Yudhishthira Approaches the Mysterious Lake
All four Pandava brothers lie dead by the lake. Yudhishthira, tormented, arises alone and enters the great forest. He walks through its beauty — past ruru deer and boar, under trees abuzz with bees — until he finds the pond, covered with a net of gold, as if created by Vishvakarma himself.
Bhima ignored the words of the infinitely energetic yaksha. He drank. He collapsed. He fell down.
Now all four brothers lay dead by the lake.
The king who was Kunti's son began to think. He was tormented in his mind. But he arose. He entered the great forest alone.
The forest was bereft of the sounds of people. It was infested with ruru deer, boar, and birds. There were dark, colorful, and beautiful trees, abuzz with the sounds of bees and birds. The immensely fortunate one walked through it all.
He saw the beautiful pond.
It was covered with a net of gold. It seemed to have been created by Vishvakarma — the divine architect, the one who builds the palaces of gods. It was covered with a bed of lotuses. Sindhuvara, cane, ketakas, karaviras, and pippalas grew around its edges.
Yudhishthira was exhausted. He approached the lake.
He gazed at it with wonder. Aranyaka Parva, Chapter 593