Paandav in Dwait Van

After all people left, Yudhishthir said - "We have to spend 12 years in forest, so let us stay in a forest where we can have minimum disturbance from outside people, at the same time we can have a company of good saints." Arjun said - "I have seen one place during my Praayashchit travel, that is Dwait Van which matches your requirements." So all went to Dwait Van and stayed there. Rishi and saints welcomed them. They built an Aashram there. They started passing time there in peace.

While they were living there, they had several important visitors (Rishi). One time Maarkandeya Rishi came there. He always looked like a 16-year old boy because of the Vardaan of Shankar. Paandav welcomed him and gave him Aasan to sit up on. Maarkandeya Rishi sat on the Aasan and suddenly he smiled. Paandav got very surprised to see him smiling. Yudhishthir asked him - "Whoever comes here, is either sorry to see us in this condition or angry at the happenings. This is the first time that I see someone who is pleased about something. Will you tell us the reason for it?"

Maarkandeya Jee said - "Yudhishthir, I am not happy to see you in this condition. I am sad too but looking at you I thought of a very great and noble soul who was like you. He was Dasharath's son Raam. He was a pure-soul man. He also wandered in Dandak forest like you with His brother Lakshman and wife Seetaa for 14 years. He came to forest at the command of His father.  I saw Him with His bow Kodand, walking along the slopes of Rishyamook Parvat. His anger was more terrible than Death itself. He would never think of walking on the path of A-Dharm. Think of Bhageerath (read the story of Bhageerath here), and of Harishchandra (read the story of Harishchandra here). The Sun moves in its orbit and sea stays within its boundary because of such people. He ruled over the Earth after His bad time was over. You will also live in the minds of men for ever and will rule the world after your bad time is over." The Rishi stayed there for a few days and went away after promising to come back after a few days.

Yudhishthir was enjoying his life in Dwait Van as it was full of Rishi, but not Draupadee or not Bheem were enjoying this. Whenever Bheem saw Draupadee, his fists clenched with fury. He did not use to talk to anybody. He was always found sitting alone somewhere separately. He wouldn't sleep well, he wouldn't eat properly. He could not be pacified by anyone. Arjun also couldn't do anything for him. He tried his best, but in vain. Draupadee was as difficult as Bheem. Yudhishthir was happy but the other five were not.

One day Draupadee showed Yudhishthir the condition of his brothers in which they were living there and asked him whether they were supposed to live in such conditions? and requested him to do something for them, if not for her sake but for their sake. Yudhishthir was a very patient man. He said - "Mahaaraanee, I am not unaware of the mental state of affair of all of you, and I am also sorry for all this, but this is not the time for being angry, it is the time for patience. Anger is not good because it blinds the inner eyes, the eyes of the wisdom, it kills the soul, it leads the man to commit wrongs. It is not an ornament of a Kshatriya as you are thinking, it is a weakness. We must try to control it. We must go through these 13 years of exile. I know that my words are not pleasing you but we have to face the facts."

Draupadee could not be pacified with these words. She said - "I find that fate is more powerful than anything else in the world. I am trying to explain you the situation of your family but you are talking about Dharm only. It seems that you are prepared to give up everything for your Dharm. Your madness for Dharm is more powerful than your love for us. And which patience you are talking about?" Yudhishthir said calmly - "Patience is a wayward woman. She chooses some people for her dwelling place. I can see that you are not favored by her, nor she has chosen any of you or Duryodhan etc. She has chosen only me and I cannot disappoint her by proving myself unworthy of her choice."

Bheem was listening to this talk. He came near them and said - "What is the use of talking about Dharm? Look, where it has brought us? What have we got? Instead they took advantage of our single weakness, we were forced to be silent, and now we are wandering in the forest. Brother, a thorn can be removed only by another thorn. Please leave these Braahman and be a Kshatriya. We can defeat them but we are tied with your words." Yudhishthir said - "Bheem, You are right. You have all the rights to say anything to me for all this, because I am responsible to bring you to this situation. But you will see that Duryodhann is not going to return our kingdom to us even after completing our exile term, then you can dance up on their dead bodies. I will also get angry. No one will believe that it is the same Yudhishthir who stood silent in Kaurav court. But this will happen only after 13 years. I stop you to be angry now because I do not want that you should do any wrong thing on the impulse of the moment. Bheem, We will also see our days, don't worry." Yudhishthir silenced both Bheem and Draupadee.