words:—'O thou bull of the Bharata race, there are many other modes of life which thou canst adopt and in which thou canst undergo the severest of penances along with us thy wedded wives; in which, for the salvation of thy body (freedom from re-birth) thou mayst obtain heaven as thy reward, or even become the lord of heaven! We also, in the company of our lord, and for his benefit, controlling our passions and bidding farewell to all luxuries shall subject ourselves to the severest austerities. O king, O thou of great wisdom, if thou abandonest us, we shall then this very day truly depart from this world.'
"Pandu replied, 'If indeed, this your resolve springeth from virtue, then with ye both I shall follow the imperishable path of my father. Abandoning the luxuries of cities and towns, robed in barks of trees, and living on fruits and roots, I shall wander in the deep woods practising the severest of penances. Bathing both morning and evening I shall perform the homa, I shall reduce by body by eating very sparingly and shall wear rags and skins, and bear knotted locks on my head. Exposing myself to both heat and cold and regardless of hunger and thirst, I shall reduce my body by severe ascetic austerities. Living in solitude, I shall give myself up to contemplation. I shall eat fruits ripe or raw that I may find. I shall offer oblations to the pitris and the gods with speech, water, and fruits of the wilderness. I shall not see, far less harm, any of the dwellers of the woods or any of my relatives, or any of the dwellers of cities and towns. Until I lay down this body, I shall thus practise the severe ordinances of the Vana-prastha scriptures, always searching for severer ones that they may contain."
Vaisampayana continued, "The Kuru king having said this unto his wives gave away to Brahmanas the big jewel on his diadem, his necklace of precious gold, his bracelets, his large ear-rings, his valuable robes, and all the ornaments of his wives. Then summoning his attendants he commanded them saying, 'Return ye to Hastinapore and proclaim unto all that Pandu with his wives hath gone into the woods abandoning wealth, desires, happiness, and even sexual appetite." Then
