built for them. Purochan had made the bet arrangements for them, so they continued to live there. After 10 nights Purochan told them that the palace's name was "The Blessed Home"; but in reality it was the cursed house.

After inspecting the palace, Yudhishthir told Bheem that it really smelled oil and fat. The builder of that house was really skilled in building such houses. This wicked Purochan is living with me at the instruction of Duryodhan to burn me, when he knows that I have trusted him. Vidur has already warned me about this. Bheem said - "If this is so, then why not to return to that where we stayed first?" Yudhishthir said - "No Bheem, We should live here unsuspicious, while being alert for everything, because if Purochan knows that we have known everything, he might suddenly burn us. Purochan doesn't care for sin, he is just living with us at the instruction of Duryodhan. If we are burnt to death, Bheeshm will be angry with Kaurav. If we will flee from here, Duryodhan will have everything and we will not have anything but our lives. So let us pass our days deceiving Purochan. Let us wander over the earth and know our ways to escape. We shall dig an underground passage to escape in our chamber in great secrecy. If we will live here with such secrecy, nobody will be able to even guess what we are up to."

Vaishampaayan Jee continued - "A friend of Vidur who was well skilled in mining came to Paandav and talked to them in secret - "I am a skilled miner. I am sent here to serve you, tell me what can I do for you? Vidur has sent me here to do your good. Purochan is going to set the fire to the front door on this 14th night of dark fortnight. He wants to kill you all. Viduralso told you something in Mlechchh language to which you reply in the same language. These are my credentials." Yudhishthir said - "I know that you are very dear to Vidur, so are you for us also. Make no difference between us. Protect us as Vidur does us. I know that this house is inflammable and Purochan has built it at the order of Duryodhan. If we are burnt here, Duryodhan's desire will be fulfilled. THis house has no other door. Vidur knew this before that is why he warned us before we came here. Save us without Purochan's knowledge."

The miner said - "So be it." and started his work of digging the tunnel. Its mouth was in the center of the house and was covered with planks. It was covered from the eyes of Purochan because he constantly kept the watch over the door. Nobody knew about this plan."

Vaishampaayan Jee said - "Paandav stayed there for one full year without showing any suspicion. Seeing this Purochan got very happy. One day Yudhishthir said to his brothers - "Purochan has not suspected us at all. Now is the time that we should flee from here unnoticed setting the fire and burning Purochan in it." So one day Kuntee made a large alms and fed many Braahman in the night. Many women also came there drinking and enjoying themselves. When all had gone, impelled by fate, a Nishaad woman came there with her five children to ask for food. She got drunk with her children and lay down there to sleep.

In the night, Bheem set the fire just where Purochan was sleeping, then he set fire to the front door and at several other parts also. Then they entered the tunnel and came out of the house. When the heat and fire rose high, the citizens woke up and said - "Oh, This wretched Purochan has killed Paandav by burning this house." Those people waited there for the whole night. Paandav had escaped with their mother. Bheem took all his brothers, twins on his sides, and Yudhishthir and Arjun on his both arms, and mother on his shoulder and pushed through the dark in the forest."

Vaishampaayan Jee said - "Meanwhile Vidur had sent a trustworthy man who found Paandav measuring the depths of the river. He showed them his boat and assured them that he was sent by Vidur by saying - "Neither the consumer of the straw and the wood nor the drier of the dew ever burns the dwellers of the holes in the forest. He escapes from the death who protects himself knowing this. Now you should know that I have come from Vidur. Yudhishthir, You will surely defeat Karn, Shakuni along with Duryodhan and his brothers." After saying this he asked them to embark on the boat and said - "Vidur has further said that you should never be careless while wandering in forest alone." Then took them across Gangaa, left them there and went away. Paandav also started their journey further in great secrecy."

Vaishampaayan Jee said - "Next day the town people came to see Paandav and found that the house was made of Laakh and Purochan was burnt in it. They tried to look for Paandav and found the Nishaad woman and her five sons burnt to death. In the meantime the miner who dug the tunnel for Paandav covered the hole so nobody could see it. People informed Dhritraashtra that Paandav along with Purochan were burnt to death. Hearing this Dhritraashtra wept bitterly and sent some people to perform their last rites. All wept bitterly for Paandav but Vidur did not weep much as he knew the truth. Meanwhile Bheem carried his mother and brothers on his shoulders and proceeded in that dense forest."

Vaishampayan Jee said - "Although the forest was very densse, Bheem was rushing through it very fast, so fast that his mother and brothers were about to faint. He continued walking the whole night and the whole day and came to another dense forest in the evening where fruits and water were scarce. They were all tired, hungry and thirsty. So they stopped there. Bheem settled them under a large banyan tree and he himself went in search of water. He found a lake where he took bath, drank water and brought some water for his brothers by soaking his upper garments in it walking up to four miles. When he came there he found all of them sleeping on the ground. He felt very sad seeing them lying like that. He exclaimed - "How painful it is to see mother, who is the sister of Krishn, the daughter of Kuntibhoj, the daughter-in-law of Vichitraveerya, the wife of Paandu, and the mother of us five brothers, lying on the ground like this. How unfortunate I am who is seeing this. And not only my mother, even my glorious brother are sleeping like this. O Duryodhan, You have succeeded in your mission, but we are also still alive. You are alive only because Yudhidhthir does not allow us to kill you. He is not yet angry with you." Seeing them all sleeping like innocent children Bheem sat down to keep watch over them."