hat is agreeable to Draupadi. Thou shouldst look after
Bhimasena and Arjuna and Nakula and Sahadeva. The burthens of the Kuru
race have now fallen on thee, O king. I shall live in the woods with
Gandhari, besmearing my body with filth, engaged in the performance of
penances, and devoted to the service of my father-in-law and
mother-in-law."'[33]

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Thus addressed by her, the righteous-souled
Yudhishthira, with passions under complete control, became, with all his
brothers, plunged into great distress. Endued with great intelligence,
the king said not a word. Having reflected for a little while, king
Yudhishthira the Just, cheerless and plunged in anxiety and sorrow,
addressed his mother, saying,--"Strange, indeed, is this purpose of
thine. It behoves thee not to accomplish it. I can never grant thee
permission. It behoves thee to show us compassion. Formerly, when we
were about to set out of Hastinapore for the woods, O thou of agreeable
features, it was thou who, reciting to us the story of Vidula's
instructions to her son, excited us to exertion. It behoves thee not to
abandon us now. Having slain the kings of Earth, I have won sovereignty,
guided by thy words of wisdom communicated through Vasudeva. Where now is
that understanding of thine about which I had heard from Vasudeva? Dost
thou wish now to fall away from those Kshatriya practices about which
thou hadst instructed us? Abandoning ourselves, this kingdom, and this
daughter-in-law of thine who is possessed of great fame, how wilt thou
live in the inaccessible woods? Do thou relent!" Kunti, with tears in her
eyes, heard these words of her son, but continued to proceed on her way.
Then Bhima addressed her, saying,--"When, O Kunti, sovereignty has been
won, and when the time has come for thee to enjoy that sovereignty thus
acquired by thy children, when the duties of royalty await discharge by
thee, whence has this desire got hold of thy mind? Why then didst thou
cause us to exterminate the Earth? For what reason wouldst thou leave all
and wish to take up thy abode in the woods? We were born in the woods.
Why then didst thou bring us from the woods while we were children?
Behold, the two sons of Madri are overwhelmed with sorrow and grief.
Relent, O mother, O thou of great fame, do not go into the woods now. Do
thou enjoy that prosperity which acquired by might, has become
Yudhishthira's today." Firmly resolved to retire into the woods, Kunt