The Mahabharata/Book 1: Adi Parva/Section 150

Section CL. ( *Jatu-griha Parva continued.* ) Vaisampayana said, "Seeing the Pandavas living cheerfully and without suspicion for a full year, Purochana became exceedingly glad. And beholding Purochana so very glad, Yudhish-thira the virtuous son of Kunti, addressing Bhima and Arjuna and the twins (Nakula and Sahadeva) said, 'The cruel-hearted wretch hath been well-deceived. I think the time is come for our escape. Setting fire to the arsenal and burning Purochana to death and letting his body lie here, let us six persons fly hence unmarked by all.' "Then on the occasion of a gift, O king, Kunti fed on a certain night a large number of Brahmanas. And there came also a number of ladies. These eating and drinking enjoyed there as they pleased, and with Kunti's leave at last returned to their respective homes. And desirous of obtaining food, there came, as if impelled by the fates, to that feast, in course of her wanderings a Nishada woman—the mother of five children—accompanied by all her sons. And, O king, she and her children, intoxicated with the wine they drank, became incapable. And deprived of consciousness and more dead than alive, she with all her sons lay down in that mansion to sleep. Then when all the inmates of the house lay down to sleep, there began to blow a violent wind in the night. Then Bhima set fire to the house just where Purochana was sleeping. Then the Pandava set fire to the door of that house of lac. Then he set fire to that mansion in several parts all around. Then when the sons of Pandu were satisfied that the house had caught fire in several parts, those chastisers of enemies, with their mother, entered the subterranean passage without losing any time. Then the heat and the roar of the fire became intense and awakened the towns-people. And beholding that house in flames, the citizens with sorrowful faces began to say, 'The wretch (Purochana) of wicked soul had, under the instructions of Duryo-dhana, built this house for the destruction of his employer's relatives. And he, indeed, hath set fire to it. Oh fie on Dhrita-rashtra's heart which is so partial! He hath burnt to death, as if he were their foe, the sinless heirs of Pandu! Oh the sinful, wicked-souled (Purochana) who hath burnt those best of men—the innocent and unsuspicious princes—hath himself been burnt to death as fate would have it!'" Vaisampayana continued, "Thus dud the citizens of Varanavata bewail (the fate of the Pandavas). And they waited there for the whole night surrounding that house. The Pandavas, however, accompanied by their mother, coming out of that subterranean passage, fled in haste unmarked. But those chastisers of foes, for sleepiness and fear, could not, with their mother, proceed in haste. But, O monarch, Bhima-sena, endued with terrible prowess and swiftness of motion took upon his body all his brothers and mother and began to push through the darkness. Taking his mother on his shoulder, the twins on his sides, and Yudhish-thira and Arjuna on both his arms, Vrikodara, of great energy and strength, and endued with the velocity of the wind, commenced his march, breaking the trees by his breast and pressing deep the earth with his stamp." Thus ends the hundred and fiftieth Section in the Jatu-griha of the Adi Parva.