26.

The Burning Of The House Of Lac

There was a miner who was a good friend of Vidura. He was sent to the city of
Varanavata. He came to Yudhishthira and said: "I am a miner sent by Vidura to help
you". He repeated the sentences which Vidura had spoken in Mlecha Bhasha to
Yudhishthira. This was a passport into the confidence of Yudhishthira who had to be
careful about everything, specially strangers who professed themselves to be
friends.
Yudhishthira said: "What does my uncle command me to do?" The miner said: "Your
uncle has told me everything about this house. I have been sent to build an
underground tunnel connecting this palace with the bank of the river Ganga".
Yudhishthira's face registered relief. He said: "Good. I think it is an excellent
idea. It
must be begun at once". The miner began to build the tunnel. But it was not an easy
task. Purochana was in the house always. It looked as though he were waiting
attendance on them, but in reality he was keeping an eye on them to prevent them
from escaping. The Pandavas knew all this. They had to get him out of the house.
Therefore, they spent most of the time outside the house, wandering in the
surrounding forests. They wanted to become familiar with the lie of the land so
that
they could find their way easily when they would have to escape during some fateful
night. They pretended to be interested in hunting. Purochana would be with them.
Thus they succeeded in weaning him away from the house.
At last, the task was over. The tunnel had been completed. It was a very big
tunnel.
The mouth, however, was small. The door to the tunnel was right in the courtyard of
the house. It was covered by a costly rug.
It was now almost a year since the Pandavas had come to Varanavata. Purochana
thought that the time was ripe. He felt that he had gained the confidence of the
Pandavas. The miner told Yudhishthira that Purochana had planned to set fire to the
house on the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight, when the world would be
enveloped
in darkness. Yudhishthira told Bheema: "Bheema, Purochana has decided to burn us
in a few days. The time has come when we must arrange our flight. Let us arrange to
leave six people to sleep here. Purochana, of course, stays here always. We will
then
set fire to this house called Siva, and escape through the tunnel".
The next day Kunti had a feast arranged to feed all the poor in the city. There was
a
nishada woman who would come often to the presence of Purochana. Kunti was
aware of the fact. This woman also came to the feast. Kunti was very pleasant to
her.
She thought that she was now a friend of the queen. She had five sons. On the day
of
the feast this nishada woman was made to drink her fill; so were her sons. She and
her
sons were so drunk that they slept in the palace that night. Purochana was drunk
too.
So, that night there were seven people sleeping in that house. Late in the night
the
Pandavas set about their escape. Their preparations were quick and silent. Kunti
and
four of the Pandavas entered the tunnel first. Bheema, with a flaming torch in his
hand, danced about all over the place, setting fire to the walls of the apartments,
to
every corner of the place. He knew where the pots of oil and ghee were placed. He
knew where Purochana was sleeping in a drunken stupor. He set fire to that place.
Bheema then hastened to the trap door. The house had already-begun to burn. He
rushed into the tunnel. He left the door open. He knew that the debris would cover
up
the door and part of the tunnel too and prevent people from discovering that the
Pandavas had been able to escape through the tunnel.
The entire city woke up from a deep sleep by the noise of the house burning. There
were terrible crashing noises when the house fell down. No one could come near and
try to rescue the princes since the moat could not be crossed. They all stood
helpless
and watched the house as it was being burnt by the leaping flames. No one could do
anything. They had to stand by and watch the beloved Pandavas being burnt. It did
not
require much intelligence for them to guess that Dhritarashtra and his son were
responsible for this tragedy. The people of Varanavata cursed the Kauravas and wept
for the young princes and their mother who had been murdered in such a treacherous
manner. They stood all night watching the palace of lac being burnt to ashes.
The Pandavas, in the meantime, were hurrying through the tunnel. Bheema heard the
crash of the building falling down. He hurried them along. There was the danger of
the tunnel closing up before they came out of it. Kunti and her other children were
so
sleepy and so nervy that they could not walk fast enough. Bheema took them all up.
With his dear mother on his back, the twins on his hips and the other two in his
arms,
this great hero walked the entire length of the tunnel. They reached the bank of
the
river Ganga at long last. From that distance they could see the sky red with the
flames
rising from the burning house. The river flowed placidly. It was comforting to see
her
flow so serenely. She was unruffled. It seemed as though she was setting them an
example, as if to say: "Do not let these things trouble you. They will pass". They
were
now to the south of Varanavata. There they met a man who had been stationed there
by the thoughtful Vidura. He said: "Thank God you have come. I saw the house
burning and was worried about you. I have been here every night for the last so
many
nights. We did not know when you would be able to escape from the house of lac.
Vidura has placed here a boat to ferry you across the river. It is in readiness.
After you
reach the other side of the river Vidura wants you to proceed southwards. The path
will be clear to you because of the stars. You are asked to keep your whereabouts
and
even your existence a secret for the next few months". It is to be noted that all
the
people sent by Vidura spoke first the words in Mlecha Bhasha which Vidura had first
used. That was the only way to convince Yudhishthira that they were real friends.
The
Pandavas were surrounded by spies and enemies on all sides: they could never have
made out the difference between a friend and a foe.
The boatman came near. He first convinced them that he was a friend. Then he said:
"Vidura has paid me enormous money and he has asked me to wait here every night
with my boat. 'Some day', said Vidura, 'some day, the Pandavas will be there with
their mother and you will have to ferry them across the Ganga and leave them on
safe
ground'. The day has come. I have the good fortune of guiding the Pandavas. I am
indeed fortunate since God has made me fit to do such a good turn to the best of
men".
They crossed the river and entered the terrible forest. The night was dark and
dreadful.
But the princes had to hurry as much as they could. Distance was a dire necessity
now. They had to go as far away from