After spending ten nights in their new surroundings, the Pandavas were approached by Purocana, who presented to them the house known as ‘Shiva.’ Though its name suggested auspiciousness, in truth, nothing about it was favorable or safe. At Purocana’s urging, the Pandavas, accompanied by all their attendants, entered the house. Their entry was likened to the Yakshas ascending the heights of Kailasa, so stately and dignified were they. Once inside, Yudhishthira, the foremost among the righteous, carefully surveyed the house. Turning to Bhimasena, he spoke in a low, grave voice, “This is truly a house of fire.” The air was heavy with the scent of fat, mingled with ghee and lac, and Yudhishthira observed, “This house is clearly made to burn, O scorcher of foes.” He pointed out the obvious: shana and sarja resins had been used in its construction, and all the materials—munja grass, balvaja, bamboo, and others—were soaked in ghee. Grass, balvaja, cotton, bamboo, wood, and even logs, all highly combustible, had been placed throughout the house. It was clear that this dwelling, skillfully built by disciplined and trusted artisans, was a trap designed to deceive. “This wicked Purocana wishes to burn me,” Yudhishthira said. He continued, “This foolish man acts under the command of Suyodhana, but wise Vidura has seen through all this. In the past, Vidura warned me of this danger, Partha. Always wishing for our welfare, he kept us informed. Out of affection, our wise uncle—the younger brother of our father—arranged a safe house for us, though it was constructed by ignoble men loyal to Duryodhana and concealed in purpose.” Yudhishthira then asked, “If you believe this house is truly meant to burn, let us return to where we stayed before.” Yet, he reflected, “It does not seem right to me to leave separately after having shown ourselves. Whether good or bad may come, let us stay together with them. If we leave now, the Dhartarashtras, emboldened, will strengthen their hold on the kingdom, O lord of men. Then the kingdom and the people will belong to them; therefore, let us remain together, our feet set firmly. When our time comes, we shall seize the kingdom from the enemy and enjoy our ancestral wealth and lasting happiness.” He questioned, “Why should we heed Dhritarashtra’s words? What weakness is there in you, king, that you would consider leaving in another way, separating from them? In adversity, we have Vidura, the wise, to protect us, and Bhishma, ever impartial, who renounces enjoyment of the kingdom. The elders, led by Bahlika, are always impartial, and Drona is ours, bound by affection for Arjuna. Therefore, we must remain together and not depart, O king; or else, what could they do to us, being powerless in their efforts?” Bhima, stirred by these words, declared, “These petty, deceitful, wicked men, O lord of men, what would they not do while we are awake? Why have they not already given me deadly poison? Why have I not been bitten by those terrible, venomous serpents, gathered in countless numbers, while I slept helpless? Why was I not cast into the Ganges among the multitude of spears by those serpents with deadly, fiery poison? Why did I not die then, O king?” He continued, “In those dreadful calamities, wickedly inflicted by sinners, the god who holds the world in his power protected us. Where has he, whose essence pervades all that moves and does not move, gone today, O best of kings? As long as we are able, we shall endure with effort. When we can no longer endure, then we shall consider what is best for us. What should we hope to achieve here by engaging in conflict with force and violence? With conciliatory words, with gifts, even with division, we shall strive for the attainment of half the kingdom; only then should force be employed.” He added, “Therefore, we must remain together, bearing the pain in our hearts; having shown ourselves, we should not go separately anywhere out of fear. I agree that we should live as they, with their ambiguous intentions, desire—remaining vigilant and searching for a sure and desired path from here. If Purocana discovers our plan, then acting swiftly, he may forcibly burn us. This Purocana does not fear reproach or unrighteousness; for, being foolish, he acts under Suyodhana’s command.” Bhima reasoned further, “Even if we are burned, why would our grandfather Bhishma become angry with us? For what reason would he provoke the Kauravas? Or, if we are burned here, our grandfather Bhishma and other eminent Kauravas would only be angry, saying it is a matter of righteousness. Indeed, if we are burned, those who uphold the family lineage and know righteousness, and other eminent Kauravas, would be justly angered. But if, out of fear of burning, we flee, Suyodhana, greedy for the kingdom, would have us all killed as fugitives. Standing in position, he would destroy those out of position; with allies, he would destroy those without; with great resources, he would certainly destroy the weak by his means.” He concluded, “Therefore, O hero, we must remain here, deceiving this wicked Purocana and Suyodhana, hiding ourselves from time to time. We, who are accustomed to hunting, will roam this earth; in this way, the paths for our escape will become known to us. Today itself, let us make a well-concealed underground tunnel; there, when we emerge in secret, the fire will not consume us. Let us act diligently so that, as we flee, neither Purocana nor any townsman here will notice us.” At this point, in a secluded place, a certain skilled miner—an old friend of Vidura—approached the Pandavas and spoke quietly to them, offering his help in their time of peril.