{"collection":"myth-cosmogony","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_11894/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_11894","id":"gutenberg_11894","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/11894","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Classics of Literature","Category: Mythology, Legends & Folklore","Epic literature, Sanskrit","Hinduism"],"text":"The Mahabharata of\n\nKrishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa\n\nBOOK 3\n\nVANA PARVA\n\nTranslated into English Prose from the Original Sanskrit Text\n\nby\n\nKisari Mohan Ganguli\n\n[1883-1896]\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTHE MAHABHARATA\n\n\nVANA PARVA\n\nPART 1\n\n\nSECTION I\n\n(Aranyaka Parva)\n\nOm! Having bowed down to Narayana, and Nara the foremost of male beings,\nand the goddess Saraswati also, must the word _Jaya_ be uttered.\n\nJanamejaya said, \"O thou foremost of regenerate ones, deceitfully\ndefeated at dice by the sons of Dhritarashtra and their counsellors,\nincensed by those wicked ones that thus brought about a fierce\nanimosity, and addressed in language that was so cruel, what did the\nKuru princes, my ancestors--the sons of Pritha--(then) do? How also did\nthe sons of Pritha, equal unto Sakra in prowess, deprived of affluence\nand suddenly overwhelmed with misery, pass their days in the forest? Who\nfollowed the steps of those princes plunged in excess of affliction? And\nhow did those high souled ones bear themselves and derive their\nsustenance, and where did they put up? And, O illustrious ascetic and\nforemost of Brahmanas, how did those twelve years (of exile) of those\nwarriors who were slayers of foes, pass away in the forest? And\nundeserving of pain, how did that princess, the best of her sex, devoted\nto her husbands, eminently virtuous, and always speaking the truth,\nendure that painful exile in the forest? O thou of ascetic wealth tell\nme all this in detail, for, O Brahmana, I desire to hear thee narrate\nthe history of those heroes possessed of abundant prowess and lustre.\nTruly my curiosity is great.\"\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Thus defeated at dice and incensed by the wicked\nsons of Dhritarashtra and their counsellors, the sons of Pritha set out\nfrom Hastinapura. And issuing through _Vardhamana_ gate of the city, the\nPandavas bearing their weapons and accompanied by Draupadi set out in a\nnortherly direction. Indrasena and others, with servants numbering\naltogether fourteen, with their wives, followed them on swift cars. And\nthe citizens learning of their departure became overwhelmed with sorrow,\nand began to censure Bhishma and Vidura and Drona and Gautama. And\nhaving met together they thus addressed one another fearlessly.\n\n\"'Alas, our families, we ourselves, and our homes are all gone, when the\nwicked Duryodhana, backed by the son of Suvala, by Karna and Dussasana,\naspireth to this kingdom. And, Oh, our families, our (ancestral) usages,\nour virtue and prosperity, are all doomed where this sinful wretch\nsupported by wretches as sinful aspireth to the kingdom! And, Oh, how\ncan happiness be there where these are not! Duryodhana beareth malice\ntowards all superiors, hath taken leave of good conduct, and quarreleth\nwith those that are near to him in blood. Covetous and vain and mean, he\nis cruel by nature. The whole earth is doomed when Duryodhana becometh\nits ruler. Thither, therefore, let us proceed whither the merciful and\nhigh-minded sons of Pandu with passions under control and victorious\nover foes, and possessed of modesty and renown, and devoted to pious\npractices, repair!'\"\n\nVaisampayana said, \"And saying this, the citizens went after the\nPandavas, and having met them, they all, with joined hands, thus\naddressed the sons of Kunti and Madri.\n\n\"'Blest be ye! Where will ye go, leaving us in grief? We will follow you\nwhithersoever ye will go! Surely have we been distressed upon learning\nthat ye have been deceitfully vanquished by relentless enemies! It\nbehoveth you not to forsake us that are your loving subjects and devoted\nfriends always seeking your welfare and employed in doing what is\nagreeable to you! We desire not to be overwhelmed in certain destruction\nliving in the dominions of the Kuru king. Ye bulls among men, listen as\nwe indicate the merits and demerits springing respectively from\nassociation with what is good and bad! As cloth, water, the ground, and\nsesame seeds are perfumed by association with flowers, even so are\nqualities ever the product of association. Verily association with fools\nproduceth an illusion that entangleth the mind, as daily communion with\nthe good and the wise leadeth to the practice of virtue. Therefore, they\nthat desire emancipation should associate with those that are wise and\nold and honest and pure in conduct and possessed of ascetic merit. They\nshould be waited upon whose triple possessions, _viz_., knowledge (of\nthe _Vedas_), origin and acts, are all pure, and association with them\nis even superior to (the study of the) scriptures. Devoid of the\nreligious acts as we are, we shall yet reap religious merit by\nassociation with the righteous, as we should come by sin by waiting upon\nthe sinful. The very sight and touch of the dishonest, and converse and\nassociation with them, cause diminution of virtue, and men (that are\ndoomed to these), never attain purity of mind. Association with the base\nimpaireth the understanding, as, indeed, with the indifferent maketh it\nindifferent, while communion with the good ever exalteth it. All those\nattributes which are spoken of in the world as the sources of religious\nmerit, of worldly prosperity and sensual pleasures, which are regarded\nby the people, extolled in the _Vedas_, and approved by the\nwell-behaved, exist in you, separately and jointly! Therefore, desirous\nof our own welfare, we wish to live amongst you who possess those\nattributes!'\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'Blessed are we since the people with the Brahmanas\nat their head, moved by affection and compassion credit us with merits\nwe have not. I, however, with my brothers, would ask all of you to do\none thing. Ye should not, through affection and pity for us, act\notherwise! Our grandfather Bhishma, the king (Dhritarashtra), Vidura, my\nmother and most of my well-wishers, are all in the city of Hastinapura.\nTherefore, if ye are minded to seek our welfare, cherish ye them with\ncare, uniting together as they are overwhelmed with sorrow and\nafflictions. Grieved at our departure, ye have come far! Go ye back, and\nlet your hearts be directed with tenderness towards the relatives I\nentrust to you as pledges! This, of all others, is the one act upon\nwhich my heart is set, and by doing this ye would give me great\nsatisfaction and pay me your best regards!'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Thus exhorted by Yudhishthira the just, the\npeople in a body set up a loud wail exclaiming,--_Alas, O king!_ And\nafflicted and overwhelmed with sorrow on remembering the virtues of\nPritha's son, they unwillingly retraced their steps asking leave of the\nPandavas.\n\n\"The citizens having ceased to follow, the Pandavas ascended their cars,\nand setting out reached (the site of) the mighty banian tree called\n_Pramana_ on the banks of the Ganges. And reaching the site of the\nbanian tree about the close of the day, the heroic sons of Pandu\npurified themselves by touching the sacred water, and passed the night\nthere. And afflicted with woe they spent that night taking water alone\nas their sole sustenance. Certain Brahmanas belonging to both classes,\n_viz_., those that maintained the sacrificial fire and those that\nmaintained it not, who had, with their disciples and relatives, out of\naffection followed the Pandavas thither also passed the night with them.\nAnd surrounded by those utterers of _Brahma_, the king shone resplendent\nin their midst. And that evening, at once beautiful and terrible, those\nBrahmanas having lighted their (sacred) fires, began to chant the\n_Vedas_ and hold mutual converse. And those foremost of Brahmanas, with\nswan-sweet voices spent the night, comforting that best of Kurus--the\nking.\"\n\n\nSECTION II\n\nVaisampayana said, \"When that night passed away and day broke in, those\nBrahmanas who supported themselves by mendicancy, stood before the\nPandavas of exalted deeds, who were about to enter the forest. Then king\nYudhishthira, the son of Kunti, addressed them, saying, 'Robbed of our\nprosperity and kingdom, robbed of everything, we are about to enter the\ndeep woods in sorrow, depending for our food on fruits and roots, and\nthe produce of the chase. The forest too is full of dangers, and abounds\nwith reptiles and beasts of prey. It appeareth to me that ye will\ncertainly have to suffer much privation and misery there. The sufferings\nof the Brahmanas might overpower even the gods. That they would\noverwhelm me is too certain. Therefore, O Brahmana, go ye back\nwhithersoever ye list!'\n\n\"The Brahmanas replied, 'O king, our path is even that on which ye are\nfor setting out! It behoveth thee not, therefore, to forsake us who are\nthy devoted admirers practising the true religion! The very gods have\ncompassion upon their worshippers,--specially upon Brahmanas of\nregulated lives!'\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'Ye regenerate ones, I too am devoted to the\nBrahmanas! But this destitution that hath overtaken me overwhelmed me\nwith confusion! These my brothers that are to procure fruits and roots\nand the deer (of the forest) are stupefied with grief arising from their\nafflictions and on account of the distress of Draupadi and the loss of\nour kingdom! Alas, as they are distressed, I cannot employ them in\npainful tasks!'\n\n\"The Brahmanas said, 'Let no anxiety, O king, in respect of our\nmaintenance, find a place in thy heart! Ourselves providing our own\nfood, we shall follow thee, and by meditation and saying our prayers we\nshall compass thy welfare while by pleasant converse we shall entertain\nthee and be cheered ourselves.'\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'Without doubt, it must be as ye say, for I am ever\npleased with the company of the regenerate ones! But my fallen condition\nmaketh me behold in myself an object of reproach! How shall I behold you\nall, that do not deserve to bear trouble, out of love for me painfully\nsubsisting upon food procured by your own toil? Oh, fie upon the wicked\nsons of Dhritarashtra!'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Saying this, the weeping king sat himself down\nupon the ground. Then a learned Brahmana, Saunaka by name versed in\nself-knowledge and skilled in the _Sankhya_ system of yoga, addressed\nthe king, saying, 'Causes of grief by thousands, and causes of fear by\nhundreds, day after day, overwhelm the ignorant but not the wise.\nSurely, sensible men like thee never suffer themselves to be deluded by\nacts that are opposed to true knowledge, fraught with every kind of\nevil, and destructive of salvation. O king, in thee dwelleth that\nunderstanding furnished with the eight attributes which is said to be\ncapable of providing against all evils and which resulteth from a study\nof the _Sruti (Vedas)_ and scriptures! And men like unto thee are never\nstupefied, on the accession of poverty or an affliction overtaking their\nfriends, through bodily or mental uneasiness! Listen, I shall tell the\n_slokas_ which were chanted of old by the illustrious Janaka touching\nthe subject of controlling the self! This world is afflicted with both\nbodily and mental suffering. Listen now to the means of allaying it as I\nindicate them both briefly and in detail. Disease, contact with painful\nthings, toil and want of objects desired.--these are the four causes\nthat induce bodily suffering. And as regards disease, it may be allayed\nby the application of medicine, while mental ailments are cured by\nseeking to forget them by _yoga_-meditation. For this reason, sensible\nphysicians first seek to allay the mental sufferings of their patients\nby agreeable converse and the offer of desirable objects. And as a hot\niron bar thrust into a jar maketh the water therein hot, even so doth\nmental grief bring on bodily agony. And as water quencheth fire, so doth\ntrue knowledge allay mental disquietude. And the mind attaining ease,\nthe body findeth ease also. It seemeth that affection is the root of all\nmental sorrow. It is affection that maketh every creature miserable and\nbringeth on every kind of woe. Verily affection is the root of all\nmisery and of all fear, of joy and grief of every kind of pain. From\naffection spring all purposes, and it is from affection that spring the\nlove of worldly goods! Both of these (latter) are sources of evil,\nthough the first (our purposes) is worse than the second. And as (a\nsmall portion of) fire thrust into the hollow of a tree consumeth the\ntree itself to its roots, even so affection, ever so little, destroyeth\nboth virtue and profit. He cannot be regarded to have renounced the\nworld who hath merely withdrawn from worldly possessions. He, however,\nwho though in actual contact with the world regardeth its faults, may be\nsaid to have truly renounced the world. Freed from every evil passion,\nsoul dependent on nothing with such a one hath truly renounced the\nworld. Therefore, should no one seek to place his affections on either\nfriends or the wealth he hath earned. And so should affection for one's\nown person be extinguished by knowledge. Like the lotus-leaf that is\nnever drenched by water, the souls of men capable of distinguishing\nbetween the ephemeral and the everlasting, of men devoted to the pursuit\nof the eternal, conversant with the scriptures and purified by\nknowledge, can never be moved by affection. The man that is influenced\nby affection is tortured by desire; and from the desire that springeth\nup in his heart his thirst for worldly possessions increaseth. Verily,\nthis thirst is sinful and is regarded as the source of all anxieties. It\nis this terrible thirst, fraught with sin that leaneth unto unrighteous\nacts. Those find happiness that can renounce this thirst, which can\nnever be renounced by the wicked, which decayeth not with the decay of\nthe body, and which is truly a fatal disease! It hath neither beginning\nnor end. Dwelling within the heart, it destroyeth creatures, like a fire\nof incorporeal origin. And as a faggot of wood is consumed by the fire\nthat is fed by itself, even so doth a person of impure soul find\ndestruction from the covetousness born of his heart. And as creatures\nendued with life have ever a dread of death, so men of wealth are in\nconstant apprehension of the king and the thief, of water and fire and\neven of their relatives. And as a morsel of meat, if in air, may be\ndevoured by birds; if on ground by beasts of prey; and if in water by\nthe fishes; even so is the man of wealth exposed to dangers wherever he\nmay be. To many the wealth they own is their bane, and he that beholding\nhappiness in wealth becometh wedded to it, and knoweth not true\nhappiness. And hence accession of wealth is viewed as that which\nincreaseth covetousness and folly. Wealth alone is the root of\nniggardliness and boastfulness, pride and fear and anxiety! These are\nthe miseries of men that the wise see in riches! Men undergo infinite\nmiseries in the acquisition and retention of wealth. Its expenditure\nalso is fraught with grief. Nay, sometimes, life itself is lost for the\nsake of wealth! The abandonment of wealth produces misery, and even they\nthat are cherished by one's wealth become enemies for the sake of that\nwealth! When, therefore, the possession of wealth is fraught with such\nmisery, one should not mind its loss. It is the ignorant alone who are\ndiscontented. The wise, however, are always content. The thirst of\nwealth can never be assuaged. Contentment is the highest happiness;\ntherefore, it is, that the wise regard contentment as the highest object\nof pursuit. The wise knowing the instability of youth and beauty, of\nlife and treasure-hoards, of prosperity and the company of the loved\nones, never covet them. Therefore, one should refrain from the\nacquisition of wealth, bearing the pain incident to it. None that is\nrich is free from trouble, and it is for this that the virtuous applaud\nthem that are free from the desire of wealth. And as regards those that\npursue wealth for purposes of virtue, it is better for them to refrain\naltogether from such pursuit, for, surely, it is better not to touch\nmire at all than to wash it off after having been besmeared with it.\nAnd, O Yudhishthira, it behoveth thee not to covet anything! And if thou\nwouldst have virtue, emancipate thyself from desire of worldly\npossessions!'\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'O Brahmana, this my desire of wealth is not for\nenjoying it when obtained. It is only for the support of the Brahmanas\nthat I desire it and not because I am actuated by avarice! For what\npurpose, O Brahmana, doth one like us lead a domestic life, if he cannot\ncherish and support those that follow him? All creatures are seen to\ndivide the food (they procure) amongst those that depend on them.[1] So\nshould a person leading a domestic life give a share of his food to\n_Yatis_ and _Brahmacharins_ that have renounced cooking for themselves.\nThe houses of the good men can never be in want of grass (for seat),\nspace (for rest), water (to wash and assuage thirst), and fourthly,\nsweet words. To the weary a bed,--to one fatigued with standing, a\nseat,--to the thirsty, water,--and to the hungry, food should ever be\ngiven. To a guest are due pleasant looks and a cheerful heart and sweet\nwords. The host, rising up, should advance towards the guest, offer him\na seat, and duly worship him. Even this is eternal morality. They that\nperform not the _Agnihotra_,[2] do not wait upon bulls, nor cherish\ntheir kinsmen and guests and friends and sons and wives and servants,\nare consumed with sin for such neglect. None should cook his food for\nhimself alone and none should slay an animal without dedicating it to\nthe gods, the _pitris_, and guests. Nor should one eat of that food\nwhich hath not been duly dedicated to the gods and _pitris_. By\nscattering food on the earth, morning and evening, for (the behoof of)\ndogs and _Chandalas_ and birds, should a person perform the _Viswedeva_\nsacrifice.[3] He that eateth the _Vighasa_, is regarded as eating\nambrosia. What remaineth in a sacrifice after dedication to the gods and\nthe _pitris_ is regarded as ambrosia; and what remaineth after feeding\nthe guest is called _Vighasa_ and is equivalent to ambrosia itself.\nFeeding a guest is equivalent to a sacrifice, and the pleasant looks the\nhost casteth upon the guest, the attention he devoteth to him, the sweet\nwords in which he addresseth him, the respect he payeth by following\nhim, and the food and drink with which he treateth him, are the five\n_Dakshinas_[4] in that sacrifice. He who giveth without stint food to a\nfatigued wayfarer never seen before, obtaineth merit that is great, and\nhe who leading a domestic life, followeth such practices, acquireth\nreligious merit that is said to be very great. O Brahmana, what is thy\nopinion on this?'\n\n    [1] This seems to be the obvious. There is a different reading\n    however. For _Drie-cyate_--seen, some texts have\n    _Sasyate_--applauded. Nilakantha imagines that the meaning is\n    \"As distribution (of food) amongst the various classes of beings\n    like the gods, the _Pitris_, &c., is applauded &c., &c.\"\n\n    [2] A form of sacrifice which consists in pouring oblations of\n    clarified butter with prayers into a blazing fire. It is\n    obligatory on Brahmanas and Kshatriyas, except those that accept\n    certain vows of great austerity.\n\n    [3] The Viswedeva sacrifice is the offer of food to all\n    creatures of the earth (by scattering a portion).\n\n    [4] A gift. It may be of various kinds. The fees paid to\n    Brahmanas assisting at sacrifices and religious rites, such as\n    offering oblations to the dead, are _Dakshinas_, as also gifts\n    to Brahmanas on other occasions particularly when they are fed,\n    it being to this day the custom never to feed a Brahmana without\n    paying him a pecuniary fee. There can be no sacrifice, no\n    religious rite, without _Dakshina_.\n\n\"Saunaka said, 'Alas, this world is full of contradictions! That which\nshameth the good, gratifieth the wicked! Alas, moved by ignorance and\npassion and slaves of their own senses, even fools perform many acts of\n(apparent merit) to gratify in after-life their appetites! With eyes\nopen are these men led astray by their seducing senses, even as a\ncharioteer, who hath lost his senses, by restive and wicked steeds! When\nany of the six senses findeth its particular object, the desire\nspringeth up in the heart to enjoy that particular object. And thus when\none's heart proceedeth to enjoy the objects of any particular sense a\nwish is entertained which in its turn giveth birth to a resolve. And\nfinally, like unto an insect falling into a flame from love of light,\nthe man falleth into the fire of temptation, pierced by the shafts of\nthe object of enjoyment discharged by the desire constituting the seed\nof the resolve! And thenceforth blinded by sensual pleasure which he\nseeketh without stint, and steeped in dark ignorance and folly which he\nmistaketh for a state of happiness, he knoweth not himself! And like\nunto a wheel that is incessantly rolling, every creature, from ignorance\nand deed and desire, falleth into various states in this world,\nwandering from one birth to another, and rangeth the entire circle of\nexistences from a _Brahma_ to the point of a blade of grass, now in\nwater, now on land, and now against in the air!\n\n\"'This then is the career of those that are without knowledge. Listen\nnow to the course of the wise they that are intent on profitable virtue,\nand are desirous of emancipation! The _Vedas_ enjoin act but _renounce_\n(interest in) action. Therefore, shouldst thou act, renouncing\n_Abhimana_,[5] performance of sacrifices, study (of the _Vedas_), gifts,\npenance, truth (in both speech and act), forgiveness, subduing the\nsenses, and renunciation of desire,--these have been declared to be the\neight (cardinal) duties constituting the true path. Of these, the four\nfirst pave the way to the world of the _pitris_. And these should be\npractised without _Abhimana_. The four last are always observed by the\npious, to attain the heaven of the gods. And the pure in spirit should\never follow these eight paths. Those who wish to subdue the world for\npurpose of salvation, should ever act fully renouncing motives,\neffectually subduing their senses, rigidly observing particular vows,\ndevotedly serving their preceptors, austerely regulating their fare,\ndiligently studying the _Vedas_, renouncing action as mean and\nrestraining their hearts. By renouncing desire and aversion the gods\nhave attained prosperity. It is by virtue of their wealth of yoga[6]\nthat the _Rudras_, and the _Sadhyas_, and the _Adityas_ and the _Vasus_,\nand the twin _Aswins_, rule the creatures. Therefore, O son of Kunti,\nlike unto them, do thou, O Bharata, entirely refraining from action with\nmotive, strive to attain success in _yoga_ and by ascetic austerities.\nThou hast already achieved such success so far as thy debts to thy\nancestors, both male and female concerned, and that success also which\nis derived from action (sacrifices). Do thou, for serving the regenerate\nones endeavour to attain success in penances. Those that are crowned\nwith ascetic success, can, by virtue of that success, do whatever they\nlist; do thou, therefore, practising asceticism realise all thy\nwishes.'\"\n\n    [5] Reference to self, i.e. without the motive of bettering\n    one's own self, or without any motive at all. (This contains the\n    germ of the doctrine preached more elaborately in the _Bhagavad\n    gita_.)\n\n    [6] This _Yoga_ consists, in their case, of a combination of\n    attributes by negation of the contrary ones, i.e. by\n    renunciation of motives in all they do.\n\n\nSECTION III\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Yudhishthira the son of Kunti, thus addressed by\nSaunaka, approached his priest and in the midst of his brothers said,\n'The Brahmanas versed in the _Vedas_ are following me who am departing\nfor the forest. Afflicted with many calamities I am unable to support\nthem. I cannot abandon them, nor have I the power to offer them\nsustenance: Tell me, O holy one, what should be done by me in such a\npass.'\"\n\nVaisampayana said, \"After reflecting for a moment seeking to find out\nthe (proper) course by his _yoga_ powers, Dhaumya, that foremost of all\nvirtuous men, addressed Yudhishthira, in these words, 'In days of old,\nall living beings that had been created were sorely afflicted with\nhunger. And like a father (unto all of them), _Savita_ (the sun) took\ncompassion upon them. And going first into the northern declension, the\nsun drew up water by his rays, and coming back to the southern\ndeclension, stayed over the earth, with his heat centered in himself.\nAnd while the sun so stayed over the earth, the lord of the vegetable\nworld (the moon), converting the effects of the solar heat (vapours)\ninto clouds and pouring them down in the shape of water, caused plants\nto spring up. Thus it is the sun himself, who, drenched by the lunar\ninfluence, is transformed, upon the sprouting of seeds, into holy\nvegetable furnished with the six tastes. And it is these which\nconstitute the food of all creatures upon the earth. Thus the food that\nsupporteth the lives of creatures is instinct with solar energy, and the\nsun is, therefore, the father of all creatures. Do thou, hence, O\nYudhishthira, take refuge even in him. All illustrious monarchs of pure\ndescent and deeds are known to have delivered their people by practising\nhigh asceticism. The great Karttavirya, and Vainya and Nahusha, had all,\nby virtue of ascetic meditation preceded by vows, delivered their people\nfrom heavy afflictions. Therefore, O virtuous one, as thou art purified\nby the acts do thou likewise, entering upon a file of austerities. O\nBharata, virtuously support the regenerate ones.'\"\n\nJanamejaya said, \"How did that bull among the Kurus, king Yudhishthira,\nfor the sake of the Brahmanas adore the sun of wonderful appearance?\"\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Listen attentively, O king, purifying thyself and\nwithdrawing thy mind from every other thing. And, O king of kings,\nappoint thou a time. I will tell thee everything in detail, And, O\nillustrious one, listen to the one hundred and eight names (of the sun)\nas they were disclosed of old by Dhaumya to the high-souled son of\nPritha. Dhaumya said, 'Surya, Aryaman, Bhaga, Twastri, Pusha, Arka,\nSavitri, Ravi, Gabhastimat, Aja, Kala, Mrityu, Dhatri, Prabhakara,\nPrithibi, Apa, Teja, Kha, Vayu, the sole stay, Soma, Vrihaspati, Sukra,\nBudha, Angaraka, Indra, Vivaswat, Diptanshu, Suchi, Sauri, Sanaichara,\nBrahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Skanda, Vaisravana, Yama, Vaidyutagni,\nJatharagni, Aindhna, Tejasampati, Dharmadhwaja, Veda-karttri, Vedanga,\nVedavahana, Krita, Treta, Dwapara, Kali, full of every impurity, Kala,\nKastha, Muhurtta, Kshapa, Yama, and Kshana; Samvatsara-kara, Aswattha,\nKalachakra, Bibhavasu, Purusha, Saswata, Yogin, Vyaktavyakta, Sanatana,\nKaladhyaksha, Prajadhyaksha, Viswakarma, Tamounda, Varuna, Sagara, Ansu,\nJimuta, Jivana, Arihan, Bhutasraya, Bhutapati, Srastri, Samvartaka,\nVanhi, Sarvadi, Alolupa, Ananta, Kapila, Bhanu, Kamada, Sarvatomukha,\nJaya, Visata, Varada, Manas, Suparna, Bhutadi, Sighraga, Prandharana,\nDhanwantari, Dhumaketu, Adideva, Aditisuta, Dwadasatman, Aravindaksha,\nPitri, Matri, Pitamaha, Swarga-dwara, Prajadwara, Mokshadwara,\nTripistapa, Dehakarti, Prasantatman, Viswatman, Viswatomukha,\nCharacharatman, Sukhsmatman, the merciful Maitreya. These are the\nhundred and eight names of Surya of immeasurable energy, as told by the\nself-create (Brahma). For the acquisition of prosperity, I bow down to\nthee, O Bhaskara, blazing like unto gold or fire, who is worshipped of\nthe gods and the _Pitris_ and the Yakshas, and who is adored by Asuras,\nNisacharas, and Siddhas. He that with fixed attention reciteth this hymn\nat sunrise, obtaineth wife and offspring and riches and the memory of\nhis former existence, and by reciting this hymn a person attaineth\npatience and memory. Let a man concentrating his mind, recite this hymn.\nBy doing so, he shall be proof against grief and forest-fire and ocean\nand every object of desire shall be his.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Having heard from Dhaumya these words suitable\nto the occasion, Yudhishthira the just, with heart concentrated within\nitself and purifying it duly, became engaged in austere meditation,\nmoved by the desire of supporting the Brahmanas. And worshipping the\nmaker of day with offerings of flowers and other articles, the king\nperformed his ablutions. And standing in the stream, he turned his face\ntowards the god of day. And touching the water of the Ganges the\nvirtuous Yudhishthira with senses under complete control and depending\nupon air alone for his sustenance, stood there with rapt soul engaged in\n_pranayama_.[7] And having purified himself and restrained his speech,\nhe began to sing the hymn of praise (to the sun).\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'Thou art, O sun, the eye of the universe. Thou art\nthe soul of all corporeal existences. Thou art the origin of all things.\nThou art the embodiment of the acts of all religious men. Thou art the\nrefuge of those versed in the _Sankhya_ philosophy (the mysteries of the\nsoul), and thou art the support of the _Yogins_. Thou art a door\nunfastened with bolts. Thou art the refuge of those wishing for\nemancipation. Thou sustainest and discoverest the world, and sanctifiest\nand supportest it from pure compassion. Brahmanas versed in the _Vedas_\nappearing before thee, adore thee in due time, reciting the hymns from\nthe respective branches (of the _Vedas_) they refer. Thou art the adored\nof the _Rishis_. The _Siddhas_, and the _Charanas_ and the _Gandharvas_\nand the _Yakshas_, and the _Guhyakas_, and the _Nagas_, desirous of\nobtaining boons follow thy car coursing through the skies. The\nthirty-three gods[8] with Upendra (Vishnu) and Mahendra, and the order\nof Vaimanikas[9] have attained success by worshipping thee. By offering\nthee garlands of the celestial _Mandaras_[10] the best of the\n_Vidyadharas_ have obtained all their desires. The _Guhyas_ and the\nseven orders of the _Pitris_--both divine and human--have attained\nsuperiority by adoring thee alone. The _Vasus_, the _Manilas_, and the\n_Rudras_, the _Sadhyas_, the _Marichipas_, the _Valikhilyas_, and the\n_Siddhas_, have attained pre-eminence by bowing down unto thee. There is\nnothing that I know in the entire seven worlds, including that of Brahma\nwhich is beyond thee. There are other beings both great and endued with\nenergy; but none of them hath thy lustre and energy. All light is in\nthee, indeed, thou art the lord of all light. In thee are the (five)\nelements and all intelligence, and knowledge and asceticism and the\nascetic properties.[11] The discus by which the wielder of the\n_Saranga_[12] humbleth the pride of Asuras and which is furnished with a\nbeautiful nave, was forged by Viswakarman with thy energy. In summer\nthou drawest, by thy rays, moisture from all corporeal existences and\nplants and liquid substances, and pourest it down in the rainy season.\nThy rays warm and scorch, and becoming as clouds roar and flash with\nlightning and pour down showers when the season cometh. Neither fire nor\nshelter, nor woolen cloths give greater comfort to one suffering from\nchilling blasts than thy rays. Thou illuminest by thy rays the whole\nEarth with her thirteen islands. Thou alone are engaged in the welfare\nof the three worlds. If thou dost not rise, the universe becometh blind\nand the learned cannot employ themselves in the attainment of virtue,\nwealth and profit. It is through thy grace that the (three) orders of\nBrahmanas, Kshatriyas and Vaisyas are able to perform their various\nduties and sacrifices.[13] Those versed in chronology say that thou art\nthe beginning and thou the end of a day of Brahma, which consisteth of a\nfull thousand _Yugas_. Thou art the lord of Manus and of the sons of the\nManus, of the universe and of man, of the _Manwantaras_, and their\nlords. When the time of universal dissolution cometh, the fire\n_Samvartaka_ born of thy wrath consumeth the three worlds and existeth\nalone. And clouds of various hues begotten of thy rays, accompanied by\nthe elephant Airavata and the thunderbolt, bring about the appointed\ndeluges. And dividing thyself into twelve parts and becoming as many\nsuns, thou drinkest up the ocean once more with thy rays. Thou art\ncalled Indra, thou art Vishnu, thou art Brahma, thou art Prajapati. Thou\nart fire and thou art the subtle mind. And thou art lord and the eternal\n_Brahma_. Thou art _Hansa_, thou art _Savitri_, thou art _Bhanu_,\n_Ansumalin_, and _Vrishakapi_. Thou art _Vivaswan, Mihira, Pusha, Mitra_,\nand _Dharma_. Thou art thousand-rayed, thou art _Aditya_, and _Tapana_,\nand the lord of rays. Thou art _Martanda_, and _Arka_, and _Ravi_, and\n_Surya_ and _Saranya_ and maker of day, and _Divakara_ and\n_Suptasaspti_, and _Dhumakeshin_ and _Virochana_. Thou art spoken of as\nswift of speed and the destroyer of darkness, and the possessor of\nyellow steeds. He that reverentially adoreth thee on the sixth or the\nseventh lunar day with humility and tranquillity of mind, obtaineth the\ngrace of Lakshmi. They that with undivided attention adore and worship\nthee, are delivered from all dangers, agonies, and afflictions. And they\nthat hold that thou art everywhere (being the soul of all things) living\nlong, freed from sin and enjoying an immunity from all diseases. O lord\nof all food, it behoveth thee to grant food in abundance unto me who am\ndesirous of food even for entertaining all my guests with reverence. I\nbow also to all those followers of thine that have taken refuge at thy\nfeet--_Mathara_ and _Aruna_ and _Danda_ and others, including _Asani_\nand _Kshuva_ and the others. And I bow also to the celestial mothers of\nall creatures, _viz_., Kshuva and _Maitri_ and the others of the class.\nO, let them deliver me their supplicant.'\"\n\n    [7] A form of _Yoga_ that is said to consist in the mingling of\n    some of the air supposed to exist in every animal body. These\n    airs are five: _Prana, Apana, Samana, Udana_, and _Vyana_.\n\n    [8] The 8 _Vasus_, the 11 _Rudras_, the 12 _Adityas_,\n   _Prajapati_, and _Vashatkara_.\n\n    [9] An order of celestials.\n\n    [10] Celestial flowers of much fragrance.\n\n    [11] The ascetic properties are _Anima_, _Laghima_, etc.\n\n    [12] The bow of Vishnu, as that of Siva is called _Pinaka_.\n\n    [13] The words of the text are _Adhana_, _Pashubandha_, _Ishti\n    Mantra_, _Yajana_ and _Tapa-kriya_.\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Thus, O great king, was the sun that purifier of the\nworld, adored (by Yudhishthira). And pleased with the hymn, the maker of\nday, self-luminous, and blazing like fire showed himself to the son of\nPandu. And Vivaswan said, 'Thou shall obtain all that thou desirest. I\nshall provide thee with food for five and seven years together. And, O\nking, accept this copper-vessel which I give unto thee. And, O thou of\nexcellent vows, as long as Panchali will hold this vessel, without\npartaking of its contents fruits and roots and meat and vegetables\ncooked in thy kitchen, these four kinds of food shall from this day be\ninexhaustible. And, on the fourteenth year from this, thou shall regain\nthy kingdom.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Having said this, the god vanished away. He\nthat, with the desire of obtaining a boon, reciteth this hymn\nconcentrating his mind with ascetic abstraction, obtaineth it from the\nsun, however difficult of acquisition it may be that he asketh for. And\nthe person, male or female, that reciteth or heareth this hymn day after\nday, if he or she desireth for a son, obtaineth one, and if riches,\nobtaineth them, and if learning acquireth that too. And the person male\nor female, that reciteth this hymn every day in the two twilights, if\novertaken by danger, is delivered from it, and if bound, is freed from\nthe bonds. Brahma himself had communicated this hymn to the illustrious\nSakra, and from Sakra was it obtained by Narada and from Narada, by\nDhaumya. And Yudhishthira, obtaining it from Dhaumya, attained all his\nwishes. And it is by virtue of this hymn that one may always obtain\nvictory in war, and acquire immense wealth also. And it leadeth the\nreciter from all sins, to the solar region.\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Having obtained the boon, the virtuous son of\nKunti, rising from the water, took hold of Dhaumya's feet and then\nembraced his brother's. And, O exalted one, wending then with Draupadi\nto the kitchen, and adored by her duly, the son of Pandu set himself to\ncook (their day's) food. And the clean food, however little, that was\ndressed, furnished with the four tastes, increased and became\ninexhaustible. And with it Yudhishthira began to feed the regenerate\nones. And after the Brahmanas had been fed, and his younger brothers\nalso, Yudhishthira himself ate of the food that remained, and which is\ncalled _Vighasa_. And after Yudhishthira had eaten, the daughter of\nPrishata took what remained. And after she had taken her meal, the day's\nfood became exhausted.\n\n\"And having thus obtained the boon from the maker of day, the son of\nPandu, himself as resplendent as that celestial, began to entertain the\nBrahmanas agreeably to their wishes. And obedient to their priest, the\nsons of Pritha, on auspicious lunar days and constellations and\nconjunctions, performed sacrifices according to the ordinance, the\nscriptures, and the _Mantras_. After the sacrifices, the sons of Pandu,\nblessed by the auspicious rites performed by Dhaumya and accompanied by\nhim, and surrounded also by the Brahmanas set out for the woods of\n_Kamyaka_.\"\n\n\nSECTION IV\n\nVaisampayana said,--\"After the Pandavas had gone to the forest,\nDhritarashtra the son of Amvika, whose knowledge was his eye,[14] became\nexceedingly sorrowful. And seated at his ease the king addressed these\nwords to the virtuous Vidura of profound intelligence, 'Thy\nunderstanding is as clear as that of Bhargava.[15] Thou knowest also all\nthe subtleties of morality, and thou lookest on all the Kauravas with an\nequal eye. O, tell me what is proper for me and them. O Vidura, things\nhaving thus taken their course, what should we do now? How may I secure\nthe goodwill of the citizens so that they may not destroy us to the\nroots? O, tell us all, since thou art conversant with every excellent\nexpedient.'\n\n    [14] Dhritarashtra being blind is described as _Pragnachakshu,\n    i.e._ having knowledge for his eye. It may also mean. \"Of the\n    prophetic eye.\"\n\n    [15] The great preceptor of the Asuras, _viz., Sukra_,\n    possessing the highest intelligence as evidenced by his various\n    works on all manner of subjects particularly, the _Sukra-niti_.\n\n\"Vidura said, 'The three-fold purposes, O king (_viz_., profit,\npleasure, and salvation), have their foundations in virtue, and the\nsages say that a kingdom also standeth on virtue as its basis.\nTherefore, O monarch, according to the best of thy power, cherish thou\nvirtuously thy own sons and those of Pandu. That virtue had been\nbeguiled by wicked souls with Suvala's son at their head, when thy sons\ninvited the righteous Yudhishthira and defeated him in the match at\ndice. O king, of this deed of utter iniquity I behold this expiation\nwhereby, O chief of the Kurus, thy son, freed from sin, may win back his\nposition among good men. Let the sons of Pandu, obtain that which was\ngiven unto them by thee. For, verily, even this is the highest morality\nthat a king should remain content with his own, and never covet\nanother's possessions. Thy good name then would not suffer nor would\nfamily dissensions ensue, nor unrighteousness be thine. This then is thy\nprime duty now,--to gratify the Pandavas and disgrace Sakuni. If thou\nwishest to restore to thy sons the good fortune they have lost, then, O\nking, do thou speedily adopt this line of conduct. If thou dost not act\nso, the Kurus will surely meet with destruction, for neither Bhimasena\nnor Arjuna, if angry, will leave any of their foes unslain. What is\nthere in the world which is unattainable to those who cannot among their\nwarriors _Savyasachin_ skilled in arms; who have the Gandiva, the most\npowerful of all weapons in the world, for their bow; and who have\namongst them the mighty Bhima also as a warrior? Formerly, as soon as\nthy son was born, I told thee,--_Forsake thou this inauspicious child of\nthine. Herein lieth the good of thy race._--But thou didst not then act\naccordingly. Nor also, O king, have I pointed out to thee the way of thy\nwelfare. If thou doest as I have counselled, thou shalt not have to\nrepent afterwards. If thy son consent to reign in peace jointly with the\nsons of Pandu, passing thy days in joy thou shalt not have to repent.\nShould it be otherwise, abandon thou thy child for thy own happiness.\nPutting Duryodhana aside, do thou install the son of Pandu in the\nsovereignty, and let, O king, Ajatasatru, free from passion, rule the\nearth virtuously. All the kings of the earth, then, like Vaisyas, will,\nwithout delay, pay homage unto us. And, O king, let Duryodhana and\nSakuni and Karna with alacrity wait upon the Pandavas. And let\nDussasana, in open court, ask forgiveness of Bhimasena and of the\ndaughter of Drupada also. And do thou pacify Yudhishthira by placing him\non the throne with every mark of respect. Asked by thee, what else can I\ncounsel thee to do? By doing this, O monarch, thou wouldst do what was\nproper.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'These words, O Vidura, then thou hast spoken in\nthis assembly, with reference to the Pandavas and myself, are for their\ngood but not for ours. My mind doth not approve them. How hast thou\nsettled all this in thy mind now? When thou hast spoken all this on\nbehalf of the Pandavas, I perceive that thou art not friendly to me. How\ncan I abandon my son for the sake of the sons of Pandu? Doubtless they\nare my sons, but Duryodhana is sprung from my body. Who then, speaking\nwith impartiality, will ever counsel me to renounce my own body for the\nsake of others? O Vidura, all that thou sayest is crooked, although I\nhold thee in high esteem. Stay or go as thou likest. However much may\nshe be humoured, an unchaste will forsaketh her husband.'\"\n\nVaisampayana said, \"O king, saying this Dhritarashtra rose suddenly and\nwent into the inner apartments. And Vidura, saying 'This race is doomed'\nwent away to where the sons of Pritha were.\"\n\n\nSECTION V\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Desirous of living in the forest, those bulls of the\nBharata race, the Pandavas, with their followers, setting out from the\nbanks of the Ganges went to the field of Kurukshetra. And performing\ntheir ablutions in the Saraswati, the Drisadwati and the Yamuna, they\nwent from one forest to another, travelling in an westernly direction.\nAnd at length they saw before them the woods, Kamyaka, the favourite\nhaunt of _Munis_, situated by a level and wild plain on the banks of the\nSaraswati. And in those woods, O Bharata, abounding in birds and deer,\nthose heroes began to dwell, entertained and comforted by the Munis. And\nVidura always longing to see the Pandavas, went in a single car to the\nKamyaka woods abounding in every good thing. And arriving at Kamyaka on\na car drawn by swift steeds, he saw Yudhishthira the just, sitting with\nDraupadi at a retired spot, surrounded by his brothers and the\nBrahmanas. And seeing Vidura approach from a distance with swift steps,\nthe virtuous king addressed brother Bhimasena, saying, 'With what\nmessage doth Kshatta come to us? Doth he come hither, despatched by\nSakuni, to invite us again to a game of dice? Doth the little-minded\nSakuni intend to win again our weapons at dice? O Bhimasena, challenged\nby any one addressing me,--Come, I am unable to stay. And if our\npossession of the _Gandiva_ becomes doubtful, will not the acquisition\nof our kingdom also be so.'\"\n\nVaisampayana said, \"O king, the Pandavas then rose up and welcomed\nVidura. And received by them, that descendant of the Ajamida line\n(Vidura) sat in their midst and made the usual enquiries. And after\nVidura had rested awhile, those bulls among men asked him the reason of\nhis coming. And Vidura began to relate unto them in detail everything\nconnected with the bearing of Dhritarashtra the son of Amvika.\n\n\"Vidura said, 'O Ajatasatru, Dhritarashtra called me, his dependant,\nbefore him and honouring me duly said, \"Things have fared thus. Now, do\nthou tell me what is good for the Pandavas as well as for me.\" I pointed\nout what was beneficial to both the Kauravas and Dhritarashtra. But what\nI said was not relished by him, nor could I hit upon any other course.\nWhat I advised was, O Pandavas, highly beneficial, but the son of Amvika\nheeded me not. Even as medicine recommendeth itself not to one that is\nill, so my words failed to please the king. And, O thou without a foe,\nas all unchaste wile in the family of a man of pure descent cannot be\nbrought back to the path of virtue, so I failed to bring Dhritarashtra\nback. Indeed, as a young damsel doth not like a husband of three score,\neven so Dhritarashtra did not like my words. Surely, destruction will\novertake the Kuru race, surely Dhritarashtra will never acquire good\nfortune. For, as water dropped on a lotus-leaf doth not remain there, my\ncounsels will fail to produce any effect to Dhritarashtra. The incensed\nDhritarashira told me, O Bharata, go thou thither where thou likest.\nNever more shall I seek thy aid in ruling the earth or my capital,--O\nbest of monarchs, forsaken by king Dhritarashtra, I come to thee for\ntendering good counsel. What I had said in the open court, I will now\nrepeat unto thee. Listen, and bear my words in mind,--that wise man who\nbearing all the gross wrong heaped upon him by his enemies, patiently\nbideth his time, and multiplieth his resources even as men by degrees\nturn a small fire into a large one, ruleth alone this entire earth. He\nthat (in prosperity) enjoyeth his substance with his adherents findeth\nin them sharers of his adversity,--this is the best means of securing\nadherents, and it is said that he that hath adherents, winneth the\nsovereignty of the world! And, O Pandava, dividing thy prosperity with\nthy adherents, behave truthfully towards them, and converse with them\nagreeably! Share also your food with them! And never boast thyself in\ntheir presence! This behaviour increaseth the prosperity of kings!'\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'Having recourse to such high intelligence,\nundisturbed by passion, I will do as thou counsellest! And whatever else\nthou mayst counsel in respect of time and place, I will carefully follow\nentirely.'\"\n\n\nSECTION VI\n\nVaisampayana said, \"O king, after Vidura had gone to the abode of the\nPandavas, Dhritarashtra, O Bharata, of profound wisdom, repented of his\naction. And thinking of the great intelligence of Vidura in matters\nconnected with both war and peace, and also of the aggrandisement of the\nPandavas in the future, Dhritarashtra, pained at the recollection of\nVidura, having approached the door of the hall of state fell down\nsenseless in the presence of the monarchs (in waiting). And regaining\nconsciousness, the king rose from the ground and thus addressed Sanjaya\nstanding by, 'My brother and friend is even like the god of justice\nhimself! Recollecting him today, my heart burneth in grief! Go, bring\nunto me without delay my brother well-versed in morality!' Saying this,\nthe monarch wept bitterly. And burning in repentance, and overwhelmed\nwith sorrow at the recollection of Vidura, the king, from brotherly\naffection, again addressed Sanjaya saying, 'O Sanjaya, go thou and\nascertain whether my brother, expelled by my wretched self through\nanger, liveth still! That wise brother of mine of immeasurable\nintelligence hath never been guilty of even the slightest transgression,\nbut, on the other hand, he it is who hath come by grievous wrong at my\nhands! Seek him, O wise one, and bring him hither; else, O Sanjaya, I\nwill lay down my life!'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Hearing these words of the king, Sanjaya\nexpressed his approbation, and saying 'So be it,' went in the direction\nof the Kamyaka woods. And arriving without loss of time at the forest\nwhere the sons of Pandu dwelt, he beheld Yudhishthira clad in deer-skin,\nseated with Vidura, in the midst of Brahmanas by thousands and guarded\nby his brothers, even like Purandara in the midst of the celestials! And\napproaching Yudhishthira, Sanjaya worshipped him duly and was received\nwith due respect by Bhima and Arjuna and the twins. And Yudhishthira\nmade the usual enquiries about his welfare and when he had been seated\nat his ease, he disclosed the reason of his visit, in these words, 'King\nDhritarashtra, the son of Amvika, hath, O Kshatta! remembered thee!\nReturning unto him without loss of time, do thou revive the king! And, O\nthou best of men, with the permission of these Kuru princes--these\nforemost of men--it behoveth thee, at the command of that lion among\nkings, to return unto him!'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Thus addressed by Sanjaya, the intelligent\nVidura, ever attached to his relatives, with the permission of\nYudhishthira returned to the city named after the elephant. And after he\nhad approached the king, Dhritarashtra of great energy, the son of\nAmvika, addressed him, saying, 'From my good luck alone, O Vidura, thou,\nO sinless one, of conversant with morality, hast come here remembering\nme! And, O thou bull of the Bharata race, in thy absence I was beholding\nmyself, sleepless through the day and the night, as one that hath been\nlost on earth!' And the king then took Vidura on his lap and smelt his\nhead, and said, 'Forgive me, O sinless one, the words in which thou wert\naddressed by me!' And Vidura said, 'O king, I have forgiven thee. Thou\nart my superior, worthy of the highest reverence! Here am I, having come\nback, eagerly wishing to behold thee! All virtuous men, O tiger among\nmen, are (instinctively) partial towards those that are distressed!\nThis, O king, is scarcely the result of deliberation! (My partiality to\nthe Pandavas proceedeth from this cause)! O Bharata, thy sons are as\ndear to me as the sons of Pandu, but as the latter are now in distress,\nmy heart yearneth after them!'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"And addressing each other thus in apologetic\nspeeches, the two illustrious brothers, Vidura and Dhritarashtra, felt\nthemselves greatly happy!\"\n\n\nSECTION VII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Hearing that Vidura had returned, and that the king\nhad consoled him, the evil-minded son of Dhritarashtra began to burn in\ngrief. His understanding clouded by ignorance, he summoned the son of\nSuvala, and Karna and Dussasana, and addressed them saying, 'The learned\nVidura, the minister of the wise Dhritarashtra, hath returned! The\nfriend of the sons of Pandu, he is ever engaged in doing what is\nbeneficial to them. So long as this Vidura doth not succeed in inducing\nthe king to bring them back, do ye all think of what may benefit me! If\never I behold the sons of Pritha return to the city, I shall again be\nemaciated by renouncing food and drink, even though there be no obstacle\nin my path! And I shall either take poison or hang myself, either enter\nthe pyre or kill myself with my own weapons. But I shall never be able\nto behold the sons of Pandu in prosperity!'\n\n\"Sakuni said, 'O king, O lord of the earth, what folly hath taken\npossession of thee! The Pandavas have gone to the forest, having given a\nparticular pledge, so that what thou apprehendest can never take place!\nO bull of the Bharata race, the Pandavas ever abide by the truth. They\nwill never, therefore, accept the words of thy father! If however,\naccepting the commands of the king, they come back to the capital,\nviolating their vow, even this would be our conduct, viz., assuming, an\naspect of neutrality, and in apparent obedience to the will of the\nmonarch, we will closely watch the Pandavas, keeping our counsels!'\n\n\"Dussasana said, 'O uncle of great intelligence, it is even as thou\nsayest! The words of wisdom thou utterest always recommend themselves to\nme!' Karna said, 'O Duryodhana, all of us seek to accomplish thy will\nand, O king, I see that unanimity at present prevaileth among us! The\nsons of Pandu, with passions under complete control, will never return\nwithout passing away the promised period. If, however, they do return\nfrom failing sense, do thou defeat them again at dice.'\"\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Thus addressed by Karna, king Duryodhana with\ncheerless heart, averted his face from his counsellors. Marking all\nthis, Karna expanding his beautiful eyes, and vehemently gesticulating\nin anger, haughtily addressed Duryodhana and Dussasana and Suvala's son\nsaying, 'Ye princes, know ye my opinion! We are all servants of the king\n(Duryodhana) waiting upon him with joined palms! We should, therefore,\ndo what is agreeable to him! But we are not always able to seek his\nwelfare with promptness and activity (owing to our dependence on\nDhritarashtra)! But let us now, encased in mail and armed with our\nweapons, mount our cars and go in a body to slay the Pandavas now living\nin the forest! After the Pandavas have been quieted and after they have\ngone on the unknown journey, both ourselves and the sons of\nDhritarashtra will find peace! As long as they are in distress, as long\nas they are in sorrow, as long as they are destitute of help, so long\nare we a match for them! This is my mind!'\n\n\"Hearing those words of the charioteer's son, they repeatedly applauded\nhim, and at last exclaimed, 'Very well!' And saying this each of them\nmounted his car, and sanguine of success, they rushed in a body to slay\nthe sons of Pandu. And knowing by his spiritual vision that they had\ngone out, the master Krishna-Dwaipayana of pure soul came upon them, and\ncommanded them to desist. And sending them away, the holy one,\nworshipped by all the worlds, quickly appeared before the king whose\nintelligence served the purposes of eye-sight, and who was then seated\n(at his ease). And the holy one addressed the monarch thus.\"\n\n\nSECTION VIII\n\n\"Vyasa said, 'O wise Dhritarashtra, hear what I say! I will tell thee\nthat which is for the great good of all the Kauravas! O thou of mighty\narms, it hath not pleased me that the Pandavas have gone to the forest\ndishonestly defeated (at dice) by Duryodhana and others! O Bharata, on\nthe expiration of the thirteenth year, recollecting all their woes, they\nmay shower death-dealing weapons, even like virulent poison, upon the\nKauravas! Why doth thy sinful son of wicked heart, ever inflamed with\nire, seek to slay the sons of Pandu for the sake of their kingdom? Let\nthe fool be restrained; let thy son remain quiet! In attempting to slay\nthe Pandavas in exile, he will only lose his own life. Thou art as\nhonest as the wise Vidura, or Bhishma, or ourselves, or Kripa, or Drona.\nO thou of great wisdom, dissension with one's own kin are forbidden,\nsinful and reprehensible! Therefore, O king, it behoveth thee to desist\nfrom such acts! And, O Bharata, Duryodhana looketh with such jealousy\ntowards the Pandavas that great harm would be the consequence, if thou\ndidst not interfere. Or let this wicked son of thine, O monarch, alone\nand unaccompanied, himself go to the forest and live with the sons of\nPandu. For then, if the Pandavas, from association, feel an attachment\nfor Duryodhana, then, O king of men, good fortune may be thine. (This,\nhowever, may not be)! For it hath been heard that one's congenital\nnature leaveth him not till death. But what do Bhishma and Drona and\nVidura think? What also dost thou think? That which is beneficial should\nbe done while there is time, else thy purposes will be unrealised.'\"\n\n\nSECTION IX\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'O holy one, I did not like this business of\ngambling, but, O Muni, I think, I was made to consent to it drawn by\nfate! Neither Bhishma, nor Drona, nor Vidura, nor Gandhari liked this\ngame at dice. No doubt, it was begot of folly. And, O thou who\ndelightest in the observance of vows, O illustrious one, knowing\neverything yet influenced by paternal affection, I am unable to cast off\nmy senseless son, Duryodhana!'\n\n\"Vyasa said, 'O king, O son of Vichitravirya, what thou sayest is true!\nWe know it well that a son is the best of all things and that there is\nnothing that is so good as a son. Instructed by the tears of Suravi,\nIndra came to know that the son surpasseth in worth other valuable\npossessions. O monarch, I will, in this connection, relate to thee that\nexcellent and best of stories, the conversation between Indra and\nSuravi. In days of yore, Suravi, the mother of cows was once weeping in\nthe celestial regions. O child, Indra took compassion upon her, and\nasked her, saying, \"O auspicious one! why dost thou weep? Is everything\nwell with the celestials? Hath any misfortune, ever so little, befallen\nthe world of men or serpents?\" Suravi replied, \"No evil hath befallen\nthee that I perceive. But I am aggrieved on account of my son, and it is\ntherefore, O Kausika, that I weep! See, O chief of the celestials,\nyonder cruel husbandman is belabouring my weak son with the wooden\nstick, and oppressing him with the (weight of the) plough, in\nconsequence of which my child agitated with agony is falling upon the\nground and is at the point of death. At sight of this, O lord of the\ncelestials, I am filled with compassion, and my mind is agitated! The\none that is the stronger of the pair is bearing his burthen of greater\nweight (with ease), but, O Vasava, the other is lean, and weak and is a\nmass of veins and arteries! He beareth his burthen with difficulty! And\nit is for him that I grieve. See, O Vasava, sore inflicted with the\nwhip, and harassed exceedingly, he is unable to bear his burthen. And it\nis for him that, moved by grief, I weep in heaviness of heart and these\ntears of compassion trickle down my eyes!\"\n\n\"'Sakra said, \"O fair one, when thousands of thy son are (daily)\noppressed, why dost thou grieve for one under infliction?\" Suravi\nreplied. \"Although I have a thousand offspring, yet my affections flow\nequally towards all! But, O Sakra, I feel greater compassion for one\nthat is weak and innocent!\"\n\n\"Vyasa continued, 'Then Indra having heard these words of Suravi, was\nmuch surprised, and O thou of the Kuru race, he became convinced that a\nson is dearer than one's life! And the illustrious chastiser of Paka\nthereupon suddenly poured there a thick shower and caused obstruction to\nthe husbandman's work. And as Suravi said, thy affections, O king,\nequally flow towards all thy sons. Let them be greater towards those\nthat are weak! And as my son Pandu is to me, so art thou, O son, and so\nalso Vidura of profound wisdom! It is out of affection that I tell you\nall this! O Bharata, thou art possessed of a hundred and one sons, but\nPandu hath only five. And they are in a bad plight and passing _their_\ndays in sorrow. _How may they save their lives, how may they thrive_\nsuch thoughts regarding the distressed sons of Pritha continually\nagitate my soul! O king of the earth, if thou desirest all the Kauravas\nto live, let thy son Duryodhana make peace with the Pandavas!'\"\n\n\nSECTION X\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'O Muni of profound wisdom, it is even as thou\nsayest! I know it well as do all these kings! Indeed, what thou\nconsiderest to be beneficial for the Kurus was pointed out to me, O\nMuni, by Vidura and Bhishma and Drona. And, if I deserve thy favour, and\nif thou hast kindness for the Kurus, do thou exhort my wicked son\nDuryodhana!'\n\n\"Vyasa said, 'O king, after having seen the Pandava brothers, here\ncometh the holy Rishi Maitreya, with the desire of seeing us. That\nmighty Rishi, O king, will admonish thy son for the welfare of this\nrace. And, O Kauravya, what he adviseth must be followed undoubtingly,\nfor if what he recommendeth is not done, the sage will curse thy son in\nanger.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Saying this, Vyasa departed, and Maitreya made\nhis appearance. And the king with his son respectfully received that\nway-worn chief of Munis, with offerings of the Arghya and other rites.\nAnd king Dhritarashtra, the son of Amvika, in words of respect thus\naddressed the sage, 'O holy one, hath journey from the _Kuru-jangala_\nbeen a pleasant one? Are those heroes, the five Pandavas living happily?\nDo those bulls of the Kuru race intend to stay out their time? Will the\nbrotherly affection of the Kauravas ever be impaired?'\n\n\"Maitreya said, 'Setting out on a pilgrimage to the different shrines, I\narrived at _Kuru-jangala_, and there I unexpectedly saw Yudhishthira the\njust in the woods of Kamyaka. And, O exalted one, many Munis had come\nthere to behold the high-souled Yudhishthira, dwelling in an ascetic\nasylum, clad in deer-skin and wearing matted locks. It was there, O king\nof kings, that I heard of the grave error committed by thy sons and the\ncalamity and terrible danger arisen from dice that had overtaken them.\nTherefore, it is that I have come to thee, for the good of the Kauravas,\nsince, O exalted one, my affection is great for thee and I am delighted\nwith thee! O king, it is not fit that thy sons should on any account\nquarrel with one another, thyself and Bhishma living. Thou art, O king,\nthe stake at which bulls are tied (in treading corn), and thou art\ncompetent to punish and reward! Why dost thou overlook then this great\nevil that is about to overtake all? And, O descendant of the Kurus, for\nthose wrongs that have been perpetrated in thy court, which are even\nlike the acts of wretched outcasts, thou art not well-thought amongst\nthe ascetics!'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Then turning to the wrathful prince Duryodhana,\nthe illustrious Rishi Maitreya addressed him in these soft words, 'O\nmighty-armed Duryodhana, O best of all eloquent men, O illustrious one,\ngive heed unto the words I utter for thy good! O king, seek not to\nquarrel with the Pandavas! And, O bull among men, compass thou thy own\ngood as also of the Pandavas, of the Kurus and of the world! All those\ntigers among men are heroes of high prowess in war, gifted with the\nstrength of ten thousand elephants, with bodies hard as the thunderbolt,\nholding fast by their promises, and proud of their manliness! They have\nslain the enemies of the celestials--those Rakshasas capable of assuming\nany form at will, such as were headed by Hidimva and Kirmira! When those\nhigh-souled ones went from hence that Rakshasa of fierce soul obstructed\ntheir nocturnal path even like an immoveable hill. And even as a tiger\nslayeth a little deer, Bhima, that foremost of all endued with strength,\nand ever delighted in fight, slew that monster. Consider also, O king,\nhow while out on his campaign of conquest, Bhima slew in battle that\nmighty warrior, Jarasandha, possessing the strength of ten thousand\nelephants. Related to Vasudeva and having the sons of king Drupada as\ntheir brothers-in-law, who that is subject to decrepitude and death\nwould undertake to cope with them in battle? O bull of the Bharata race,\nlet there be peace between thee and Pandavas! Follow thou my counsels\nand surrender not thyself to anger!'\n\n\"O king, thus admonished by Maitreya, Duryodhana began to slap his thigh\nresembling the trunk of the elephant, and smilingly began to scratch the\nground with his foot. And the wicked wretch spake not a word, but hung\ndown his head. And, O monarch, beholding Duryodhana thus offer him a\nslight by scratching the earth silently, Maitreya became angry. And, as\nif commissioned by fate, Maitreya, the best of Munis, overwhelmed by\nwrath, set his mind upon cursing Duryodhana! And then, with eyes red in\nanger, Maitreya, touching water, cursed the evil-minded son of\nDhritarashtra, saying, 'Since, slighting me thou declinest to act\naccording to my words, thou shalt speedily reap the fruit of this thy\ninsolence! In the great war which shall spring out of the wrongs\nperpetrated by thee, the mighty Bhima shall smash that thigh of thine\nwith a stroke of his mace!'\n\n\"When the Muni had spoken so, king Dhritarashtra began to pacify the\nsage, in order that what he had said might not happen. But Maitreya\nsaid, 'O king, if thy son concludeth peace with the Pandavas, this curse\nof mine, O child, will not take effect, otherwise it must be as I have\nsaid!'\"\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Desirous of ascertaining the might of Bhima, that\nforemost of kings, the father of Duryodhana, then asked Maitreya,\nsaying, 'How was Kirmira slain by Bhima?'\n\n\"Maitreya said, 'I shall not speak again unto thee, O king, for my words\nare not regarded by thy son. After I have gone away, Vidura will relate\neverything unto thee!' And saying this, Maitreya went away to the place\nwhence he had come. And Duryodhana also went out perturbed at the\ntidings of Kirmira's death (at the hand of Bhima).\"\n\n\nSECTION XI\n\n(Kirmirabadha Parva)\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'O Kshatta, I am desirous to hear of the\ndestruction of Kirmira! Do thou tell me how the encounter took place\nbetween the Rakshasa and Bhimasena!'\n\n\"Vidura said, 'Listen to the story of that feat of Bhimasena of\nsuperhuman achievements! I have often heard of it in course of my\nconversation with the Pandavas (while I was with them). O foremost of\nkings, defeated at dice the Pandavas departed from hence and travelling\nfor three days and nights they at length reached those woods that go by\nthe name of Kamyaka. O king, just after the dreadful hour of midnight\nwhen all nature is asleep, when man-eating Rakshasas of terrible deeds\nbegin to wander, the ascetics and the cowherds and other rangers of the\nforest used to shun the woods of Kamyaka and fly to a distance from fear\nof cannibals. And, O Bharata, as the Pandavas were at this hour entering\nthose woods a fearful Rakshasa of flaming eyes appeared before them with\na lighted brand, obstructing their path. And with outstretched arms and\nterrible face, he stood obstructing the way on which those perpetuators\nof the Kuru race were proceeding. With eight teeth standing out, with\neyes of coppery hue, and with the hair of his head blazing and standing\nerect, the fiend looked like a mass of clouds reflecting the rays of the\nsun or mingled with lightning flashes and graced with flocks of cranes\nunderneath on their wings. And uttering frightful yells and roaring like\na mass of clouds charged with rain, the fiend began to spread the\nillusion proper to his species. Hearing that terrible roar, birds along\nwith other creatures that live on land or in water, began to drop down\nin all directions, uttering cries of fear. And in consequence of the\ndeer and the leopards and the buffaloes and the bears flying about in\nall directions, it seemed as if the forest itself was in motion. And\nswayed by the wind raised by the sighs of the Rakshasa, creepers growing\nat a great distance seemed to embrace the trees with their arms of\ncoppery leaves. And at that moment, a violent wind began to blow, and\nthe sky became darkened with the dust that covered it. And as grief is\nthe greatest enemy of the object of the five senses, even so appeared\nbefore the Pandavas that unknown foe of theirs. And beholding the\nPandavas from a distance clad in black deer-skins, the Rakshasa\nobstructed their passage through the forest even like the _Mainaka_\nmountain. And at the sight of him never seen before the lotus-eyed\nKrishna, agitated with fear, closed her eyes. And she whose braids had\nbeen dishevelled by the hand of Dussasana, stationed in the midst of the\nfive Pandavas, looked like a stream chafing amid five hills. And seeing\nher overwhelmed with fear the five Pandavas supported her as the five\nsenses influenced by desire adhere to the pleasures relating to their\nobjects. And Dhaumya of great (ascetic) energy, in the presence of the\nsons of Pandu, destroyed the fearful illusion that had been spread by\nthe Rakshasa, by applying various _mantras_, calculated to destroy the\nRakshasa. And beholding his illusion dispelled, the mighty Rakshasa of\ncrooked ways, capable of assuming any form at will, expanded his eyes in\nwrath and seemed like death himself. Then king Yudhishthira, endued with\ngreat wisdom, addressed him saying, 'Who art thou, and whose (son)? Tell\nus what we should do for thee.' The Rakshasa thus addressed, answered\nYudhishthira the just, saying, 'I am the brother of Vaka, the celebrated\nKirmira. I live at ease in these deserted woods of Kamyaka, daily\nprocuring my food by vanquishing men in fight. Who are ye that have come\nnear me in the shape of my food? Defeating ye all in fight, I will eat\nye with pleasure.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"O Bharata, hearing these words of the wretch,\nYudhishthira announced his own name and lineage, saying, 'I am king\nYudhishthira the just, the son of Pandu, of whom thou mayst have heard.\nDeprived of my kingdom, I have with my brothers Bhimasena and Arjuna and\nthe others, in course of my wanderings, come into this terrible forest\nwhich is thy dominion, desirous of passing my period of exile here!'\n\n\"Vidura continued, 'Kirmira said unto Yudhishthira, \"By good luck it is\nthat fate hath accomplished today my long-accomplished desire! With\nweapons upraised have I been continually ranging the entire earth with\nthe object of slaying Bhima. But Bhima I had found not. By good luck it\nis that slayer of my brother, whom I had been seeking so long, hath come\nbefore me! It was he who in the disguise of a Brahmana slew my dear\nbrother Vaka in the _Vetrakiya_ forest by virtue of his science. He hath\ntruly no strength of arms! It is also this one of wicked soul who\nformerly slew my dear friend Hidimva, living in this forest and ravished\nhis sister! And that fool hath now come into this deep forest of mine,\nwhen the night is half spent, even at the time when we wander about!\nToday I will wreak my long-cherished vengeance upon him, and I will\ntoday gratify (the manes of) Vaka with his blood in plenty! By slaying\nthis enemy of the Rakshasas, I shall today be freed from the debt I owe\nto my friend and my brother, and thereby attain supreme happiness! If\nBhimasena was let free formerly by Vaka, today, I will devour him in thy\nsight, O Yudhishthira! And even as Agastya ate up and digested the\nmighty Asura (Vatapi) I will eat up and digest this Bhima!\"'\n\n\"Vidura continued, 'Thus addressed by the Rakshasa, the virtuous\nYudhishthira, steadfast in his pledges, said, \"It can never be so,\"--and\nin anger rebuked the Rakshasa. The mighty-armed Bhima then tore up in\nhaste a tree of the length of ten _Vyasas_ and stripped it of its\nleaves. And in the space of a moment the ever-victorious Arjuna stringed\nhis bow _Gandiva_ possessing the force of the thunderbolt. And, O\nBharata, making Jishnu desist, Bhima approached that Rakshasa still\nroaring like the clouds and said unto him, \"_Stay! Stay!_\" And thus\naddressing the cannibal, and tightening the cloth around his waist, and\nrubbing his palms, and biting his nether lip with his teeth, and armed\nwith the tree, the powerful Bhima rushed towards the foe. And like unto\nMaghavat hurling his thunderbolt, Bhima made that tree, resembling the\nmace of Yama himself descend with force on the head of the cannibal. The\nRakshasa, however, was seen to remain unmoved at that blow, and wavered\nnot in the conflict. On the other hand, he hurled his lighted brand,\nflaming like lightning, at Bhima. But that foremost of warriors turned\nit off with his left foot in such a way that it went back towards the\nRakshasa. Then the fierce Kirmira on his part, all on a sudden uprooting\na tree darted to the encounter like unto the mace-bearing Yama himself.\nAnd that fight, so destructive of the trees, looked like the encounter\nin days of yore between the brothers Vali and Sugriva for the possession\nof the same woman. And the trees struck at the heads of the combatants,\nwere broken into splinters, like lotus-stalks thrown on the temples of\ninfuriate elephants. And in that great forest, innumerable trees,\ncrushed like unto reeds, lay scattered as rags. That encounter with\ntrees between that foremost of Rakshasas and that best of men, O thou\nbull of the Bharata race, lasted but for a moment. Then taking up a\ncrag, the angry Rakshasa hurled it at Bhima standing before him, but the\nlatter wavered not. Then like unto Rahu going to devour the sun\ndispersing his rays with extended arms, the Rakshasa with out-stretched\narms darted towards Bhima, who had remained firm under the blow\ninflicted with the crag. And tugging at and grappling with each other in\ndiverse ways they appeared like two infuriate bulls struggling with each\nother. Or like unto two mighty tigers armed with teeth and claws, the\nencounter between them waxed fierce and hard. And remembering their\n(late) disgrace at the hands of Duryodhana, and proud of the strength of\nhis arms, and conscious also of Krishna looking at him, Vrikodara began\nto swell in vigour. And fired with anger, Bhima seized the Rakshasa with\nhis arms, as one elephant in rut seizeth another. And the powerful\nRakshasa also in his turn seized his adversary, but Bhimasena that\nforemost of all men endued with strength, threw the cannibal down with\nviolence. The sounds that in consequence of those mighty combatants\npressing each other's hands, were frightful and resembled the sounds of\nsplintering bamboos. And hurling the Rakshasa down, seized him by the\nwaist, and began to whirl him about, even as fierce hurricane shaketh a\ntree. And thus seized by the mighty Bhima, the fatigued Rakshasa, became\nfaint, and trembling all over, he still pressed the (Pandava) with all\nhis strength. And finding him fatigued, Vrikodara, twined his own arms\nround the foe, even as one bindeth a beast with cord. And the monster\nthereupon began to roar frightfully, as a trumpet out of order. And the\nmighty Vrikodara for a long while whirled the Rakshasa till the latter\nappeared to be insensible, and began to move convulsively. And finding\nthe Rakshasa exhausted, the son of Pandu without loss of time took him\nup in his arms, and slew him like a beast. And placing his knee on the\nwaist of that wretch of Rakshasa, _Vrikodara_ began to press the neck of\nthe foe with his hands. Then Bhima, dragging along the earth the bruised\nbody of the Rakshasa with the eye-lids about to close, said, \"O sinful\nwretch, thou wilt no more have to wipe away the tears of Hidimva or\nVaka, for thou too art about to go to the mansions of Yama!\" And saying\nthis, that foremost of men, his heart filled with wrath, beholding the\nRakshasa destitute of clothing and ornaments, and insensible, and\nundergoing convulsions, left him dead. And after that Rakshasa of hue\nlike the clouds had been slain, the son of that best of kings (Pandu)\npraised Bhima for his many qualities, and placing Krishna in their\nfront, set out for the Dwaita woods.'\n\n\"Vidura said, 'It was thus, O lord of men, that Kirmira was slain in\ncombat by Bhima, in obedience, O Kaurava, to the commands of\nYudhishthira the just! And having rid the forest of its pest, the\nvictorious Yudhishthira the just, began to live in that dwelling of\ntheirs, with Draupadi. And those bulls of the Bharata race comforting\nDraupadi began to cheerfully extol Bhima with glad hearts. And after the\nRakshasa had been slain, borne down by the might of Bhima's arms, those\nheroes entered into the peaceful forest freed from its annoyance.\nPassing through the great forest I saw lying the body of the wicked and\nfearless Rakshasa slain by Bhima's might. And, O Bharata, there I heard\nof this achievement of Bhima from those Brahmanas who have assembled\nround the Pandavas.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Hearing the account of the slaughter in combat\nof Kirmira, that foremost of Rakshasas, the king sighed in sorrow and\nbecame absorbed in thought.\"\n\n\nSECTION XII\n\n(Arjunabhigamana Parva)\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Hearing that the Pandavas had been banished, the\nBhojas, the Vrishnis, and the Andhakas went to those heroes residing in\naffliction in the great forest. And the consanguinous relatives of\nPanchala, and Dhrishtaketu the king of Chedi, and those celebrated and\npowerful brothers the Kaikeyas, their hearts fired with wrath, went to\nthe forest to see the sons of Pritha. And reproaching the sons of\nDhritarashtra, they said, 'What should we do?' And those bulls of the\nKshatriya race, with Vasudeva at their head, sat themselves down round\nYudhishthira the just. And respectfully saluting that foremost of the\nKurus, Kesava mournfully said, 'The earth shall drink the blood of\nDuryodhana and Karna, of Dussasana and the wicked Sakuni! Slaying these\nin battle and defeating their followers along with their royal allies,\nwill we all install Yudhishthira the just on the throne! The wicked\ndeserve to be slain! Verily, this is eternal morality.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"And when on account of the wrongs of Pritha's\nsons, Janardana had thus got into a passion, and seemed bent upon\nconsuming all created things, Arjuna exerted himself to pacify him. And\nbeholding Kesava angry, Phalguna began to recite the feats achieved in\nhis former lives by that soul of all things, himself immeasurable, the\neternal one, of infinite energy, the lord of _Prajapati_ himself, the\nsupreme ruler of the worlds, Vishnu of profound wisdom!'\n\n\"Arjuna said, 'In days of old, thou, O Krishna, hadst wandered on the\nGandhamadana mountains for ten thousand years as a _Muni_ having his\nhome where evening fell! Living upon water alone, thou hadst, in days of\nold, O Krishna, also dwelt for full eleven thousand years by the lake of\nPushkara! And, O slayer of Madhu, with arms upraised and standing on one\nleg, thou hadst passed a hundred years on the high hills of Vadari,[16]\nliving all the while upon air! And leaving aside thy upper garment, with\nbody emaciated and looking like a bundle of veins, thou hadst lived on\nthe banks of the Saraswati, employed in thy sacrifice extending for\ntwelve years! And, O Krishna of mighty energy, in observance of thy vow\nthou hadst stood on one leg for the length of a thousand years of the\ncelestials, on the plains of _Prabhasa_ which it behoveth the virtuous\nto visit! Vyasa hath told me that thou art the cause of the creation and\nits course! And, O Kesava, the lord of _Kshetra_,[17] thou art the mover\nof all minds, and the beginning and end of all things! All asceticism\nresteth in thee, and thou too art the embodiment of all sacrifices, and\nthe eternal one! Slaying the Asura Naraka, offspring of the Earth-first\nbegotten, thou hadst obtained his ear-rings, and performed, O Krishna,\nthe first horse-sacrifice (offering up that Asura as the sacrificial\nhorse)! And, O bull of all the worlds, having performed that feat, thou\nhast become victorious over all! Thou hadst slain all the _Daityas_ and\n_Danavas_ mustered in battle, and giving the lord of _Sachi_ (Indra) the\nsovereignty of the universe, thou hast, O Kesava of mighty arms, taken\nthy birth among men! O slayer of all foes, having floated on the\nprimordial waters, thou subsequently becamest _Hari_,[18] and _Brahma_\nand _Surya_ and _Dharma_, and _Dhatri_ and _Yama_ and _Anala_ and\n_Vasu_, and _Vaisravana_, and _Rudra_, and _Kala_ and the firmament, the\nearth, and the ten directions! Thyself increate, thou art the lord of\nthe mobile and the immobile universe, the Creator of all, O thou\nforemost of all existences! And, O slayer of Madhu, O thou of abundant\nenergy, in the forest of Chitraratha thou didst, O Krishna, gratify with\nthy sacrifice the chief of all the gods, the highest of the high! O\nJanardana, at each sacrifice thou didst offer, according to shares, gold\nby hundreds and thousands. And, O son of the Yadava race, becoming the\nson of Aditi, O exalted one of the supreme attributes, thou hast been\nknown as the younger brother of Indra! And, O thou chastiser of foes,\neven while a child thou didst, O Krishna, in consequence of thy energy,\nfill by three steps only the heaven, the firmament, and the earth! And,\nO thou soul of all covering the heaven and the firmament (while thou\nwert thus transformed), thou didst dwell in the body of the sun and\nafflict him with thy own splendour! And, O exalted one, in thy\nincarnations on those thousand occasions, thou hadst slain, O Krishna,\nsinful Asuras by hundreds! By destroying the _Mauravas_ and the\n_Pashas_, and slaying Nisunda and Naraka, thou hast again rendered safe\nthe road to Pragjyotisha! Thou hast slain Ahvriti at Jaruthi, and Kratha\nand Sisupala with his adherents, and Jarasandha and Saivya and\nSatadhanwan! And on thy car roaring like unto clouds and effulgent like\nthe sun, thou didst obtain for thy queen the daughter of Bhoja,\ndefeating Rukmi in battle! Thou didst in fury slay Indradyumna and the\n_Yavana_ called Kaseruman! And slaying Salwa the lord of Saubha, thou\ndidst destroy that city of Saubha itself! These have all been slain in\nbattle; listen to me as I speak of others (also slain by thee)! At\nIravati thou hast slain king Bhoja equal unto Karttavirya in battle, and\nboth Gopati and Talaketu also have been slain by thee! And, O Janardana,\nthou hast also appropriated unto thyself the sacred city of Dwarka,\nabounding in wealth and agreeable unto the _Rishi_ themselves, and thou\nwilt submerge it at the end within the ocean! O slayer of Madhu, how can\ncrookedness be in thee, devoid as thou art, O thou of the Dasarha race,\nof anger and envy and untruth and cruelty? O thou who knowest no\ndeterioration, all the _Rishis_, coming unto thee seated in thy glory on\nthe sacrificial ground, seek protection of thee! And, O slayer of Madhu,\nthou stayest at the end of the _Yuga_, contracting all things and\nwithdrawing this universe into thy own self, thou repressor of all foes!\nO thou of the Vrishni race, at the beginning of the Yuga, there sprang\nfrom thy lotus-like navel, Brahma himself, and lord of all mobile and\nimmobile things, and whose is this entire universe! When the dreadful\nDanavas Madhu and Kaitava were bent on slaying Brahma, beholding their\nimpious endeavour thou wert angry, and from thy forehead, O Hari, sprang\nSambhu, the holder of the trident. Thus these two foremost of the\ndeities have sprung from thy body in order to do thy work! Even Narada\nit was who hath told me this! O Narayana, thou didst, in the forest of\nChaitraratha, celebrate with plentiful gifts a grand sacrifice\nconsisting of a multitude of rites! O God, O thou of eyes like lotus\nleaves, the deeds thou hast performed while still a boy, having recourse\nto thy might and aided by Baladeva, have never been done by others, nor\nare they capable of being achieved by others in the future! Thou didst\neven dwell in Kailasa, accompanied by Brahmanas!'\"\n\n    [16] Also called _Vadarika_, a hermitage on the Himalaya near\n    the sources of the Ganges.\n\n    [17] Nilakantha explains _kshetra_ as including _Mahabhuta_,\n    consciousness, intellect, the unmanifest (primordial elements),\n    the ten senses, the five objects of the senses, viz., earth,\n    water, &c., desire, aversion, pleasure, pain, the combinations\n    of elements, and _chaitanya_.\n\n    [18] _Hari_ here means the developed seed that is to expand into\n    the vast whole of the universe.\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Having addressed Krishna thus, the illustrious\nPandava, who was the soul of Krishna, became dumb, when Janardana (in\nreply addressed that son of Pritha) saying, 'Thou art mine and I am\nthine, while all that is mine is thine also! He that hateth thee hateth\nme as well, and he that followeth thee followeth me! O thou\nirrepressible one, thou art _Nara_ and I am _Narayana_ or Hari! We are\nthe _Rishis_ Nara and Narayana born in the world of men for a special\npurpose. O Partha, thou art from me and I am from thee! O bull of the\nBharata race, no one can understand the difference that is between us!'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"When the illustrious Kesava had said so in the\nmidst of that assembly of brave kings, all excited with anger, Panchali\nsurrounded by Dhrishtadyumna and her other heroic brothers, approached\nhim of eyes like lotus leaves seated with his cousins, and, desirous of\nprotection, addressed in angry accents that refuge of all, saying,\n'Asita and Devala have said that in the matter of the creation of all\nthings, thou hast been indicated (by the sages) as the only _Prajapati_\nand the Creator of all the worlds! And, O irrepressible one, Jamadagnya\nsayeth that thou art _Vishnu_, and, O slayer of Madhu, that thou art\n(embodiment of) _Sacrifice, Sacrificer_ and he for whom the sacrifice is\nperformed! And, O best of male beings, the _Rishis_ indicate thee as\nForgiveness and Truth! Kasyapa hath said that thou art Sacrifice sprung\nfrom Truth! O exalted one, Narada calleth thee the god of the Sadhyas,\nand of the Sivas, as alone the Creator and the Lord of all things. And,\nO tiger among men, thou repeatedly sportest with the gods including\nBrahma and Sankara and Sakra even as children sporting with their toys!\nAnd, O exalted one, the firmament is covered by thy head, and the earth\nby thy feet; these worlds are as thy womb and thou art the Eternal one!\nWith _Rishis_ sanctified by Vedic lore and asceticism, and whose souls\nhave been purified by penance, and who are contented with soul-vision,\nthou art the best of all objects! And, O chief of all male beings, thou\nart the refuge of all royal sages devoted to virtuous acts, never\nturning their backs on the field of the battle, and possessed of every\naccomplishment! Thou art the Lord of all, thou art Omnipresent, thou art\nthe Soul of all things, and thou art the active power pervading\neverything! The rulers of the several worlds, those worlds themselves,\nthe stellar conjunctions, the ten points of the horizon, the firmament,\nthe moon, and the sun, are all established in thee! And, O mighty-armed\none, the morality of (earthly) creatures, the immortality of the\nuniverse, are established in thee! Thou art the Supreme lord of all\ncreatures, celestial or human! Therefore it is, O slayer of Madhu, that\nimpelled by the affection thou bearest me that I will relate to thee my\ngriefs! O Krishna, how could one like me, the wife of Pritha's sons, the\nsister of Dhrishtadyumna, and the friend of thee, be dragged to the\nassembly! Alas, during my season, stained with blood, with but a single\ncloth on, trembling all over, and weeping, I was dragged to the court of\nthe Kurus! Beholding me, stained with blood in the presence of those\nkings in the assembly, the wicked sons of Dhritarashtra laughed at me! O\nslayer of Madhu, while the sons of Pandu and the Panchalas and the\nVrishnis lived, they dared express the desire of using me as their\nslave! O Krishna, I am according to the ordinance, the daughter in-law\nof both Dhritarashtra and Bhishma! Yet, O slayer of Madhu, they wished\nto make of me a slave by force! I blame the Pandavas who are mighty and\nforemost in battle, for they saw (without stirring) their own wedded\nwife known over all the world, treated with such cruelty! Oh, fie on the\nmight of Bhimasena, fie on the _Gandiva_ of Arjuna, for they, O\nJanardana, both suffered me to be thus disgraced by little men! This\neternal course of morality is ever followed by the virtuous--_viz_, that\nthe husband, however weak, protecteth his wedded wife! By protecting the\nwife one protecteth his offspring and by protecting the offspring one\nprotecteth his own self! One's own self is begotten on one's wife, and\ntherefore it is that the wife is called _Jaya_. A wife also should\nprotect her lord, remembering that he is to take his birth in her womb!\nThe Pandavas never forsake the person that soliciteth their protection,\nand yet they abandoned me who solicited it! By my five husbands five\nsons of exceeding energy have been born of me: Prativindhya by\nYudhishthira, Sutasoma by Vrikodara, Srutakirti by Arjuna, Satanika by\nNakula and Srutakarman by the youngest, all of them of energy that\ncannot be baffled. For their sake, O Janardana, it was necessary to\nprotect me! Even as (thy son) Pradyumna, they are, O Krishna, mighty\nwarriors all! They are foremost of bowmen, and invincible in battle by\nany foe! Why do they bear the wrongs inflicted (on me) by the sons of\nDhritarashtra of such contemptible strength? Deprived of their kingdom\nby deception, the Pandavas were made bondsmen and I myself was dragged\nto the assembly while in my season, and having only a single cloth on!\nFie on that _Gandiva_ which none else can string save Arjuna and Bhima\nand thyself, O slayer of Madhu! Fie on the strength of Bhima, and fie on\nthe prowess of Arjuna, since, O Krishna, Duryodhana (after what he had\ndone) hath drawn breath even for a moment! He it is, O slayer of Madhu,\nwho formerly drove the guileless Pandavas with their mother from the\nkingdom, while they were children still engaged in study and the\nobservance of their vows. It is that sinful wretch, who, horrible to\nrelate, mixed in Bhima's food fresh and virulent poison in full dose.\nBut, O Janardana, Bhima digested that poison with the food, without\nsustaining any injury, for, O best of men and mighty-armed one, Bhima's\ndays had not been ended! O Krishna, it is Duryodhana who at the house\nstanding by the banyan called _Pramana_ bound Bhima sleeping\nunsuspectingly, and casting him into the Ganges returned to the city.\nBut the powerful Bhimasena the son of Kunti, possessed of mighty arms,\non waking from sleep, tore his bonds and rose from the water. It is\nDuryodhana, who caused venomous black cobras to bite all over the body\nof Bhimasena, but that slayer of foes died not. Awaking, the son of\nKunti smashed all the serpents and with his left hand killed (the agent,\n_viz_.) the favourite charioteer of Duryodhana. Again, while the\nchildren were asleep at Varanavata with their mother, it is he who set\nfire to the house intending to burn them to death. Who is there capable\nof doing such an act? It was then that the illustrious Kunti, overtaken\nby this calamity, and surrounded by the flames, began to cry out in\nterror, speaking to the children, \"Alas, I am undone! How shall we\nescape from this fire today! Alas, I shall meet with destruction with my\nlittle children!\" Then Bhima, possessed of mighty arms, and prowess like\nunto the force of the wind, comforted his illustrious mother as also his\nbrothers, saying, \"Like that king of birds, Garuda, the son of Vinata, I\nwill spring up into the air. We have no fear from this fire.\" And then\ntaking his mother on his left flank, and the king in his right, and the\ntwins on each shoulder, and Vibhatsu on his back, the mighty Vrikodara,\nthus taking all of them, at one leap cleared the fire and delivered his\nmother and brother from the conflagration. Setting out that night with\ntheir renowned mother, they came near the forest of Hidimva. And while\nfatigued and distressed, they were sleeping fast with her, a Rakshasa\nwoman called Hidimva approached them. Beholding the Pandavas with their\nmother asleep on the ground, influenced by desire she sought to have\nBhimasena for her lord. The weak one then took up Bhima's feet on her\nlap to press them with her soft hands. The mighty Bhima of immeasurable\nenergy, of prowess that could not be baffled, then woke from sleep, and\nasked her, saying, \"O thou of faultless features, what dost thou wish\nhere?\" Thus asked by him, the Rakshasa lady of faultless features,\ncapable, besides, of assuming any form at will, replied unto the\nhigh-souled Bhima, saying, \"Do ye speedily fly from this place! My\nbrother gifted with strength will come to slay ye! Therefore speed and\ntarry not!\" But Bhima haughtily said, \"I do not fear him! If he cometh\nhere, I will slay him!\" Hearing their converse, that vilest of cannibals\ncame to the spot. Of frightful form and dreadful to behold, uttering\nloud cries as he came, the Rakshasa said, \"O Hidimva, with whom dost\nthou converse? Bring him unto me, I will eat him up. It behoveth thee to\ntarry not.\" But moved by compassion, the Rakshasa lady of faultless\nfeatures and pure heart said nothing out of pity. Then the man-eating\nmonster, uttering dreadful cries, rushed at Bhima with great force. And\napproaching him furiously, the mighty cannibal, possessed with rage,\ncaught hold of Bhima's hand with his own and clenching fast his other\nhand and making it hard as the thunder-bolt of Indra, suddenly struck\nBhima a blow that descended with the force of lightning. His hand having\nbeen seized by the Rakshasa, Vrikodara, without being able to brook it,\nflew into a rage. Then a dreadful combat took place between Bhimasena\nand Hidimva, both skilled in all weapons and which was like unto the\nencounter of Vasava with Vritra. And, O sinless one, after sporting with\nthe Rakshasa for a long while the powerful Bhima of mighty energy slew\nthe cannibal when the latter had become weak with exertion. Then having\nslain Hidimva, and taking (his sister) Hidimva at their head, of whom\nwas (subsequently) born Ghatotkacha, Bhima and his brothers went away.\nThen all those repressers of their foes, accompanied by their mother and\nsurrounded by many Brahmanas proceeded towards Ekachakra. In the matter\nof this their journey, Vyasa ever engaged in their welfare had become\ntheir counsellor. Then arriving at Ekachakra, the Pandavas of rigid vows\nthere also slew a mighty cannibal, Vaka by name, terrible as Hidimva\nhimself. And having slain that fierce cannibal, Bhima that foremost of\nsmiters, went with all his brothers to the capital of Drupada. And, O\nKrishna, as thou hadst acquired Rukmim, the daughter of Bhishmaka, even\nso Savyasachin, while residing there, obtained me! O slayer of Madhu,\nArjuna won me in the _Swayamvara_, having performed a feat difficult of\nachievement by others and having fought also with the assembled kings!\n\n\"'Thus, O Krishna, afflicted with numerous griefs, and in great\ndistress, am I living, with Dhaumya at our head, but deprived of the\ncompany of the adorable Kunti! Why do these that are gifted with\nstrength and possessed of the prowess of the lion, sit indifferently,\nbeholding me thus afflicted by enemies so despicable? Suffering such\nwrongs at the hands of wicked and evil-doing foes of small strength, am\nI to burn in grief so long? Born I was in a great race, coming into the\nworld in an extraordinary way! I am also the beloved wife of the\nPandavas, and the daughter-in-law of the illustrious Pandu! The foremost\nof women and devoted to my husbands, even I, O Krishna, was seized by\nhair, O slayer of Madhu, in the sight of the Pandavas, each of whom is\nlike an Indra himself!'\n\n\"Saying this the mild-speeched Krishna hid her face with her soft hands\nlike the buds of lotus, and began to weep. And the tears of Panchali\nbegot of grief washed her deep, plump and graceful breasts crowned with\nauspicious marks. And wiping her eyes and sighing frequently she said\nthese words angrily and in a choked voice, 'Husbands, or sons, or\nfriends, or brothers, or father, have I none! Nor have I thee, O thou\nslayer of Madhu, for ye all, beholding me treated so cruelly by inferior\nfoes, sit still unmoved! My grief at Karna's ridicule is incapable of\nbeing assuaged! On these grounds I deserve to be ever protected by thee,\nO Kesava, _viz_., our relationship, thy respect (for me), our\nfriendship, and thy lordship (over me).'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"In that assembly of heroes Vasudeva then spake\nunto the weeping Draupadi as follows, 'O fair lady, the wives of those\nwith whom thou art angry, shall weep even like thee, beholding their\nhusbands dead on the ground, weltering in blood and their bodies covered\nwith the arrows of Vivatsu! Weep not, lady, for I will exert to the\nutmost of my powers for the sons of Pandu! I promise thou shalt (once\nmore) be the queen of kings! The heavens might fall, or the Himavat\nmight split, the earth might be rent, or the waters of the ocean might\ndry up, but my words shall never be futile!' Hearing those words of\nAchyuta in reply, Draupadi looked obliquely at her third husband\n(Arjuna). And, O mighty king, Arjuna said unto Draupadi, 'O thou of\nbeautiful coppery eyes, grieve not! O illustrious one, it shall be even\nas the slayer of Madhu hath said! It can never be otherwise, O beautiful\none!'\n\n\"Dhrishtadyumna said, 'I will slay Drona, Sikhandin will slay the\ngrandfather. And Bhimasena will slay Duryodhana, and Dhananjaya will\nslay Karna. And, O sister, assisted by Rama and Krishna, we are\ninvincible in battle by even the slayer himself of Vritra--what are the\nsons of Dhritarashtra?'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"After these words had been spoken, all the\nheroes there turned their faces towards Vasudeva, who then in their\nmidst began to speak as follows.\"\n\n\nSECTION XIII\n\n\"Vasudeva said, 'O lord of earth, if I had been present at Dwaraka,\nthen, O king, this evil would not have befallen thee! And, O\nirrepressible one, coming unto the gambling-match, even if uninvited by\nthe son of Amvika (Dhritarashtra), or Duryodhana, or by the other\nKauravas, I would have prevented the game from taking place, by showing\nits many evils, summoning to my aid Bhishma and Drona and Kripa, and\nVahlika! O exalted one, for thy sake I would have told the son of\nVichitravirya--_O foremost of monarchs, let thy sons have nothing to do\nwith dice!_--I would have shown the many evils (of dice) through which\nthou hast fallen into such distress and the son of Virasena was formerly\ndeprived of his kingdom! O king, unthought-of evils, befall a man from\ndice! I would have described how a man once engaged in the game\ncontinueth to play (from desire of victory). Women, dice, hunting and\ndrinking to which people become addicted in consequence of temptation,\nhave been regarded as the four evils that deprive a man of prosperity.\nAnd those versed in the _Sastras_ are of opinion that evils attend upon\nall these. They also that are addicted to dice know all its evils. O\nthou of mighty arms, appearing before the son of Amvika, I would have\npointed out that through dice men in a day lose their possessions, and\nfall into distress, and are deprived of their untasted wealth, and\nexchange harsh words! O perpetuator of the Kuru race, I would have\npointed out these and other attendant evils! If he had accepted my words\nthus addressed, the welfare of the Kurus as also virtue itself would\nboth have been secured! And, O foremost of kings, if he had rejected my\ngentle counsels offered as medicine, then, O best of the Bharata race, I\nwould have compelled him by force! And, if those who wait at his court,\nprofessing to be his friends but in reality his foes, had supported him,\nthen I would have slain them all, along with those gamblers, there\npresent! O Kauravya, it is owing to my absence from the _Anartta_\ncountry at that time that thou hast fallen into such distress begot of\ndice! O thou best of Kurus, O son of Pandu, on arriving at Dwarka I\nlearnt from Yuyudhana all about thy calamity! And, O foremost of kings,\ndirectly I heard it with a heart sore agitated by grief, have I speedily\ncome here wishing to see thee, O king! Alas! O bull of the Bharata race,\nye have all fallen into dire distress! I see thee with thy brothers\nplunged in misfortune!'\"\n\n\nSECTION XIV\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'O Krishna, why wert thou absent (from the Anartta\ncountry)? And, O descendant of the Vrishni race, while thou wert away,\nwhere didst thou dwell? And what didst thou do while out of thy\nkingdom?'\n\n\"Krishna said, 'O bull of the Bharata race, I had gone for the purpose\nof destroying the (ranging) city Salwa. And, O foremost of the\nKauravas, listen to the reasons I had for so doing! The heroic son of\nDamaghosha, the well-known king Sisupala of mighty arms and great\nenergy, was slain by me, O best of Bharatas, at thy _Rajasuya_\nsacrifice, because that wicked one could not from anger bear to see the\nfirst worship offered to me! Hearing that he had been slain, Salwa,\nburning with fierce anger, came to Dwaraka, while, O Bharata, it was\nempty, myself being away, residing with you here. And having arrived\nthere on a car made of precious metals and hence called the _Souva_, he\nhad an encounter with the youthful princes of the Vrishni race--those\nbulls of that line--and fought with them mercilessly. And slaughtering\nmany youthful Vrishnis of heroic valour, the wicked one devastated all\nthe gardens of the city. And, O thou of mighty arms, he said, \"Where is\nthat wretch of the Vrishni race, Vasudeva, the evil-souled son of\nVasudeva? I will humble in battle the pride of that person so eager for\nfight! Tell me truly, _O Anarttas_! I will go there where he is. And\nafter killing that slayer of Kansa and Kesi, will I return! By my weapon\nI swear that I will not return without slaying him!\" And exclaiming\nrepeatedly--_Where is he? Where is he?_ the lord of Saubha rusheth to\nthis place and that, desirous of encountering me in battle. And Salwa\nalso said, \"Impelled by wrath for the destruction of Sisupala I shall\ntoday send to the mansion of Yama that treacherous miscreant of mean\nmind.\" And, O king, he further said, \"That Janardana shall I slay, who,\nwretch that he is, hath killed my brother who was but a boy of tender\nyears, and who was slain not on the field of battle, unprepared as he\nwas!\" Having, O great king, wailed thus, and having, O son of the Kuru\nrace, abused me thus, he rose into the sky on his car of precious metals\ncapable of going anywhere at will! On returning (to my kingdom) I heard\nwhat, O Kaurava, the evil-minded and wicked king of Maticka had said\nregarding myself! And, O descendant of the Kuru race, I was agitated\nwith wrath, and, O king, having reflected upon everything, I set my\nheart upon slaying him! And, learning, O Kauravya, of his oppression of\nthe _Anarttas_, of his abuse of myself, and of his excessive arrogance,\nI resolved upon the destruction of that wretch! And, O lord of earth, I\naccordingly set out (from my city), for slaying the (lord of) the\nSaubha. And searching him here and there, I found him in an island in\nthe midst of the ocean! Then, O king, blowing my conch called the\n_Panchajanya_ obtained from the sea, and challenging Salwa to combat, I\nstood for the fight! At that instant, I had an encounter with numerous\nDanavas, all of whom, however, I subdued and prostrated on the ground. O\nmighty-armed one, it was owing to this affair that I could not then come\n(unto thee)! As soon as I heard of the unfair game of dice at\nHastinapura, I have come here desirous of seeing ye who have been\nplunged in distress.'\"\n\n\nSECTION XV\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'O illustrious Vasudeva of mighty arms, tell thou in\ndetail of the death of the lord of Saubha. My curiosity hath not been\nappeased by thy narration.'\n\n\"Vasudeva said, 'O mighty-armed king, hearing that the son of\nSrutaslavas (Sisupala) had been slain by me, Salwa, O best of the\nBharata race, came to the city of Dwaravati! And, O son of Pandu, the\nwicked king, stationing his forces in array, besieged that city around\nand above. And stationing himself in the upper regions, the king began\nhis fight with the city. And that encounter commenced with a thick\nshower of weapons from all sides. And, O bull of the Bharata race, the\ncity at that time was well-fortified on all sides, according to the\nscience (of fortification), with pennons, and arches, and combatants,\nand walls and turrets, and engines, and miners, and streets barricaded\nwith spiked wood-works and towers and edifices with gate-ways\nwell-filled with provisions, and engines for hurling burning brands and\nfires, and vessels of deer-skins (for carrying water), and trumpets,\ntabors, and drums, lances and forks, and _Sataghnis_, and plough-shares,\nrockets, balls of stone and battle-axes and other weapons and shield\nembossed with iron, and engines for hurling balls and bullets and hot\nliquids! And the city was also well-defended by numerous cars, and, O\ntiger among Kurus, by Gada and Shamva and Uddhava and others, and by\nwarriors of prowess tried in battle, all well-born and capable of\nencountering any foe! And these all placing themselves on commanding\nposts, aided by cavalry and standard-bearers, began to defend the town.\nAnd Ugrasena and Uddhava and others, to prevent carelessness, proclaimed\nthroughout the city that nobody should drink. And all the Vrishnis and\nthe Andhakas, well-knowing that they would be slain by Salwa if they\nbehaved carelessly, remained sober and watchful. And the police soon\ndrove out of the city all mimes and dancers and singers of the Anartta\ncountry. And all the bridges over rivers were destroyed, and boats\nforbidden to ply, and the trenches (around the city) were spiked with\npoles at the bottom. And the land around the city for full two miles was\nrendered uneven, and holes and pits were dug thereon, and combustibles\nwere secreted below the surface. Our fort, O sinless one, is naturally\nstrong and always well-defended and filled with all kinds of weapons!\nAnd in consequence of the preparations made, our city was more prepared\nthan ever to meet the foe. And, O chief of the Bharatas, in consequence\nof all this, the city looked like that of Indra himself. And, O king, at\nthe time of Salwa's approach, nobody could either enter or leave the\ntown of the Vrishnis and the Andhakas without presenting the sign that\nhad been agreed upon. And all the streets of the town and the open\nspaces were filled with numerous elephants and horses! And, O thou of\nmighty arms, the combatants were all specially gratified with allowances\nand wages, and rations, and weapons, and dresses! And amongst the\ncombatants there was none who was not paid in gold, and none who was not\npaid at all, and none who was not somehow obliged, and none who was not\nof tried valour! And, O thou of eyes like lotus-leaves, it was thus\nDwaraka, abounding in well-ordered arrangements, was defended by Ahuka\n(Ugrasena)!'\"\n\n\nSECTION XVI\n\n\"Vasudeva continued, 'O king of kings, Salwa, the lord of Saubha, came\ntowards our city with an immense force consisting of infantry, cavalry\nand elephants! And the army headed by king Salwa, consisting of four\nkinds of forces, occupied a level ground commanding a copious\nwater-supply. And forsaking cemeteries and temples dedicated to the\ngods, and sacred trees, and grounds covered by ant-hills, that host\noccupied every other place. And the roads (leading to the city) were\nblocked up by the divisions of the army, and the secret entrances also\nwere all blocked up by the enemy's camp. And, O Kauravya, like unto the\nlord of birds (Garuda), the ruler of Saubha rushed towards Dwaraka,\nbringing with him, O bull among men, his host equipped with all kinds of\narms, skilled in all weapons, consisting of a dense display of cars and\nelephants and cavalry abounding in banners, and well-paid and well-fed\nfoot-soldiers possessed of great strength and bearing every mark of\nheroism and furnished with wonderful chariots and bows. And beholding\nthe army of Salwa, the youthful princes of the Vrishni race resolved to\nencounter it sallying out of the city. And, O king, Charudeshna, Samva,\nand the mighty warrior Pradyumna, O descendant of the Kuru race, sallied\nout, ascending on their chariots, and clad in mail, and decked with\nornaments, with colours flying, resolved to encounter the mighty and\ncountless host of Salwa! And Samva taking up his bows eagerly attacked\non the field of battle Kshemavriddhi, the commander of Salwa's forces\nand his chief counsellor also! And, O thou foremost of Bharatas, the son\nof Jambavati then began to shower arrows in a continuous stream even as\nIndra showereth down rain! And, O mighty king, then Kshemavriddhi, the\ncommander of Salwa's forces, bore that shower of arrows, immovable as\nthe Himavat! And, O foremost of kings, Kshemavriddhi on his part,\ndischarged at Samva a mightier volley of shafts, aided by his powers of\nillusion! And dispersing by counter illusion that discharge inspired by\nillusion, Samva showered on his (adversary's) car a thousand arrows!\nThen pierced by the shafts of Samva and overwhelmed there with those of\nKshemavriddhi, the commander of the hostile host, left the field by the\nhelp of his fleet steed! And when the wicked general of Salwa had left\nthe field, a mighty Daitya called Vegavat rushed at my son! And, O best\nof monarchs, thus attacked, the heroic Samva, the perpetuator of the\nVrishni race, bore that onset of Vegavat, keeping his ground. And, O son\nof Kunti, the heroic Samva, of prowess incapable of being baffled,\nwhirling a quickly-going mace, hurled it speedily at Vegavat! And, O\nking, struck with that mace, Vegavat fell down on the ground, like a\nweather-beaten and faded lord of the forest of decayed roots! And on\nthat heroic Asura of mighty energy, being slain with the mace, my son\nentered within that mighty host and began to fight with all. And, O\ngreat king, a well-known Danava named Vivindhya, a mighty warrior\nwielding a large and powerful bow, encountered Charudeshna! And, O\nmonarch, the encounter between Charudeshna and Vivindhya was as fierce\nas that in days of yore between Vritra and Vasava! And enraged with each\nother the combatants pierced each other with their arrows, uttering loud\nroars like unto two powerful lions! Then the son of Rukmini fixed on his\nbow-string a mighty weapon possessing the splendour of fire or the sun,\nand capable of destroying all foes, having first vivified it with\nincantations! Then, O monarch, that mighty warrior my son, fired with\nwrath, challenged Vivindhya and discharged the weapon at him. And the\nDanava struck with that weapon, fell down on the ground a lifeless\ncorpse! And beholding Vivindhya slain, and the whole host waver, Salwa\nadvanced again on his beautiful car capable of going everywhere. And, O\nking of mighty arms, beholding Salwa on that beautiful car of his, the\ncombatants of Dwaraka wavered with fear! But, O thou of the Kuru race,\nPradyumna sallied out, and, O great king, bidding the Anarttas be of good\ncheer, said, \"Waver ye not, and staying behold me fight! Even I shall,\nby force, repel that car with Salwa on it! Ye Yadavas, this day, I\nshall, with my weapons like unto serpents discharged from my bow with my\nhand, destroy this host of the lord of Saubha! Be of good cheer, ye all!\nFear not! The lord of Saubha will be slain today! Attacked by me, the\nwretch will meet with destruction together with his car!\" O son of\nPandu, upon Pradyumna speaking thus with cheerful heart, the Yadava\nhost, O hero, remained on the field, and began to fight cheerfully!'\"\n\n\nSECTION XVII\n\n\"Vasudeva continued, 'O bull of the Bharata race, having spoken thus\nunto the Yadavas, the son of Rukmini (Pradyumna) ascended his golden\ncar. And the car he rode was drawn by excellent steeds in mail. And over\nit stood a standard bearing the figure of a _Makara_ with gaping mouth\nand fierce as Yama. And with his steeds, more flying than running on the\nground, he rushed against the foe. And the hero equipped with quiver and\nsword, with fingers cased in leather, twanged his bow possessed of the\nsplendour of the lightning, with great strength, and transferring it\nfrom hand to hand, as if in contempt of the enemy, spread confusion\namong the Danavas and other warriors of the city of Saubha. And as hot\nin contempt of the foe, and continuously slew the Danavas in battle, no\none could mark the slightest interval between his successive shafts. And\nthe colour of his face changed not, and his limbs trembled not. And\npeople only heard his loud leonine roars indicative of wonderful valour.\nAnd the aquatic monster with mouth wide open, that devourer of all\nfishes, placed on golden flag-staff of that best of cars, struck terror\ninto the hearts of Salwa's warriors. And, O king, Pradyumna, the mower\nof foes rushed with speed against Salwa himself so desirous of an\nencounter! And, O perpetuator of the Kuru race, braved by the heroic\nPradyumna in that mighty battle, the angry Salwa could ill bear the\nchallenge! And that conqueror of hostile cities, Salwa, maddened by\nanger, descended from his beautiful car of unchecked speed, resolved to\nencounter Pradyumna. And the people beheld the fight between Salwa and\nthe foremost of Vrishni heroes, which was even like unto the encounter\nbetween Vasava with Vali. And, O hero, mounting on his beautiful car\ndecked with gold and furnished with flags and flag-staffs and quivers,\nthe illustrious and mighty Salwa began to discharge his arrows at\nPradyumna! Pradyumna also by the energy of his arms, overwhelmed Salwa\nin the combat by a thick shower of arrows. The king of Saubha, however,\nthus attacked in battle by Pradyumna, endured him not, but discharged at\nmy son arrows that were like blazing fire. But the mighty Pradyumna\nparried off that arrowy shower. Beholding this, Salwa rained on my son\nother weapons of blazing splendour. Then, O foremost of monarchs,\npierced by the shafts of Salwa, the son of Rukmini discharged without\nloss of time an arrow that was capable of entering the vitals of a foe\nin fight. And that winged shaft shot by my son, piercing Salwa's mail,\nentered his heart--whereupon he fell down, in a swoon. And beholding the\nheroic king Salwa fallen down deprived of sense, the foremost of the\nDanavas fled away rending the ground beneath their feet. And, O lord of\nthe earth, the army of Salwa sent up exclamations of _Oh!_ and _Alas!_\nseeing their king, the lord of Saubha, drop down bereft of sense! And O\nson of the Kuru race, regaining his senses, the mighty Salwa rose and\nall of a sudden discharged his arrows on Pradyumna. Then the heroic and\nmighty armed Pradyumna, sorely pierced by his adversary about his\nthroat, was enfeebled on his car. And, O mighty king, wounding the son\nof Rukmini, Salwa sent up a shout like unto the roar of a lion, and\nfilling the entire earth with it! And, O Bharata, when my son became\nsenseless, Salwa, without losing a moment, again discharged at him other\nshafts difficult to bear. And pierced with numberless arrows and\ndeprived of his senses, Pradyumna, O chief of the Kuru race, became\nmotionless on the field of battle!'\"\n\n\nSECTION XVIII\n\n\"Vasudeva continued, 'O king, afflicted with the arrows of Salwa, when\nPradyumna became senseless the Vrishnis who had come to the fight were\nall disheartened and filled with grief! And the combatants of the\nVrishni and Andhaka races burst into exclamations of _Oh!_ and _Alas!_\nwhile great joy was felt by the enemy and beholding him thus deprived of\nsense, his trained charioteer, the son of Daruka, soon carried him off\nthe field by the help of his steeds. The car had not gone far when that\nbest of warriors regained his senses, and taking up his bow addressed\nhis charioteer, saying, \"O son of the Suta tribe, what hast thou done?\nWhy dost thou go leaving the field of battle? This is not the custom of\nthe Vrishni heroes in battle! O son of a Suta, hast thou been bewildered\nat the sight of a Salwa in that fierce encounter? Or hast thou been\ndisheartened, beholding the fight? O! tell me truly thy mind!\" The\ncharioteer answered, \"O son of Janardana, I have not been confounded,\nnor hath fear taken possession of me. On the other hand, O son of\nKesava, the task, I ween, of vanquishing Salwa is difficult for thee!\nTherefore, O hero, I am slowly retiring from the field. This wretch is\nstronger than thou art! It behoveth a charioteer to protect the warrior\non the car, however, when he is deprived of his senses! O thou gifted\nwith length of days, thou shouldst always be protected by me, even as it\nbehoveth thee to protect me! Thinking that the warrior on the car should\nalways be protected (by his charioteer), I am carrying thee away!\nFurther, O thou of mighty arms, thou art alone, while the Danavas are\nmany. Thinking, O son of Rukmini, that thou art not equal to them in the\nencounter, I am going away!\"'\n\n\"Vasudeva continued, 'When the charioteer had spoken thus, he, O\nKauravya, who hath the _makara_ for his mark replied unto him, saying,\n\"Turn the car! O son of Daruka, never do so again; never, O Suta, turn\nthou from the fight, while I am alive! He is no son of the Vrishni race\nwho forsaketh the field or slayeth the foe fallen at his feet and crying\n_I am thine!_ or killeth a woman, a boy, or an old man, or a warrior in\ndistress, deprived of his car or with his weapons broken! Thou art born\nin the race of charioteers and trained to thy craft! And, O son of\nDaruka, thou art acquainted with the customs of the Vrishnis in battle!\nVersed as thou art with all the customs of the Vrishnis in battle, do\nthou, O Suta, never again fly from the field as thou hast done! What\nwill the irrepressible Madhava, the elder brother of Gada, say to me\nwhen he heareth that I have left the field of battle in bewilderment or\nthat I have been struck on the back--a run-away from the combat! What\nwill the elder brother of Kesava, the mighty-armed Baladeva, clad in\nblue and inebriate with wine, say, when he returneth? What also, O Suta,\nwill that lion among men, the grand-son of Sini (Satyaki), that great\nwarrior, say on hearing that I have forsaken the fight? And, O\ncharioteer, what will the ever-victorious Shamva, the irrepressible\nCharudeshna, and Gada, and Sarana, and Akrura also of mighty arms, say\nunto me! What also will the wives of the Vrishni heroes when they meet\ntogether, say of me who had hitherto been considered as brave and\nwell-conducted, respectable and possessed of manly pride? They will even\nsay _This Pradyumna is a coward who cometh here, leaving the battle! Fie\non him!_ They will never say, _Well done!_ Ridicule, with exclamation of\n_Fie_, is to me or a person like me, O Suta, more than death! Therefore,\ndo thou never again leave the field of battle! Reposing the charge on\nme, Hari the slayer of Madhu, hath gone to the sacrifice of the Bharata\nlion (Yudhishthira)! Therefore, I cannot bear to be quiet now! O Suta,\nwhen the brave Kritavarman was sallying out to encounter Salwa, I\nprevented him, saying _I will resist Salwa. Do thou stay!_ For honouring\nme the son of Hridika desisted! Having left the field of battle, what\nshall I say unto that mighty warrior when I meet him? When that\nirrepressible one of mighty arms--the holder of the conch, the discus,\nand the mace--returneth, what shall I say unto him of eyes like lotus\nleaves? Satyaki, and Valadeva, and others of the Vrishni and Andhaka\nraces always boast of me! What shall I say unto them? O Suta, having\nleft the field of battle and with wounds of arrows on my back while\nbeing carried away by thee, I shall, by no means, be able to live!\nTherefore, O son of Daruka, turn that car speedily, and never do so\nagain even in times of greatest danger! I do not, O Suta, think life\nworth much, having fled from the field like a coward, and my back\npierced, with the arrows (of the enemy)! Hast thou ever seen me, O son\nof Suta, fly in fear from the field of battle like a coward? O son of\nDaruka, it behoved thee not to forsake the battle, while my desire of\nfight was not yet gratified! Do thou, therefore, go back to the\nfield.\"'\"\n\n\nSECTION XIX\n\n\"Vasudeva continued, 'Thus addressed, the son of Suta race replied in\nhaste unto Pradyumna, that foremost of all endued with strength, in\nthese sweet words, \"O son of Rukmini, I fear not to guide the horses on\nthe field of battle, and I am acquainted also with the customs of the\nVrishnis in war! It is not otherwise in the least! But, O thou blest\nwith length of days, those that guide the car are taught that the\nwarrior on the car is, by all means, to be protected by his charioteer!\nThou wert also much afflicted! Thou wert much wounded by the arrows shot\nby Salwa. Thou wert also deprived of thy senses, O hero! Therefore is it\nthat I retired from the field. But, O chief of the Satwatas, now that\nthou hast regained thy senses without much ado, do thou, O son of\nKesava, witness my skill in guiding the horses! I have been begotten by\nDaruka, and I have been duly trained! I will now penetrate into the\ncelebrated array of Salwa without fear!\"'\n\n\"Vasudeva continued, 'Saying this, O hero, the charioteer, pulling the\nreins, began to lead the horses with speed towards the field of battle.\nAnd, O king, struck with the whip and pulled by the reins those\nexcellent steeds seemed to be flying in the air, performing various\nbeautiful motions, now circular, now similar, now dissimilar, now to the\nright, now to the left. And, O king, those steeds understanding as it\nwere the intention of Daruka's son endued with such lightness of hand,\nburned with energy, and seemed to go without touching the ground with\ntheir feet! That bull among men wheeled round Salwa's host so easily\nthat they who witnessed it wondered exceedingly. And the lord of Saubha,\nunable to bear that manoeuvre of Pradyumna, instantly sent three shafts\nat the charioteer of his antagonist! The charioteer, however, without\ntaking any note of the force of those arrows, continued to go along the\nright. Then the lord of Saubha, O hero, again discharged at my son by\nRukmini, a shower of various kinds of weapons! But that slayer of\nhostile heroes, the son of Rukmini, showing with a smile his lightness\nof hand, cut all those weapons off as they reached him. Finding his\narrows cut by Pradyumna, the lord of Saubha, having recourse to the\ndreadful illusion natural to _Asuras_ began to pour a thick shower of\narrows. But cutting into pieces those powerful Daitya weapons shot at\nhim in mid-career by means of his _Brahma_ weapon, Pradyumna discharged\nwinged shafts of other kings. And these delighting in blood, warding off\nthe shafts of Daitya, pierced his head, bosom and face. And at those\nwounds Salwa fell down senseless. And on the mean-minded Salwa falling\ndown, afflicted with Pradyumna's arrows, the son of Rukmini aimed\nanother arrow at him, capable of destroying every foe. And beholding\nthat arrow worshipped by all the Dasarhas, and flaming like fire and\nfatal as a venomous snake, fixed on the bow-string, the firmament was\nfilled with exclamations of _Oh!_ and _Alas!_ Then all the celestials\nwith Indra and the lord of treasures (Kubera) at their head sent Narada\nand the god of wind endued with the speed of the mind. And these two\napproaching the son of Rukmini delivered unto him the message of the\ncelestial, saying, O hero, king Salwa is not to be slain by thee! Do\nthou draw back the arrow. He is unslayable by thee in fight! There\nbreatheth not a person who cannot be killed by that arrow! O thou of\nmighty arms, the Creator hath ordained his death at the hands of\nKrishna, the son of Devaki! Let this be not falsified!--Thereupon with a\nglad heart, Pradyumna withdrew that best of arrows from his excellent\nbow and deposited it back in his quiver. And then, O foremost of kings,\nthe mighty Salwa, afflicted with the arrows of Pradyumna, rose\ndisheartened, and speedily went away. Then O king, the wicked Salwa,\nthus afflicted by the Vrishnis, mounted on his car of precious metals,\nand leaving Dwaraka scudded through the skies!'\"\n\n\nSECTION XX\n\n\"Vasudeva said, 'When Salwa had left the city of the Anarttas, I\nreturned to it, O king, on the completion of thy great _Rajasuya_\nsacrifice! On my arrival I found Dwaraka shorn of its splendour, and, O\ngreat monarch, there were not sounds of Vedic recitation or sacrificial\noffering. And the excellent damsels were all destitute of ornaments, and\nthe gardens were devoid of beauty. And alarmed by the aspect, I asked\nthe son of Hridika saying, \"Why is it that the men and women of the city\nof the Vrishnis are so woe-begone, O tiger among men?\" O thou best of\nkings thus asked the son of Hridika (Kritavarman) relate to me in detail\nthe invasion of the city by Salwa, and his subsequent departure from it.\nAnd, O thou foremost of Bharatas, hearing all, even then I made up my\nmind to slay Salwa. And encouraging the citizens, O best of Bharatas, I\ncheerfully addressed king Ahuka, and Anakdundhuvi, and the chief heroes\nof the Vrishni race, saying, \"Do ye, O bulls among the Yadavas, stay in\nthe city, taking every care, and know that I go to slay Salwa! I return\nnot to the city of Dwaravati without slaying him. I will again come to\nye having compassed the destruction of Salwa together with his car of\nprecious metals. Do ye strike up the sharp and middle and flat notes of\nthe Dundhuvi so dreadful to foes!\" And O thou bull of the Bharata race,\nthus adequately encouraged by me, those heroes cheerfully said unto me,\n\"Go and slay the enemies!\" And thus receiving the benedictions of those\nwarriors with glad hearts, and causing the Brahmanas to utter auspicious\nwords and bowing down to the best of the regenerate ones, and to Siva\nalso, I set out on my car unto which were yoked the horses _Saivya_, and\n_Sugriva_, filling all sides with the clatter (of my wheels) and blowing\nthat best of conchs, the _Panchajanya_! And, O king, O tiger among men,\naccompanied by my redoubted and victorious army consisting of the four\nkinds of the forces so persevering in battle, I set out. And leaving\nmany countries, and mountains, crowned with trees, and pieces of water,\nand streams, I at last arrived at the country of Matrikavarta. It is\nthere, O thou tiger among men, that I heard that Salwa was coursing on\nhis car of precious metals near the ocean, and I followed in his\npursuit. And, O thou slayer of thy foes, having reached the main, Salwa\non his car of costly metals was in the midst of the deep heaving with\nbillows! And on seeing me from a distance, O Yudhishthira, that one of\nwicked soul himself challenged me repeatedly to the fight. And many\narrows capable of piercing to the quick, discharged from my bow reached\nnot his car. And at this I was wroth! And, O king, that essentially\nsinful wretch of a Daitya's son of irrepressible energy, on his part\nbegan to shoot thousand upon thousands of arrows in torrents! And, O\nBharata, he rained shafts upon my soldiers and upon my charioteer and\nupon my steeds! But without thinking of the shafts, we continued the\nconflict. Then the warriors following Salwa poured on me straight arrows\nby thousands. And the Asuras covered my horses and my car and Daruka\nwith arrows capable of piercing the very vitals. And, O hero, I could\nnot at that time see either my horses, or my car, or my charioteer\nDaruka! And I with my army was covered with weapons. And, O son of\nKunti, superhumanly skilled in weapons, I also let fly from my bow\narrows by tens of thousands, inspiring them with _mantras_! But as that\ncar of costly metals was in the sky, full two miles off, it could not, O\nBharata, be seen by my troops. They could therefore only remaining on\nthe field of battle look on like spectators in a place of amusement,\ncheering me on by shouts loud as the roar of the lion, and also by the\nsound of their clapping. And the tinted arrows shot by the fore-part of\nhand penetrated into the bodies of the Danavas like biting insects. And\nthen arose cries in the car of precious metals from those that were\ndying of wounds by those sharp arrows and falling into the waters of the\nmighty ocean. And the Danavas deprived of their arms, necks, and wearing\nthe form of _Kavandhas_,--fell, sending up tremendous roars. And as they\nfell they were devoured by animals living in the waters of the ocean.\nAnd then I powerfully blew the _Panchajanya_ obtained from the waters\nand graceful as the lotus-stalk and white as milk or the _Kunda_ flower\nor the moon or silver. And seeing his soldiers fall, Salwa the possessor\nof the car of precious metals, began to fight with the help of illusion.\nAnd then he began to ceaselessly hurl at me maces, and ploughshares, and\nwinged darts and lances, and javelins, and battle-axes, and swords and\narrows blazing like javelins and thunderbolts, and nooses, and broad\nswords, and bullets from barrels, and shafts, and axes, and rockets. And\npermitting them to come towards me, I soon destroyed them all by\ncounter-illusion. And on this illusion being rendered ineffectual, he\nbegan the contest with mountain peaks. And, O Bharata, then there was\ndarkness and light alternately, and the day was now fair, and now\ngloomy, and now hot, and now cold. And there was a perfect shower of\ncoals, and ashes, and weapons. And creating such illusion the enemy\nfought with me. And ascertaining it I destroyed his illusion by\ncounter-illusion. And in the due time I showered arrows all round. And\nthen, O mighty king, the dome of heaven blazed as with a hundred suns,\nand, O son of Kunti, with one hundred moons, and thousands and ten\nthousands of stars! And then none could ascertain whether it was day or\nnight, or distinguish the points of the horizon. And, becoming\nbewildered, I fixed on my bowstring the weapon called _Pragnastra_. And,\nO son of Kunti, the weapon went like unto flakes of pure cotton blown\naway by the winds! And a great fight took place, calculated to make the\ndown on one's body stand on end. And O best of monarchs, having regained\nlight, I again fought with the enemy!'\"\n\n\nSECTION XXI\n\n\"Vasudeva said, 'O thou tiger among men, my great enemy king Salwa, thus\nencountered by me in battle, again ascended the sky. And O mighty\nmonarch, inspired with the desire of victory, that wicked one hurled at\nme _Sataghnis_, and mighty maces, and flaming lances, and stout clubs,\nand as the weapons came along the sky, I speedily resisted them with my\nswift arrows, and cut them in two or three pieces before they came at\nme. And there was a great noise in the welkins. And Salwa covered\nDaruka, and my steeds, and my car also with hundreds of straight shafts.\nThen, O hero, Daruka, evidently about to faint, said unto me, \"Afflicted\nwith the shafts of Salwa I stay in the field, because it is my duty to\ndo so. But I am incapable of doing so (any longer). My body hath become\nweak!\" Hearing these piteous words of my charioteer, I looked at him,\nand found the driver wounded with arrows. Nor was there a spot on his\nbreasts or the crown of his head, or body or his arms which was not, O\nthou foremost of sons of Pandu, covered with shafts! And blood flowed\nprofusely from his wounds inflicted by arrows, and he looked like unto a\nmountain of red chalk after a heavy shower. And, O thou of mighty arms,\nseeing the charioteer with the reins in his hands thus pierced and\nenfeebled by the shafts of Salwa in the field of battle, I cheered him\nup!\n\n\"'And, O Bharata, about this time, a certain person, having his home in\nDwaraka quickly coming to my car, addressed me like a friend, delivering\nto me, O hero, a message from Ahuka! He seemed to be one of Ahuka's\nfollowers. And sadly and in a voice choked in sorrow, know, O\nYudhishthira, he said words--\"O warrior, Ahuka, the lord of Dwaraka,\nhath said these words unto thee! O Kesava, hear what thy father's friend\nsayeth: _O son of the Vrishni race, O thou irrepressible one, in thy\nabsence today Salwa, coming to Dwaraka, hath by main force killed\nVasudeva! Therefore, no need of battle any more. Cease, O Janardana! Do\nthou defend Dwaraka! This is thy principal duty!_\"--Hearing these words\nof his, my heart became heavy, and I could not ascertain what I should\ndo and what I should not. And, O hero, hearing of that great misfortune,\nI mentally censured Satyaki, and _Baladeva_, and also that mighty\nPradyumna. Having reposed on them the duty of protecting Dwaraka and\nVasudeva, I had gone, O son of the Kuru race, to effect the destruction\nof Salwa's city. And in a sorrowful heart, I asked myself,--Doth that\ndestroyer of foes, the mighty-armed _Baladeva_, live, and Satyaki, and\nthe son of Rukmini and Charudeshna possessed of prowess, and Shamva and\nothers? For, O thou tiger among men, these living, even the bearer\nhimself of the thunderbolt could by no means destroy Suta's son\n(Vasudeva)! And, thought I, _It is plain that Vasudeva is dead and\nequally plain that the others with Baladeva at their head have been\ndeprived of life_--This was my certain conclusion. And, O mighty king,\nthinking of the destruction of those all, I was overwhelmed with grief!\nAnd it was in this state of mind that I encountered Salwa afresh. And\nnow I saw, O great monarch, Vasudeva himself falling from the car of\nprecious metals! And, O warrior I swooned away, and, O king of men, my\nsire seemed like unto Yayati after the loss of his merit, falling\ntowards the earth from heaven! And like unto a luminary whose merit hath\nbeen lost saw my father falling, his head-gear foul and flowing loosely,\nand his hair and dress disordered. And then the bow _Sharanga_ dropped\nfrom my hand, and, O son of Kunti I swooned away! I sat down on the side\nof the car. And, O thou descendant of the Bharata race, seeing me\ndeprived of consciousness on the car, and as if dead, my entire host\nexclaimed _Oh_! and _Alas_! And my prone father with out-stretched arms\nand lower limbs, appeared like a dropping bird. And him thus falling, O\nthou of mighty arms, O hero, the hostile warriors bearing in their hands\nlances and axes struck grievously! And (beholding this) my heart\ntrembled! and soon regaining my consciousness, O warrior, I could not\nsee in that mighty contest either the car of costly metals, or the enemy\nSalwa, or my old father! Then I concluded in my mind that it was\ncertainly illusion. And recovering my senses, I again began to discharge\narrows by hundreds.'\"\n\n\nSECTION XXII\n\n\"Vasudeva continued, 'Then O thou foremost of the Bharata race, taking\nup my beautiful bow, I began to cut off with my arrows the heads of the\nenemies of the celestials, from off that car of costly metals! And I\nbegan to discharge from the _Sharanga_ many well-looking arrows of the\nforms of snakes, capable of going at a great height and possessing\nintense energy. And, O perpetuator of the Kuru race, I could not then\nsee the car of costly metals, for it had vanished, through illusion! I\nwas then filled with wonder! That host of Danavas then, O Bharata, of\nfrightful visages and hair, set up a loud howl while I was waiting for\nit, in that fierce battle. I then, with the object of destroying them,\nfixed on my bow-string the weapon capable of piercing the foes if but\nhis sound was inaudible. Upon this, their shouts ceased. But those\nDanavas that had sent up that shout were all slain by those shafts of\nmine blazing as the Sun himself, and capable of striking at the\nperception of sound alone. And after the shout had ceased at one place,\nO mighty king, another yell proceeded from another quarter. Thitherto\nalso I sent my shafts. In this way, O Bharata, the Asuras began to send\nup yells in all the ten quarters above and across. These were all slain\nby me, _viz_., those that were in the skies and that were invisible,\nwith arrows of diverse forms, and celestial weapons inspired with\n_mantras_. Then, O hero, that car of precious metals capable of going\nanywhere at will, bewildering my eyes, reappeared at Pragjyotisha! And\nthen the destroying Danavas of fierce forms suddenly drowned me with a\nmighty shower of rocks. And, O thou foremost of monarchs, torrents of\nrocks falling upon me covered me up, and I began to grow like an\nant-hill (with its summits and peaks)! And covered along with my horses\nand charioteer and flagstaffs, with crags on all sides, I disappeared\nfrom sight altogether. Then those foremost of heroes of the Vrishni race\nwho were of my army were struck with panic, and all on a sudden began to\nfly in all directions. And beholding me in that plight, O king, the\nheaven, the firmament, and the earth were filled with exclamation of\n_Oh!_ and _Alas!_ And then, O monarch, my friends filled with sorrow and\ngrief began to weep and wail with heavy hearts! And delight filled the\nhearts of the enemies. And O thou who never waverest, I heard of this\nafter I had defeated the foe! And then wielding the thunderbolt, that\nfavourite (weapon) of Indra, capable of riving stones, I destroyed that\nentire mass of crags! But my steeds, afflicted with the weight of the\nstones and almost on the point of death began to tremble. And beholding\nme, all my friends rejoiced again even as men rejoice on seeing the sun\nrise in the sky, dispersing the clouds. And seeing my horses almost in\ntheir last gasp for breath, afflicted with that load of stones, my\ncharioteer said unto me in words suitable to the occasion, \"O thou of\nthe Vrishni race, behold Salwa the owner of the car of precious metals\nsitting (yonder). Do not disregard him! Do thou exert thyself! Do thou\nabandon thy mildness and consideration for Salwa. Slay Salwa, O thou of\nmighty arms! O Kesava, do not let him live! O hero, O thou destroyer of\nthose that are not thy friends (enemies), an enemy should be slain with\nevery exertion! Even a weak enemy who is under the feet of a man endued\nwith strength, should not be disregarded by the latter: what (shall I\nsay) of one that dareth us to the fight? Therefore, O thou tiger among\nmen, putting forth every exertion, slay him, O lord, O thou foremost of\nthe Vrishni race! Do thou not delay again! This one is not capable of\nbeing vanquished by milder measures. And he cannot in my opinion be thy\nfriend who is fighting thee and who devastated Dwaraka!\" O Kaunteya,\nhearing such words of my charioteer, and knowing that what he said was\ntrue, I directed my attention to the fight (afresh), with the view of\nslaying Salwa and destroying the car of costly metals! And, O hero,\nsaying unto Daruka, \"_Stay a moment_\" I fixed on my bow-string my\nfavourite weapon of fire, blazing and of celestial origin, of\nirresistible force, and incapable of being baffled, bursting with\nenergy, capable of penetrating into everything, and of great splendour!\nAnd saying, \"_Destroy the car of precious metals together with all those\nenemies that are in it_\" I launched with the might of my arms and in\nwrath with _mantras_, the great powerful discus _Sudarsana_ which\nreduceth to ashes in battle Yakshas and Rakshasas and Danavas and kings\nborn in impure tribes, sharp-edged like the razor, and without stain,\nlike unto Yama the destroyer, and incomparable, and which killeth\nenemies. And rising into the sky, it seemed like a second sun of\nexceeding effulgence at the end of the _Yuga_. And approaching the town\nof Saubha whose splendour had disappeared, the discus went right through\nit, even as a saw divideth a tall tree. And cut in twain by the energy\nof the Sudarsana it fell like the city of Tripura shaken by the shafts\nof Maheswara. And after the town of Saubha had fallen, the discus came\nback into my hands. And taking it up I once more hurled it with force\nsaying, \"_Go thou unto Salwa_.\" The discus then cleft Salwa in twain who\nin that fierce conflict was at the point of hurling a heavy mace. And\nwith its energy it set the foe ablaze. And after that brave warrior was\nslain, the disheartened Danava women fled in all directions, exclaiming\n_Oh!_ and _Alas!_ And taking my chariot in front of the town of Saubha I\ncheerfully blew my conch and gladdened the hearts of my friends. And\nbeholding their town, high as the peak of the Meru, with its palaces and\ngate-ways utterly destroyed, and all ablaze, the Danavas fled in fear.\nAnd having thus destroyed the town of Saubha and slain Salwa, I returned\nto the Anarttas and delighted my friends. And, O king, it is for this\nreason that I could not come to the city named after the elephant\n(Hastinapura), O destroyer of hostile heroes! O warrior, if I had come,\nSuyodhana would not have been alive or the match at dice would not have\ntaken place. What can I do now? It is difficult to confine the waters\nafter the dam is broken!'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Having addressed the Kaurava thus, that\nforemost of male persons, of mighty arms, the slayer of Madhu, possessed\nof every grace, saluting the Pandavas, prepared for departure. And the\nmighty-armed hero reverentially saluted Yudhishthira the just, and the\nking in return and Bhima also smelt the crown of his head. And he was\nembraced by Arjuna, and the twins saluted him with reverence. And he was\nduly honoured by Dhaumya, and worshipped with tears by Draupadi. And\ncausing Subhadra and Abhimanyu to ascend his golden car, Krishna mounted\nit himself, worshipped by the Pandavas. And consoling Yudhishthira,\nKrishna set out for Dwaraka on his car resplendent as the sun and unto\nwhich were yoked the horses _Saivya_ and _Sugriva_. And after he of the\nDasharha race had departed, Dhrishtadyumna, the son of Prishata, also set\nout for his own city, taking with him the sons of Draupadi. And the king\nof Chedi, Dhrishtaketu also, taking his sister with him set out for his\nbeautiful city of Suktimati, after bidding farewell to the Pandavas.\nAnd, O Bharata, the Kaikeyas also, with the permission of Kunti's son\npossessed of immeasurable energy, having reverentially saluted all the\nPandavas, went away. But Brahmanas and the Vaisyas and the dwellers of\nYudhishthira's kingdom though repeatedly requested to go, did not leave\nthe Pandavas. O foremost of kings, O bull of the Bharata race, the\nmultitude that surrounded those high-souled ones in the forest of\nKamyaka looked extraordinary. And Yudhishthira, honouring those\nhigh-minded Brahmanas, in due time ordered his men, saying '_Make ready\nthe car_.'\"\n\n\nSECTION XXIII\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"After the chief of the Dasharhas had departed,\nthe heroic Yudhishthira, and Bhima, and Arjuna, and the twins, each\nlooking like unto Shiva, and Krishna, and their priest, ascending costly\ncars unto which were yoked excellent steeds, together went into the\nforest. And at time of going they distributed _Nishkas_ of gold and\nclothes and kine unto Brahmanas versed in _Siksha_ and _Akshara_ and\n_mantras_. And twenty attendants followed them equipped with bows, and\nbowstrings, and blazing weapons, and shafts and arrows and engines of\ndestruction. And taking the princess's clothes and the ornaments, and\nthe nurses and the maid-servants, Indrasena speedily followed the\nprinces on a car. And then approaching the best of Kurus, the\nhigh-minded citizens walked round him. And the principal Brahmanas of\nKurujangala cheerfully saluted him. And together with his brothers,\nYudhishthira the just, on his part saluted them cheerfully. And the\nillustrious king stopped there a little, beholding the concourse of the\ninhabitants of Kurujangala. And the illustrious bull among the Kurus\nfelt for them as a father feeleth for his sons, and they too felt for\nthe Kuru chief even as sons feel for their father! And that mighty\nconcourse, approaching the Kuru hero, stood around him. And, O king,\naffected, with bashfulness, and with tears in their eyes, they all\nexclaimed, 'Alas, O lord! O Dharma!' And they said, 'Thou art the chief\nof the Kurus, and the king of us, thy subjects! Where dost thou go, O\njust monarch, leaving all these citizens and the inhabitants of the\ncountry, like a father leaving his sons? Fie on the cruel-hearted son of\nDhritarashtra! Fie on the evil-minded son of Suvala! Fie on Karna! For,\nO foremost of monarchs, those wretches ever wish unto thee who art firm\nin virtue! Having thyself established the unrivalled city of\nIndraprastha of the splendour of Kailasa itself, where dost thou go,\nleaving it, O illustrious and just king, O achiever of extraordinary\ndeeds! O illustrious one, leaving that peerless palace built by Maya,\nwhich possesseth the splendour of the palace of the celestials\nthemselves, and is like unto a celestial illusion, ever guarded by the\ngods, where dost thou go, O son of Dharma?' And Vibhatsu knowing the\nways of virtue, pleasure, and profit said unto them in a loud voice,\n'Living in the forest, the king intendeth to take away the good name of\nhis enemies! O ye with the regenerate ones at your head, versed in\nvirtue and profit, do you approaching the ascetics separately and\ninclining them to grace, represent unto them what may be for our supreme\ngood!' Upon hearing these words of Arjuna, the Brahmanas and the other\norders, O king, saluting him cheerfully walked round the foremost of\nvirtuous men! And bidding farewell unto the son of Pritha, and\nVrikodara, and Dhananjaya and Yajnaseni, and the twins, and commanded by\nYudhishthira, they returned to their respective abodes in the kingdom\nwith heavy hearts.\"\n\n\nSECTION XXIV\n\nVaisampayana said, \"After they had departed, Yudhishthira the virtuous\nson of Kunti, unwavering in his promises, addressed all his brothers,\nsaying, 'We shall have to dwell in the solitary forest for these twelve\nyears. Search ye, therefore, in this mighty forest for some spot\nabounding in birds and deer and flowers and fruits, beautiful to behold,\nand auspicious, and inhabited by virtuous persons and where we may dwell\npleasantly for all these years!' Thus addressed by Yudhishthira,\nDhananjaya replied unto the son of Dharma, after reverencing the\nillustrious king as if he were his spiritual preceptor. And Arjuna said,\n'Thou hast respectfully waited upon all the great and old _Rishis_.\nThere is nothing unknown to thee in the world of men. And O bull of the\nBharata race, thou hast always waited with reverence upon Brahmanas\nincluding Dwaipayana and others, and Narada of great ascetic merit, who\nwith senses under control, ever goeth to the gates of all the world from\nthe world of the gods unto that of Brahma, including that of the\nGandharvas and Apsaras! And thou knowest, without doubt, the opinions of\nthe Brahmanas, and, O king, their prowess also! And O monarch, thou\nknowest what is calculated to do us good! And O great king, we will live\nwherever thou likest! Here is this lake, full of sacred water, called\n_Dwaitavana_, abounding with flowers, and delightful to look at, and\ninhabited by many species of birds. If, O king, it pleaseth thee, here\nshould we like to dwell these twelve years! Thinkest thou otherwise?'\nYudhishthira replied, 'O Partha, what thou hast said recommendeth itself\nto me! Let us go that sacred and celebrated and large lake called\n_Dwaitavana_!'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Then the virtuous son of Pandu, accompanied by\nnumerous Brahmanas, all went to the sacred lake called _Dwaitavana_. And\nYudhishthira was surrounded by numerous Brahmanas some of whom\nsacrificed with fire and some without it and some of whom, devoted to\nthe study of the Vedas, lived upon alms or were of the class called\n_Vanaprasthas_. And the king was also surrounded by hundreds of\n_Mahatmas_ crowned with ascetic success and of rigid vows. And those\nbulls of the Bharata race, the sons of Pandu setting out with those\nnumerous Brahmanas, entered the sacred and delightful woods of _Dwaita_.\nAnd the king saw that mighty forest covered on the close of summer with\n_Salas_, and palms, and mangoes, and _Madhukas_, and _Nipas_ and\n_Kadamvas_ and _Sarjjas_ and _Arjunas_, and _Karnikars_, many of them\ncovered with flowers. And flocks of peacocks and _Datyuhas_ and\n_Chakoras_ and _Varhins_ and _Kokilas_, seated on the tops of the\ntallest trees of that forest were pouring forth their mellifluous notes.\nAnd the king also saw in that forest mighty herds of gigantic elephants\nhuge as the hills, with temporal juice trickling down in the season of\nrut, accompanied by herds of she-elephants. And approaching the\nbeautiful Bhogavati (Saraswati), the king saw many ascetics crowned with\nsuccess in the habitations in that forest, and virtuous men of\nsanctified souls clad in barks of trees and bearing matted locks on\ntheir heads. And descending from their cars, the king that foremost of\nvirtuous men with his brothers and followers entered that forest like\nIndra of immeasurable energy entering heaven. And crowds of _Charanas_\nand _Siddhas_, desirous of beholding the monarch devoted to truth, came\ntowards him. And the dwellers of that forest stood surrounding that lion\namong kings possessed of great intelligence. And saluting all the\n_Siddhas_, and saluted by them in return as a king or a god should be,\nthat foremost of virtuous men entered the forest with joined hands\naccompanied by all those foremost of regenerate ones. And the\nillustrious and virtuous king, saluted in return by those virtuous\nascetics that had approached him, sat down in their midst at the foot of\na mighty tree decked with flowers, like his father (Pandu) in days\nbefore. And those chiefs of the Bharata race _viz_., Bhima and\nDhananjaya and the twins and Krishna and their followers, all fatigued,\nleaving their vehicles, sat themselves down around that best of kings.\nAnd that mighty tree bent down with the weight of creepers, with those\nfive illustrious bowmen who had come there for rest sitting under it,\nlooked like a mountain with (five) huge elephants resting on its side.\"\n\n\nSECTION XXV\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Having fallen into distress, those princes thus\nobtained at last a pleasant habitation in that forest. And there in\nthose woods abounding with _Sala_ trees and washed by the Saraswati,\nthey who were like so many Indras, began to sport themselves. And the\nillustrious king, that bull of the Kuru race, set himself to please all\nthe _Yatis_ and _Munis_ and the principal Brahmanas in that forest, by\nofferings of excellent fruits and roots. And their priest, Dhaumya\nendued with great energy, like unto a father to those princes, began to\nperform the sacrificial rites of _Ishti_ and _Paitreya_ for the Pandavas\nresiding in that great forest. And there came, as a guest, unto the\nabode of the accomplished Pandavas living in the wood after loss of\ntheir kingdom, the old Rishi Markandeya, possessed of intense and\nabundant energy. And that bull of the Kuru race, the high-souled\nYudhishthira, possessed of unrivalled strength and prowess, paid his\nhomage unto that great _Muni_, reverenced by celestials and Rishis of\nmen, and possessed of the splendour of blazing fire. And that\nillustrious and all-knowing _Muni_, of unrivalled energy, beholding\nDraupadi and Yudhishthira and Bhima and Arjuna, in the midst of the\nascetics, smiled, recollecting Rama in his mind. And Yudhishthira the\njust, apparently grieved at this, asked him, saying, 'All these ascetics\nare sorry for seeing me here. Why is it that thou alone smilest, as if\nin glee, in the presence of these?' Markandeya replied, 'O child, I too\nam sorry and do not smile in glee! Nor doth pride born of joy possess my\nheart! Beholding to-day thy calamity, I recollect Rama, the son of\nDasaratha, devoted to truth! Even that Rama, accompanied by Lakshman,\ndwelt in the woods at the command of his father. O son of Pritha, I\nbeheld him in days of old ranging with his bow on the top of the\n_Rishyamuka_ hills! The illustrious Rama was like unto Indra, the lord\nof Yama himself, and the slayer of Namuchi! Yet that sinless one had to\ndwell in the forest at the command of his father, accepting it as his\nduty. The illustrious Rama was equal unto Sakra in prowess, and\ninvincible in battle. And yet he had to range the forest renouncing all\npleasures! Therefore should no one act unrighteously, saying,--_I am\nmighty!_ Kings Nabhaga and Bhagiratha and others, having subjugated by\ntruth this world bounded by the seas, (finally) obtained, O child, all\nthe region hereafter. Therefore, should no one act unrighteously,\nsaying,--_I am mighty!_ And, O exalted of men, the virtuous and truthful\nking of Kasi and Karusha was called a mad dog for having renounced his\nterritories and riches! Therefore, should no one act unrighteously,\nsaying,--_I am mighty!_ O best of men, O son of Pritha, the seven\nrighteous Rishis, for having observed the ordinance prescribed by the\nCreator himself in the Vedas, blaze in the firmament. Therefore, should\nno one act unrighteously, saying,--_I am mighty!_ Behold, O king, the\nmighty elephants, huge as mountain cliffs and furnished with tusks,\ntransgress not, O exalted of men, the laws of the Creator! Therefore,\nshould none act unrighteously saying, _Might is mine!_ And, O foremost\nof monarchs, behold all the creatures acting according to their species,\nas ordained by the Creator. Therefore, should none act unrighteously,\nsaying, _Might is mine_. O son of Pritha, in truth, and virtue, and\nproper behaviour, and modesty, thou hast surpassed all creatures, and\nthy fame and energy are as bright as fire or the Sun! Firm in thy\npromises, O illustrious one, having passed in the woods thy painful\nexile, thou wilt again, O king, snatch from the Kauravas thy blazing\nprosperity with the help of thy own energy!'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Having spoken these words unto Yudhishthira\n(seated) in the midst of the ascetics with friends, the great Rishi\nhaving also saluted Dhaumya and all the Pandavas set out in a northerly\ndirection!\"\n\n\nSECTION XXVI\n\nVaisampayana said, \"While the illustrious son of Pandu continued to\ndwell in the _Dwaita_ woods, that great forest became filled with\nBrahmanas. And the lake within that forest, ever resounding with Vedic\nrecitations, became sacred like a second region of Brahma. And the\nsounds of the _Yajus_, the _Riks_, the _Samas_, and other words uttered\nby the Brahmanas, were exceedingly delightful to hear. And the Vedic\nrecitations of the Brahmanas mingling with the twang of bows of the sons\nof Pritha, produced a union of the Brahmana and Kshatriya customs that\nwas highly beautiful. And one evening the Rishi Vaka of the _Dalvya_\nfamily addressed Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti seated in the midst of\nthe Rishis, saying, 'Behold, O chief of the Kurus, O son of Pritha, the\n_homa_ time is come of these Brahmanas devoted to ascetic austerities,\nthe time when the (sacred) fires have all been lit up! These all, of\nrigid vows, protected by thee, are performing the rites of religion in\nthis sacred region! The descendants of Bhrigu and Angiras, along with\nthose of Vasistha and Kasyapa, the illustrious sons of Agastya, the\noffspring of Atri all of excellent vows, in fact, all the foremost\nBrahmanas of the whole, are now united with thee! Listen, O son of the\nKuru race born of Kunti, thyself with thy brothers, to the words I speak\nto thee! As fire aided by the wind consumeth the forest, so _Brahma_\nenergy mingling with _Kshatriya_ energy, and _Kshatriya_ might mingling\nwith Brahma power, might, when they gathered force, consume all enemies!\nO child, he should never desire to be without Brahmanas who wisheth to\nsubdue this and the other world for length of days! Indeed, a king\nslayeth his enemies having obtained a Brahmana conversant with religion\nand worldly affairs and freed from passion and folly. King Vali\ncherishing his subjects practised those duties that lead to salvation,\nand knew not of any other means in this world than Brahmanas. It was for\nthis that all the desires of Virochana's son, the Asura (Vali), were\never gratified, and his wealth was ever inexhaustible. Having obtained\nthe whole earth through the aid of the Brahmanas, he met with\ndestruction when he began to practise wrong on them! This earth with her\nwealth never adoreth long as her lord a Kshatriya living without a\nBrahmana! The earth, however, girt by the sea, boweth unto him who is\nruled by a Brahmana and taught his duties by him! Like an elephant in\nbattle without his driver, a Kshatriya destitute of Brahmanas decreaseth\nin strength! The Brahmana's sight is without compare, and the\nKshatriya's might also is unparalleled. When these combine, the whole\nearth itself cheerfully yieldeth to such a combination. As fire becoming\nmightier with the wind consumeth straw and wood, so kings with Brahmanas\nconsume all foes! An intelligent Kshatriya, in order to gain what he\nhath not, and increase what he hath, should take counsel of Brahmanas!\nTherefore, O son of Kunti, for obtaining what thou hast not and\nincreasing what thou hast, and spending what thou hast on proper objects\nand persons, keep thou with thee a Brahmana of reputation, of a\nknowledge of the Vedas, of wisdom and experience! O Yudhishthira, thou\nhast ever highly regarded the Brahmanas. It is for this that thy fame is\ngreat and blazeth in the three worlds!'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Then all those Brahmanas who were with\nYudhishthira worshipped Vaka of the Dalvya race, and having heard him\npraise Yudhishthira became highly pleased. And Dwaipayana and Narada and\nJamadagnya and Prithusravas; and Indradyumna and Bhalaki and Kritachetas\nand Sahasrapat; and Karnasravas and Munja and Lavanaswa and Kasyapa; and\nHarita and Sthulakarana and Agnivesya and Saunaka; and Kritavak and\nSuvakana, Vrihadaswa and Vibhavasu; and Urdharetas and Vrishamitra and\nSuhotra and Hotravahana; these and many other Brahmanas of rigid vows\nthen adored Yudhishthira like Rishis adoring Purandara in heaven!\"\n\n\nSECTION XXVII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Exiled to the woods the sons of Pritha with Krishna\nseated in the evening, conversed with one another afflicted with sorrow\nand grief. And the handsome and well informed Krishna dear unto her\nlords and devoted to them, thus spake unto Yudhishthira, 'The sinful,\ncruel, and wicked-minded son of Dhritarashtra certainly feeleth no\nsorrow for us, when, O king, that evil-hearted wretch having sent thee\nwith myself into the woods dressed in deer-skin feeleth no regret! The\nheart of that wretch of evil deeds must surely be made of steel when he\ncould at that time address thee, his virtuous eldest brother, in words\nso harsh! Having brought thee who deservest to enjoy every happiness and\nnever such woe, into such distress, alas, that wicked-minded and sinful\nwretch joyeth with his friends! O Bharata, when dressed in deer-skin\nthou hast set out for the woods, only four persons, O monarch, _viz_.,\nDuryodhana, Karna, the evil-minded Sakuni, and Dussasana that bad and\nfierce brother of Duryodhana, did not shed tears! With the exception of\nthese, O thou best of the Kurus, all other Kurus filled with sorrow shed\ntears from their eyes! Beholding this thy bed and recollecting what thou\nhadst before, I grieve, O king, for thee who deservest not woe and hast\nbeen brought up in every luxury! Remembering that seat of ivory in thy\ncourt, decked with jewels and beholding this seat of _kusa_ grass, grief\nconsumeth me, O king! I saw thee, O king, surrounded in thy court by\nkings! What peace can my heart know in not beholding thee such now? I\nbeheld thy body, effulgent as the sun, decked with sandal paste! Alas,\ngrief depriveth me of my senses in beholding thee now besmeared with mud\nand dirt! I saw thee before, O king, dressed in silken clothes of pure\nwhite! But I now behold thee dressed in rags! Formerly, O king, pure\nfood of every kind was carried from thy house on plates of gold for\nBrahmanas by thousands! And, O king, food also of the best kind was\nformerly given by thee unto ascetics both houseless and living in\ndomesticity! Formerly, living in thy mansion thou hadst ever filled with\nfood of every kind plates by thousands, and worshipped the Brahmanas\ngratifying every wish of theirs! What peace, O king, can my heart know\nin not beholding all this now? And, O great king, these thy brothers,\nendued with youth and decked with ear-rings, were formerly fed by cook\nwith food of the sweet flavour and dressed with skill! Alas, O king, I\nnow behold them all, so undeserving of woe, living in the woods and upon\nwhat the wood may yield! My heart, O King knoweth no peace! Thinking of\nthis Bhimasena living in sorrow in the woods, doth not thy anger blaze\nup, even though it is time? Why doth not thy anger, O king, blaze up\nupon beholding the illustrious Bhimasena who ever performeth everything\nunaided, so fallen into distress, though deserving of every happiness?\nWhy, O king, doth not thy anger blaze up on beholding that Bhima living\nin the woods who was formerly surrounded with numerous vehicles and\ndressed in costly apparel? This exalted personage is ready to slay all\nthe Kurus in battle. He beareth, however, all this sorrow, only because\nhe waiteth for the fufilment of thy promise! This Arjuna, O king, though\npossessed of two hands, is equal, for the lightness of his hand in\ndischarging shafts, to (Kaitavirya) Arjuna of a thousand arms! He is\neven (to foes), like unto Yama himself at the end of the _Yuga_! It was\nby the prowess of his weapons that all the kings of the earth were made\nto wait upon the Brahmanas at thy sacrifice! Beholding that Arjuna that\ntiger among men worshipped by both the celestials and the Danavas so\nanxious, why, O king, dost thou not feel indignant? I grieve, O Bharata,\nthat thy wrath doth not blaze up at sight of that son of Pritha in\nexile, that prince who deserveth not such distress and who hath been\nbrought up in every luxury! Why doth not thy wrath blaze up at sight of\nthat Arjuna in exile, who, on a single car, hath vanquished celestials\nand men and serpents? Why, O king, doth not thy wrath blaze up at sight\nof that Arjuna in exile who, honoured with offerings of cars and\nvehicles of various forms and horses and elephants, forcibly took from\nthe kings of the earth their treasures, who is the chastiser of all\nfoes, and who at one impetus can throw full five hundred arrows? Why, O\nking, doth not thy wrath blaze up at sight of Nakula, in exile, who so\nfair and able-bodied and young, is the foremost of all swordsmen? Why, O\nking, dost thou pardon the foe, O Yudhishthira, at sight of Madri's son,\nthe handsome and brave Sahadeva in exile? Why doth not thy anger blaze\nup, O king, it sight of both Nakula and Sahadeva overwhelmed with grief,\nthough so undeserving of distress? Why also, O king, dost thou pardon\nthe foe at sight of myself in exile who, born in the race of Drupada\nand, therefore, the sister of Dhrishtadyumna, am the daughter-in-law of\nthe illustrious Pandu and the devoted wife of heroes? Truly, O thou best\nof the Bharatas, thou hast no anger, else why is it that thy mind is not\nmoved at sight of thy brothers and myself (in such distress)? It is said\nthat there is no Kshatriya in the world who is bereft of anger. I now\nbehold in thee, however, a refutation of the proverb! That Kshatriya, O\nson of Pritha, who discovereth not his energy when the opportunity\ncometh, is ever disregarded by all creatures! Therefore, O king, thou\nshouldst not extend thy forgiveness to the foe. Indeed, with thy energy,\nwithout doubt, thou mayst slay them all! So also, O king, that Kshatriya\nwho is not appeased when the time for forgiveness cometh, becometh\nunpopular with every creature and meeteth with destruction both in this\nand the other world!'\"\n\n\nSECTION XXVIII\n\n\"Draupadi continued, 'On this subject, the ancient story of the\nconversation between Prahlada and Vali, the son of Virochana, is quoted\nas an example. One day Vali asked his grand-father Prahlada, the chief\nof the Asuras and the Danavas, possessed of great wisdom and well-versed\nin the mysteries of the science of duty, saying, \"O sire, is forgiveness\nmeritorious or might and energy such? I am puzzled as regards this; O\nsire, enlighten me who ask thee this! O thou conversant with all duties,\ntell me truly which of these is meritorious? I will strictly obey\nwhatever thy command may be!\" Thus asked (by Vali), his wise\ngrandfather, conversant with every conclusion, replied upon the whole\nsubject unto his grand-son who had sought at his hands the resolution of\nhis doubts. And Prahlada said, \"Know, O child, these two truths with\ncertainty, viz., that might is not always meritorious and forgiveness\nalso is not always meritorious! He that forgiveth always suffereth many\nevils. Servants and strangers and enemies always disregard him. No\ncreature ever bendeth down unto him. Therefore it is, O child, that the\nlearned applaud not a constant habit of forgiveness! The servants of an\never-forgiving person always disregard him, and contract numerous\nfaults. These mean-minded men also seek to deprive him of his wealth.\nVile-souled servants also appropriate to themselves his vehicles and\nclothes and ornaments and apparel and beds and seats and food and drink\nand other articles of use. They do not also at the command of their\nmaster, give unto others the things they are directed to give. Nor do\nthey even worship their master with that respect which is their master's\ndue. Disregard in this world is worse than death. O child, sons and\nservants and attendants and even strangers speak harsh words unto the\nman who always forgiveth. Persons, disregarding the man of an\never-forgiving temper, even desire his wife, and his wife also, becometh\nready to act as she willeth. And servants also that are ever fond of\npleasure, if they do not receive even slight punishments from their\nmaster, contract all sorts of vices, and the wicked ever injure such a\nmaster. These and many other demerits attach to those that are\never-forgiving!\n\n\"'\"Listen now, O son of Virochana, to the demerits of those that are\nnever forgiving! The man of wrath who, surrounded by darkness, always\ninflicteth, by help of his own energy, various kinds of punishment on\npersons whether they deserve them or not, is necessarily separated from\nhis friends in consequence of that energy of his. Such a man is hated by\nboth relatives and strangers. Such a man, because he insulteth others,\nsuffereth loss of wealth and reapeth disregard and sorrow and hatred and\nconfusion and enemies. The man of wrath, in consequence of his ire,\ninflicteth punishments on men and obtaineth (in return) harsh words. He\nis divested of his prosperity soon and even of life, not to say, of\nfriends and relatives. He that putteth forth his might both upon his\nbenefactor and his foe, is an object of alarm to the world, like a snake\nthat hath taken shelter in a house, to the inmates thereof. What\nprosperity can he have who is an object of alarm to the world? People\nalways do him an injury when they find a hole. Therefore, should men\nnever exhibit might in excess nor forgiveness on all occasions. One\nshould put forth his might and show his forgiveness on proper occasions.\nHe that becometh forgiving at the proper time and harsh and mighty also\nat the proper time, obtaineth happiness both in this world and the\nother.\n\n\"'\"I shall now indicate the occasions in detail of forgiveness, as laid\ndown by the learned, and which should ever be observed by all. Hearken\nunto me as I speak! He that hath done thee a service, even if he is\nguilty of a grave wrong unto thee, recollecting his former service,\nshouldst thou forgive that offender. Those also that have become\noffenders from ignorance and folly should be forgiven for learning and\nwisdom are not always easily attainable by man. They that having\noffended thee knowingly, plead ignorance should be punished, even if\ntheir offences be trivial. Such crooked men should never be pardoned.\nThe first offence of every creature should be forgiven. The second\noffence, however, should be punished, even if it be trivial. If,\nhowever, a person committeth an offence unwillingly, it hath been said\nthat examining his plea well by a judicious enquiry, he should be\npardoned. Humility may vanquish might, humility may vanquish weakness.\nThere is nothing that humility may not accomplish. Therefore, humility\nis truly fiercer (than it seemeth)! One should act with reference to\nplace and time, taking note of his own might or weakness. Nothing can\nsucceed that hath been undertaken without reference to place and time.\nTherefore, do thou ever wait for place and time! Sometimes offenders\nshould be forgiven from fear of the people. These have been declared to\nbe times of forgiveness. And it hath been said that on occasions besides\nthese, might should be put forth against transgressors.\"'\n\n\"Draupadi continued, 'I, therefore, regard, O king, that the time hath\ncome for thee to put forth thy might! Unto those Kurus the covetous sons\nof Dhritarashtra who injure us always, the present is not the time for\nforgiveness! It behoveth thee to put forth thy might. The humble and\nforgiving person is disregarded; while those that are fierce persecute\nothers. He, indeed, is a king who hath recourse to both, each according\nto its time!'\"\n\n\nSECTION XXIX\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'Anger is the slayer of men and is again their\nprosperor. Know this, O thou possessed of great wisdom, that anger is\nthe root of all prosperity and all adversity. O thou beautiful one, he\nthat suppresseth his anger earneth prosperity. That man, again, who\nalways giveth way to anger, reapeth adversity from his fierce anger. It\nis seen in this world that anger is the cause of destruction of every\ncreature. How then can one like me indulge his anger which is so\ndestructive of the world? The angry man commiteth sin. The angry man\nkilleth even his preceptors. The angry man insulteth even his superiors\nin harsh words. The man that is angry faileth to distinguish between\nwhat should be said and what should not. There is no act that an angry\nman may not do, no word that an angry man may not utter. From anger a\nman may slay one that deserveth not to be slain, and may worship one\nthat deserveth to be slain. The angry man may even send his own soul to\nthe regions of Yama. Beholding all these faults, the wise control their\nanger, desirous of obtaining high prosperity both in this and the other\nworld. It is for this that they of tranquil souls have banished wrath.\nHow can one like us indulge in it then? O daughter of Drupada,\nreflecting upon all this, my anger is not excited. One that acteth not\nagainst a man whose wrath hath been up, rescueth himself as also others\nfrom great fear. In fact, he may be regarded to be the physician of the\ntwo (_viz_., himself and angry man). If a weak man, persecuted by\nothers, foolishly becometh angry towards men that are mightier than he,\nhe then becometh himself the cause of his own destruction. And in\nrespect of one who thus deliberately throweth away his life, there are\nno regions hereafter to gain. Therefore, O daughter of Drupada, it hath\nbeen said that a weak man should always suppress his wrath. And the wise\nman also who though persecuted, suffereth not his wrath to be roused,\njoyeth in the other world--having passed his persecutor over in\nindifference. It is for this reason hath it been said that a wise man,\nwhether strong or weak, should ever forgive his persecutor even when the\nlatter is in the straits. It is for this, O Krishna, that the virtuous\napplaud them that have conquered their wrath. Indeed, it is the opinion\nof the virtuous that the honest and forgiving man is ever victorious.\nTruth is more beneficial than untruth; and gentleness than cruel\nbehaviour. How can one like me, therefore, even for the purpose of\nslaying Duryodhana, exhibit anger which hath so many faults and which\nthe virtuous banish from their souls? They that are regarded by the\nlearned of foresight, as possessed of (true) force of character, are\ncertainly those who are wrathful in outward show only. Men of learning\nand of true insight call him to be possessed of force of character who\nby his wisdom can suppress his risen wrath. O thou of fair hips, the\nangry man seeth not things in their true light. The man that is angry\nseeth not his way, nor respecteth persons. The angry man killeth even\nthose that deserve not to be killed. The man of wrath slayeth even his\npreceptors. Therefore, the man possessing force of character should ever\nbanish wrath to a distance. The man that is overwhelmed with wrath\nacquireth not with ease generosity, dignity, courage, skill, and other\nattributes belonging to real force of character. A man by forsaking\nanger can exhibit proper energy, whereas, O wise one, it is highly\ndifficult for the angry man to exhibit his energy at the proper time!\nThe ignorant always regard anger as equivalent to energy. Wrath, however\nhath been given to man for the destruction of the world. The man,\ntherefore, who wisheth to behave properly, must ever forsake anger. Even\none who hath abandoned the excellent virtues of his own order, it is\ncertain, indulgeth in wrath (if behaveth properly). If fools, of mind\nwithout light, transgress in every respect, how, O faultless one, can\none like me transgress (like them)? If amongst men there were not\npersons equal unto the earth in forgiveness, there would be no peace\namong men but continued strife caused by wrath. If the injured return\ntheir injuries, if one chastised by his superior were to chastise his\nsuperior in return, the consequence would be the destruction of every\ncreature, and sin also would prevail in the world. If the man who hath\nill speeches from another, returneth those speeches afterwards; if the\ninjured man returneth his injuries; if the chastised person chastiseth\nin return; if fathers slay sons, and sons fathers and if husbands slay\nwives, and wives husbands; then, O Krishna, how can birth take place in\na world where anger prevaileth so! For, O thou of handsome face, know\nthat the birth of creatures is due to peace! If the kings also, O\nDraupadi, giveth way to wrath, his subjects soon meet with destruction.\nWrath, therefore, hath for its consequence the destruction and the\ndistress of the people. And because it is seen that there are in the\nworld men who are forgiving like the Earth, it is therefore that\ncreatures derive their life and prosperity. O beautiful one, one should\nforgive under every injury. It hath been said that the continuation of\nspecies is due to man being forgiving. He, indeed, is a wise and\nexcellent person who hath conquered his wrath and who showeth\nforgiveness even when insulted, oppressed, and angered by a strong\nperson. The man of power who controleth his wrath, hath (for his\nenjoyment) numerous everlasting regions; while he that is angry, is\ncalled foolish, and meeteth with destruction both in this and the other\nworld. O Krishna, the illustrious and forgiving Kasyapa hath, in this\nrespect, sung the following verses in honour of men that are ever\nforgiving, \"Forgiveness is virtue, forgiveness is sacrifice, forgiveness\nis the Vedas, forgiveness is the _Shruti_. He that knoweth this is\ncapable of forgiving everything. Forgiveness is _Brahma_; forgiveness is\ntruth; forgiveness is stored ascetic merit; forgiveness protecteth the\nascetic merit of the future; forgiveness is asceticism; forgiveness is\nholiness; and by forgiveness is it that the universe is held together.\nPersons that are forgiving attain to the regions obtainable by those\nthat have performed meritorious sacrifices, or those that are\nwell-conversant with the Vedas, or those that have high ascetic merit.\nThose that perform Vedic sacrifices as also those that perform the\nmeritorious rites of religion obtain other regions. Men of forgiveness,\nhowever, obtain those much-adored regions that are in the world of\nBrahma. Forgiveness is the might of the mighty; forgiveness is\nsacrifice; forgiveness is quiet of mind. How, O Krishna, can one like us\nabandon forgiveness, which is such, and in which are established\n_Brahma_, and truth, and wisdom and the worlds? The man of wisdom should\never forgive, for when he is capable of forgiving everything, he\nattaineth to _Brahma_. The world belongeth to those that are forgiving;\nthe other world is also theirs. The forgiving acquire honours here, and\na state of blessedness hereafter. Those men that ever conquer their\nwrath by forgiveness, obtain the higher regions. Therefore hath it been\nsaid that forgiveness is the highest virtue.\" Those are the verses sung\nby Kasyapa in respect of those that are everforgiving. Having listened,\nO Draupadi, to these verses in respect of forgiveness, content thyself!\nGive not way to thy wrath! Our grandsire, the son of Santanu, will\nworship peace; Krishna, the son of Devaki, will worship peace; the\npreceptor (Drona) and Vidura called _Kshatri_ will both speak of peace;\nKripa and Sanjaya also will preach peace. And Somadatta and Yuyutshu and\nDrona's son and our grandsire Vyasa, every one of them speaketh always\nof peace. Ever urged by these towards peace, the king (Dhritarashtra)\nwill, I think, return us our kingdom. If however, he yieldeth to\ntemptation, he will meet with destruction. O lady, a crisis hath come in\nthe history of Bharatas for plunging them into calamity! This hath been\nmy certain conclusion from some time before! Suyodhana deserveth not the\nkingdom. Therefore hath he been unable to acquire forgiveness. I,\nhowever, deserve the sovereignty and therefore is it that forgiveness\nhath taken possession of me. Forgiveness and gentleness are the\nqualities of the self-possessed. They represent eternal virtue. I shall,\ntherefore, truly adopt those qualities.'\"\n\n\nSECTION XXX\n\n\"Draupadi said, 'I bow down unto _Dhatri_ and _Vidhatri_ who have thus\nclouded thy sense! Regarding the burden (thou art to bear) thou thinkest\ndifferently from the ways of thy fathers and grand-fathers! Influenced\nby acts men are placed in different situations of life. Acts, therefore,\nproduce consequences that are inevitable; emancipation is desired from\nmere folly. It seemeth that man can never attain prosperity in this\nworld by virtue, gentleness, forgiveness, straight-forwardness and fear\nof censure! If this were not so, O Bharata, this insufferable calamity\nwould never have overtaken thee who art so undeserving of it, and these\nthy brothers of great energy! Neither in those days of prosperity nor in\nthese days of thy adversity, thou, O Bharata, hath ever known anything\nso dear to thee as virtue, which thou hast even regarded as dearer to\nthee than life! That thy kingdom is for virtue alone, that thy life also\nis for virtue alone, is known to Brahmanas and thy superiors and even\nthe celestials! I think thou canst abandon Bhimasena and Arjuna and\nthese twin sons of Madri along with myself but thou canst not abandon\nvirtue! I have heard that the king protecteth virtue; and virtue,\nprotected by him, protecteth him (in return)! I see, however, that\nvirtue protecteth thee not! Like the shadow pursuing a man, thy heart, O\ntiger among men, with singleness of purpose, ever seeketh virtue. Thou\nhast never disregarded thy equals, and inferiors and superiors.\nObtaining even the entire world, thy pride never increased! O son of\nPritha, thou ever worshippest Brahmanas, and gods, and the _Pitris_,\nwith _Swadhas_, and other forms of worship! O son of Pritha, thou hast\never gratified the Brahmanas by fulfilling every wish of theirs! _Yatis_\nand _Sannyasins_ and mendicants of domestic lives have always been fed\nin thy house from off plates of gold where I have distributed (food)\namongst them. Unto the _Vanaprasthas_ thou always givest gold and food.\nThere is nothing in thy house thou mayest not give unto the Brahmanas!\nIn the _Viswadeva_ sacrifice, that is, for thy peace, performed in thy\nhouse, the things consecrated are first offered unto guests and all\ncreatures while thou livest thyself with what remaineth (after\ndistribution)! _Ishtis Pashubandhas_, sacrifices for obtaining fruition\nof desire, the religious rites of (ordinary) domesticity, _Paka_\nsacrifices, and sacrifices of other kinds, are ever performed in thy\nhouse. Even in this great forest, so solitary and haunted by robbers,\nliving in exile, divested of thy kingdom, thy virtue hath sustained no\ndiminution! The _Aswamedha_, the _Rajasuya_, the _Pundarika_, and\n_Gosava_, these grand sacrifices requiring large gifts have all been\nperformed by thee! O monarch, impelled by a perverse sense during that\ndire hour of a losing match at dice, thou didst yet stake and lose thy\nkingdom, thy wealth, thy weapons, thy brothers, and myself! Simple,\ngentle, liberal, modest, truthful, how, O king could thy mind be\nattracted to the vice of gambling? I am almost deprived of my sense, O\nking, and my heart is overwhelmed with grief, beholding this thy\ndistress, and this thy calamity! An old history is cited as an\nillustration for the truth that men are subjects to the will of God and\nnever to their own wishes! The Supreme Lord and Ordainer of all\nordaineth everything in respect of the weal and woe, the happiness and\nmisery, of all creatures, even prior to their births guided by the acts\nof each, which are even like a seed (destined to sprout forth into the\ntree of life). O hero amongst men, as a wooden doll is made to move its\nlimbs by the wirepuller, so are creatures made to work by the Lord of\nall. O Bharata, like space that covereth every object, God, pervading\nevery creature, ordaineth its weal or woe. Like a bird tied with a\nstring, every creature is dependent on God. Every one is subject to God\nand none else. No one can be his own ordainer. Like a pearl on its\nstring, or a bull held fast by the cord passing through its nose, or a\ntree fallen from the bank into the middle of the stream, every creature\nfolloweth the command of the Creator, because imbued with His Spirit and\nbecause established in Him. And man himself, dependent on the Universal\nSoul, cannot pass a moment independently. Enveloped in darkness,\ncreatures are not masters of their own weal or woe. They go to heaven or\nhell urged by God Himself. Like light straws dependent on strong winds,\nall creatures, O Bharatas, are dependent on God! And God himself,\npervading all creatures and engaged in acts right and wrong, moveth in\nthe universe, though none can say _This is God!_ This body with its\nphysical attributes is only the means by which God--the Supreme Lord of\nall maketh (every creature) to reap fruits that are good or bad. Behold\nthe power of illusion that hath been spread by God, who confounding with\nhis illusion, maketh creatures slay their fellows! Truth-knowing _Munis_\nbehold those differently. They appear to them in a different light, even\nlike the rays of the Sun (which to ordinary eyes are only a pencil of\nlight, while to eyes more penetrating seem fraught with the germs of\nfood and drink). Ordinary men behold the things of the earth otherwise.\nIt is God who maketh them all, adopting different processes in their\ncreation and destruction. And, O Yudhishthira, the Self-create Grandsire,\nAlmighty God, spreading illusion, slayeth his creatures by the\ninstrumentality of his creatures, as one may break a piece of inert and\nsenseless wood with wood, or stone with stone, or iron with iron. And\nthe Supreme Lord, according to his pleasure, sporteth with His\ncreatures, creating and destroying them, like a child with his toy (of\nsoft earth). O king, it doth seem to me that God behaveth towards his\ncreatures like a father or mother unto them. Like a vicious person, He\nseemeth to bear himself towards them in anger! Beholding superior and\nwell-behaved and modest persons persecuted, while the sinful are happy,\nI am sorely troubled. Beholding this thy distress and the prosperity of\nSuyodhana, I do not speak highly of the Great Ordainer who suffereth\nsuch inequality! O sir, what fruits doth the Great Ordainer reap by\ngranting prosperity to Dhritarashtra's son who transgresseth the\nordinances, who is crooked and covetous, and who injureth virtue and\nreligion! If the act done pursueth the doer and none else, then\ncertainly it is God himself who is stained with the sin of every act. If\nhowever, the sin of an act done doth not attach to the doer, then\n(individual) might (and not God) is the true cause of acts, and I grieve\nfor those that have no might!'\"\n\n\nSECTION XXXI\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'Thy speech, O Yajnaseni, is delightful, smooth and\nfull of excellent phrases. We have listened to it (carefully). Thou\nspeakest, however, the language of atheism. O princess, I never act,\nsolicitous of the fruits of my actions. I give away, because it is my\nduty to give; I sacrifice because it is my duty to sacrifice! O Krishna,\nI accomplish to the best of my power whatever a person living in\ndomesticity should do, regardless of the fact whether those acts have\nfruits or not. O thou of fair hips, I act virtuously, not from the\ndesire of reaping the fruits of virtue, but of not transgressing the\nordinances of the Veda, and beholding also the conduct of the good and\nwise! My heart, O Krishna, is naturally attracted towards virtue. The\nman who wisheth to reap the fruits of virtue is a trader in virtue. His\nnature is mean and he should never be counted amongst the virtuous. Nor\ndoth he ever obtain the fruits of his virtues! Nor doth he of sinful\nheart, who having accomplished a virtuous act doubteth in his mind,\nobtain the fruits of his act, in consequence of that scepticism of his!\nI speak unto thee, under the authority of the Vedas, which constitute\nthe highest proof in such matters, that never shouldst thou doubt\nvirtue! The man that doubteth virtue is destined to take his birth in\nthe brute species. The man of weak understanding who doubteth religion,\nvirtue or the words of the Rishis, is precluded from regions of\nimmortality and bliss, like Sudras from the Vedas! O intelligent one, if\na child born of a good race studieth the Vedas and beareth himself\nvirtuously, royal sages of virtuous behaviour regard him as an aged sage\n(not withstanding his years)! The sinful wretch, however, who doubteth\nreligion and transgresseth the scriptures, is regarded as lower even\nthan Sudras and robbers! Thou hast seen with thy own eyes the great\nascetic Markandeya of immeasurable soul come to us! It is by virtue\nalone that he hath acquired immortality in the flesh. Vyasa, and\nVasistha and Maitreya, and Narada and Lomasa, and Suka, and other Rishis\nhave all, by virtue alone, become of pure soul! Thou beholdest them with\nthy own eyes as furnished with prowess of celestial asceticism,\ncompetent to curse or bless (with effect), and superior to the very\ngods! O sinless one, these all, equal to the celestials themselves,\nbehold with their eyes what is written in the Vedas, and describe virtue\nas the foremost duty! It behoveth thee not, therefore, O amiable Queen,\nto either doubt or censure God or act, with a foolish heart. The fool\nthat doubteth religion and disregardeth virtue, proud of the proof\nderived from his own reasoning, regardeth not other proofs and holdeth\nthe Rishis, who are capable of knowing the future as present as mad men.\nThe fool regardeth only the external world capable of gratifying his\nsenses, and is blind to everything else. He that doubteth religion hath\nno expiation for his offence. That miserable wretch is full of anxiety\nand acquireth not regions of bliss hereafter. A rejector of proofs, a\nslanderer of the interpretation of the Vedic scriptures, a transgressor\nurged by lust and covetousness, that fool goeth to hell. O amiable one,\nhe on the other hand, who ever cherisheth religion with faith, obtaineth\neternal bliss in the other world. The fool who cherisheth not religion,\ntransgressing the proofs offered by the Rishis, never obtaineth\nprosperity in any life, for such transgression of the scriptures. It is\ncertain, O handsome one, that with respect to him who regardeth not the\nwords of the Rishis or the conduct of the virtuous as proof, neither\nthis nor the other world existeth. Doubt not, O Krishna, the ancient\nreligion that is practised by the good and framed by Rishis of universal\nknowledge and capable of seeing all things! O daughter of Drupada,\nreligion is the only raft for those desirous of going to heaven, like a\nship to merchants desirous of crossing the ocean. O thou faultless one,\nif the virtues that are practised by the virtuous had no fruits, this\nuniverse then would be enveloped in infamous darkness. No one then would\npursue salvation, no one would seek to acquire knowledge nor even\nwealth, but men would live like beasts. If asceticism, the austerities\nof celibate life, sacrifices, study of the Vedas, charity,\nhonesty,--these all were fruitless, men would not have practised virtue\ngeneration after generation. If acts were all fruitless, a dire\nconfusion would ensue. For what then do Rishis and gods and Gandharvas\nand Rakshasas who are all independent of human conditions, cherish\nvirtue with such affection? Knowing it for certain that God is the giver\nof fruits in respect of virtue, they practise virtue in this world.\nThis, O Krishna, is the eternal (source of) prosperity. When the fruits\nof both knowledge and asceticism are seen, virtue and vice cannot be\nfruitless. Call to thy mind, O Krishna, the circumstances of thy own\nbirth as thou that heard of them, and recall also the manner in which\nDhrishtadyumna of great prowess was born! These, O thou of sweet smiles,\nare the best proofs (of the fruits of virtue)! They that have their\nminds under control, reap the fruits of their acts and are content with\nlittle. Ignorant fools are not content with even that much they get\n(here), because they have no happiness born of virtue to acquire to in\nthe world hereafter. The fruitlessness of virtuous acts ordained in the\nVedas, as also of all transgressions, the origin and destruction of acts\nare, O beautiful one, mysterious even to the gods. These are not known\nto any body and everybody. Ordinary men are ignorant in respect of\nthese. The gods keep up the mystery, for the illusion covering the\nconduct of the gods is unintelligible. Those regenerate ones that have\ndestroyed all aspirations, that have built all their hopes on vows and\nasceticism, that have burnt all their sins and have acquired minds where\nquest and peace and holiness dwell, understand all these. Therefore,\nthough you mayst not see the fruits of virtue, thou shouldst not yet\ndoubt religion or gods. Thou must perform sacrifices with a will, and\npractise charity without insolence. Acts in this world have their\nfruits, and virtue also is eternal. Brahma himself told this unto his\n(spiritual) sons, as testified to by Kasyapa. Let thy doubt, therefore,\nO Krishna, be dispelled like mist. Reflecting upon all this, let thy\nscepticism give way to faith. Slander not God, who is the lord of all\ncreatures. Learn how to know him. Bow down unto him. Let not thy mind be\nsuch. And, O Krishna, never disregard that Supreme Being through whose\ngrace mortal man, by piety, acquireth immortality!'\"\n\n\nSECTION XXXII\n\n\"Draupadi said, 'I do not ever disregard or slander religion, O son of\nPritha! Why should I disregard God, the lord of all creatures? Afflicted\nwith woe, know me, O Bharata, to be only raving. I will once more indulge\nin lamentations; listen to me with attention. O persecutor of all\nenemies, every conscious creature should certainly act in this world. It\nis only the immobile, and not other creatures, that may live without\nacting. The calf, immediately after its birth, sucketh the mothers's\nteat. Persons feel pain in consequence of incantations performed with\ntheir statues. It seemeth, therefore, O Yudhishthira, that creatures\nderive the character of their lives from their acts of former lives.\nAmongst mobile creatures man differeth in this respect that he aspireth,\nO bull of the Bharata race, to affect his course of life in this and the\nother world by means of his acts. Impelled by the inspiration of a\nformer life, all creatures visibly (reap) in this world the fruits of\ntheir acts. Indeed, all creatures live according to the inspiration of a\nformer life, even the Creator and the Ordainer of the universe, like a\ncrane that liveth on the water (untaught by any one.) If a creature\nacteth not, its course of life is impossible. In the case of a creature,\ntherefore, there must be action and not inaction. Thou also shouldest\nact, and not incur censure by abandoning action. Cover thyself up, as\nwith an armour, with action. There may or may not be even one in a\nthousand who truly knoweth the utility of acts or work. One must act for\nprotecting as also increasing his wealth; for if without seeking to\nearn, one continueth to only spend, his wealth, even if it were a hoard\nhuge as Himavat, would soon be exhausted. All the creatures in the world\nwould have been exterminated, if there were no action. If also acts bore\nno fruits, creatures would never have multiplied. It is even seen that\ncreatures sometimes perform acts that have no fruits, for without acts\nthe course of life itself would be impossible. Those persons in the\nworld who believe in destiny, and those again who believe in chance, are\nboth the worst among men. Those only that believe in the efficacy of\nacts are laudable. He that lieth at ease, without activity, believing in\ndestiny alone, is soon destroyed like an unburnt earthen pot in water.\nSo also he that believeth in chance, i.e. sitteth inactive though\ncapable of activity liveth not long, for his life is one of weakness and\nhelplessness. If any person accidentally acquireth any wealth, it is\nsaid he deriveth it from chance, for no one's effort hath brought about\nthe result. And, O son of Pritha, whatever of good fortune a person\nobtaineth in consequence of religious rites, that is called\nprovidential. The fruit, however that a person obtaineth by acting\nhimself, and which is the direct result of those acts of his, is\nregarded as proof of personal ability. And, O best of men, know that the\nwealth one obtaineth spontaneously and without cause is said to be a\nspontaneous acquisition. Whatever is thus obtained by chance, by\nprovidential dispensation, spontaneously, of as the result of one's acts\nis, however, the consequence of the acts of a former life. And God, the\nOrdainer of the universe, judging according to the acts of former lives,\ndistributeth among men their portions in this world. Whatever acts, good\nor bad, a person performeth, know that they are the result of God's\narrangements agreeably to the acts of a former life. This body is only\nthe instruments in the hands of God, for doing the acts that are done.\nItself, inert, it doth as God urgeth it to do. O son of Kunti, it is the\nSupreme Lord of all who maketh all creatures do what they do. The\ncreatures themselves are inert. O hero, man, having first settled some\npurpose in his mind, accomplisheth it, himself working with the aid of\nhis intelligence. We, therefore, say that man is himself the cause (of\nwhat he doeth). O bull among men, it is impossible to number the acts of\nmen, for mansions and towns are the result of man's acts. Intelligent\nmen know, by help of their intellect, that oil may be had from sesame,\ncurds from milk, and that food may be cooked by means of igniting fuel.\nThey know also the means for accomplishing all these. And knowing them,\nthey afterwards set themselves, with proper appliances, to accomplish\nthem. And creatures support their lives by the results achieved in these\ndirections by their own acts. If a work is executed by a skilled\nworkman, it is executed well. From differences (in characteristics),\nanother work may be said to be that of an unskilful hand. If a person\nwere not, in the matter of his acts, himself the cause thereof, then\nsacrifices would not bear any fruits in his case nor would any body be a\ndisciple or a master. It is because a person is himself the cause of his\nwork that he is applauded when he achieved success. So the doer is\ncensured if he faileth. If a man were not himself the cause of his acts,\nhow would all this be justified? Some say that everything is the result\nof providential dispensation; others again, that this is not so, but\nthat everything which is supposed to be the result of destiny or chance\nis the result of the good or the bad acts of former lives. It is seen,\npossessions are obtained from chance, as also from destiny. Something\nbeing from destiny and something from chance, something is obtained by\nexertion. In the acquisition of his objects, there is no fourth cause in\nthe case of man. Thus say those that are acquainted with truth and\nskilled in knowledge. If, however, God himself were not the giver of\ngood and bad fruits, then amongst creatures there would not be any that\nwas miserable. If the effect of former acts be a myth, then all purposes\nfor which man would work should be successful. They, therefore, that\nregard the three alone (mentioned above) as the doors of all success and\nfailure in the world, (without regarding the acts of former life), are\ndull and inert like the body itself. For all this, however, a person\nshould act. This is the conclusion of Manu himself. The person that doth\nnot act, certainly succumbeth, O Yudhishthira. The man of action in this\nworld generally meeteth with success. The idle, however, never achieveth\nsuccess. If success becometh impossible, then should one seek to remove\nthe difficulties that bar his way to success. And, O king, if a person\nworketh (hard), his debt (to the gods) is cancelled (whether he\nachieveth success or not). The person that is idle and lieth at his\nlength, is overcome by adversity; while he that is active and skillful\nis sure to reap success and enjoy prosperity. Intelligent persons\nengaged in acts with confidence in themselves regard all who are\ndiffident as doubting and unsuccessful. The confident and faithful,\nhowever, are regarded by them as successful. And this moment misery hath\novertaken us. If, however, thou betakest to action, that misery will\ncertainly be removed. If thou meetest failure, then that will furnish a\nproof unto thee and Vrikodara and Vivatsu and the twins (that ye are\nunable to snatch the kingdom from the foe). The acts of others, it is\nseen, are crowned with success. It is probable that ours also will be\nsuccessful. How can one know beforehand what the consequence will be?\nHaving exerted thyself thou wilt know what the fruit of thy exertion\nwill be. The tiller tilleth with the plough the soil and soweth the\nseeds thereon. He then sitteth silent, for the clouds (after that) are\nthe cause that would help the seeds to grow into plants. If however, the\nclouds favour him not, the tiller is absolved from all blame. He sayeth\nunto himself, \"What others do, I have done. If, notwithstanding this, I\nmeet with failure, no blame can attach to me.\" Thinking so, he\ncontaineth himself and never indulgeth in self-reproach. O Bharata, no\none should despair saying, \"Oh, I am acting, yet success is not mine!\"\nFor there are two other causes, besides exertion, towards success.\nWhether there be success or failure, there should be no despair, for\nsuccess in acts dependeth upon the union of many circumstances. If one\nimportant element is wanting, success doth not become commensurate, or\ndoth not come at all. If however, no exertion is made, there can be no\nsuccess. Nor is there anything to applaud in the absence of all\nexertion. The intelligent, aided by their intelligence, and according to\ntheir full might bring place, time, means, auspicious rites, for the\nacquisition of prosperity. With carefulness and vigilance should one set\nhimself to work, his chief guide being his prowess. In the union of\nqualities necessary for success in work, prowess seemeth to be the\nchief. When the man of intelligence seeth his enemy superior to him in\nmany qualities, he should seek the accomplishment of his purposes by\nmeans of the arts of conciliation and proper appliances. He should also\nwish evil unto his foe and his banishment. Without speaking of mortal\nman, if his foe were even the ocean or the hills, he should be guided by\nsuch motives. A person by his activity in searching for the holes of his\nenemies, dischargeth his debt to himself as also to his friends. No man\nshould ever disparage himself for the man that disparageth himself never\nearneth high prosperity. O Bharata, success in this world is attainable\non such conditions! In fact, success in the world is said to depend on\nacting according to time and circumstances. My father formerly kept a\nlearned Brahmana with him. O bull of the Bharata race, he said all this\nunto my father. Indeed, these instructions as to duty, uttered by\nVrihaspati himself, were first taught to my brothers. It was from them\nthat I heard these afterwards while in my father's house. And, O\nYudhishthira, while at intervals of business, I went out (of the inner\napartments) and sat on the lap of my father, that learned Brahmana used\nto recite unto me these truths, sweetly consoling me therewith!'\"\n\n\nSECTION XXXIII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Hearing these words of Yajnaseni, Bhimasena, sighing\nin wrath, approached the king and addressed him, saying, 'Walk, O\nmonarch, in the customary path trodden by good men (before thee) in\nrespect of kingdoms. What do we gain by living in the asylum of\nascetics, thus deprived of virtue, pleasure, and profit? It is not by\nvirtue, nor by honesty, nor by might, but by unfair dice, that our\nkingdom hath been snatched by Duryodhana. Like a weak offal-eating\njackal snatching the prey from mighty lions, he hath snatched away our\nkingdom. Why, O monarch, in obedience to the trite merit of sticking to\na promise, dost thou suffer such distress, abandoning that wealth which\nis the source of both virtue and enjoyments? It was for thy\ncarelessness, O king, that our kingdom protected by the wielder of the\n_Gandiva_ and therefore, incapable of being wrested by Indra himself,\nwas snatched from us in our very sight. It was for thee, O monarch,\nthat, ourselves living, our prosperity was snatched away from us like a\nfruit from one unable to use his arms, or like kine from one incapable\nof using his legs. Thou art faithful in the acquisition of virtue. It\nwas to please thee, O Bharata, that we have suffered ourselves to be\noverwhelmed with such dire calamity. O bull of the Bharata race, it was\nbecause we were subject to thy control that we are thus tearing the\nhearts of our friends and gratifying our foes. That we did not, in\nobedience to thee, even then slay the sons of Dhritarashtra, is an act\nof folly on our part that grieveth me sorely. This thy abode, O king, in\nthe woods, like that of any wild animal, is what a man of weakness alone\nwould submit to. Surely, no man of might would ever lead such a life.\nThis thy course of life is approved neither by Krishna, nor Vibhatsu,\nnor by Abhimanyu, nor by the Srinjayas, nor by myself, nor by the sons\nof Madri. Afflicted with the vows, thy cry is _Religion! Religion_! Hast\nthou from despair been deprived of thy manliness? Cowards alone, unable\nto win back their prosperity, cherish despair, which is fruitless and\ndestructive of one's purposes. Thou hast ability and eyes. Thou seest\nthat manliness dwelleth in us. It is because thou hast adopted a life of\npeace that thou feelest not this distress. These Dhritarashtras regard\nus who are forgiving, as really incompetent. This, O king, grieveth me\nmore than death in battle. If we all die in fair fight without turning\nour backs on the foe, even that would be better than this exile, for\nthen we should obtain regions of bliss in the other world. Or, if, O\nbull of the Bharata race, having slain them all, we acquire the entire\nearth, that would be prosperity worth the trial. We who ever adhere to\nthe customs of our order, who ever desire grand achievements, who wish\nto avenge our wrongs, have this for our bounden duty. Our kingdom\nwrested from us, if we engage in battle, our deeds when known to the\nworld will procure for us fame and not slander. And that virtue, O king,\nwhich tortureth one's own self and friends, is really no virtue. It is\nrather vice, producing calamities. Virtue is sometimes also the weakness\nof men. And though such a man might ever be engaged in the practice of\nvirtue, yet both virtue and profit forsake him, like pleasure and pain\nforsaking a person that is dead. He that practiseth virtue for virtue's\nsake always suffereth. He can scarcely be called a wise man, for he\nknoweth not the purposes of virtue like a blind man incapable of\nperceiving the solar light. He that regardeth his wealth to exist for\nhimself alone, scarcely understandeth the purposes of wealth. He is\nreally like a servant that tendeth kine in a forest. He again that\npursueth wealth too much without pursuing virtue and enjoyments,\ndeserveth to be censured and slain by all men. He also that ever\npursueth enjoyments without pursuing virtue and wealth, loseth his\nfriends and virtue and wealth also. Destitute of virtue and wealth such\na man, indulging in pleasure at will, at the expiration of his period of\nindulgence, meeteth with certain death, like a fish when the water in\nwhich it liveth hath been dried up. It is for these reasons that they\nthat are wise are ever careful of both virtue and wealth, for a union of\nvirtue and wealth is the essential requisite of pleasure, as fuel is the\nessential requisite of fire. Pleasure hath always virtue for its root,\nand virtue also is united with pleasure. Know, O monarch, that both are\ndependent on each other like the ocean and the clouds, the ocean causing\nthe clouds and the clouds filling the ocean. The joy that one feeleth in\nconsequence of contact with objects of touch or of possession of wealth,\nis what is called pleasure. It existeth in the mind, having no corporeal\nexistence that one can see. He that wisheth (to obtain) wealth, seeketh\nfor a large share of virtue to crown his wish with success. He that\nwisheth for pleasure, seeketh wealth, (so that his wish may be\nrealised). Pleasure however, yieldeth nothing in its turn. One pleasure\ncannot lead to another, being its own fruit, as ashes may be had from\nwood, but nothing from those ashes in their turn. And, O king, as a\nfowler killeth the birds we see, so doth sin slay the creatures of the\nworld. He, therefore, who misled by pleasure or covetousness, beholdeth\nnot the nature of virtue, deserveth to be slain by all, and becometh\nwretched both here and hereafter. It is evident, O king, that thou\nknowest that pleasure may be derived from the possession of various\nobjects of enjoyment. Thou also well knowest their ordinary states, as\nwell as the great changes they undergo. At their loss or disappearance\noccasioned by decrepitude or death, ariseth what is called distress.\nThat distress, O king, hath now overtaken us. The joy that ariseth from\nthe five senses, the intellect and the heart, being directed to the\nobjects proper to each, is called pleasure. That pleasure, O king, is,\nas I think, one of the best fruits of our actions.\n\n\"'Thus, O monarch, one should regard virtue, wealth and pleasure one\nafter another. One should not devote one self to virtue alone, nor\nregard wealth as the highest object of one's wishes, nor pleasure, but\nshould ever pursue all three. The scriptures ordain that one should seek\nvirtue in the morning, wealth at noon, and pleasure in the evening. The\nscriptures also ordain that one should seek pleasure in the first\nportion of life, wealth in the second, and virtue in the last. And, O\nthou foremost of speakers, they that are wise and fully conversant with\nproper division of time, pursue all three, virtue, wealth, and pleasure,\ndividing their time duly. O son of the Kuru race, whether independence\nof these (three), or their possession is the better for those that\ndesire happiness, should be settled by thee after careful thought. And\nthou shouldst then, O king, unhesitatingly act either for acquiring\nthem, or abandoning them all. For he who liveth wavering between the two\ndoubtingly, leadeth a wretched life. It is well known that thy behaviour\nis ever regulated by virtue. Knowing this thy friends counsel thee to\nact. Gift, sacrifice, respect for the wise, study of the Vedas, and\nhonesty, these, O king, constitute the highest virtue and are\nefficacious both here and hereafter. These virtues, however, cannot be\nattained by one that hath no wealth, even if, O tiger among men, he may\nhave infinite other accomplishments. The whole universe, O king,\ndependeth upon virtue. There is nothing higher than virtue. And virtue,\nO king, is attainable by one that hath plenty of wealth. Wealth cannot\nbe earned by leading a mendicant life, nor by a life of feebleness.\nWealth, however, can be earned by intelligence directed by virtue. In\nthy case, O king, begging, which is successful with Brahmanas, hath been\nforbidden. Therefore, O bull amongst men, strive for the acquisition of\nwealth by exerting thy might and energy. Neither mendicancy, nor the\nlife of a Sudra is what is proper for thee. Might and energy constitute\nthe virtue of the Kshatriya in especial. Adopt thou, therefore, the\nvirtue of thy order and slay the enemies. Destroy the might of\nDhritarashtra's sons, O son of Pritha, with my and Arjuna's aid. They\nthat are learned and wise say that sovereignty is virtue. Acquire\nsovereignty, therefore, for it behoveth thee not to live in a state of\ninferiority. Awake, O king, and understand the eternal virtues (of the\norder). By birth thou belongest to an order whose deeds are cruel and\nare a source of pain to man. Cherish thy subjects and reap the fruit\nthereof. That can never be a reproach. Even this, O king, is the virtue\nordained by God himself for the order to which thou belongest! If thou\nfallest away therefrom, thou wilt make thyself ridiculous. Deviation\nfrom the virtues of one's own order is never applauded. Therefore, O\nthou of the Kuru race, making thy heart what it ought to be, agreeably\nto the order to which thou belongest, and casting away this course of\nfeebleness, summon thy energy and bear thy weight like one that beareth\nit manfully. No king, O monarch, could ever acquire the sovereignty of\nthe earth or prosperity or affluence by means of virtue alone. Like a\nfowler earning his food in the shape of swarms of little easily-tempted\ngame, by offering them some attractive food, doth one that is\nintelligent acquire a kingdom, by offering bribes unto low and covetous\nenemies. Behold, O bull among kings, the Asuras, though elder brothers\nin possession of power and affluence, were all vanquished by the gods\nthrough stratagem. Thus, O king, everything belongeth to those that are\nmighty. And, O mighty-armed one, slay thy foes, having recourse to\nstratagem. There is none equal unto Arjuna in wielding the bow in\nbattle. Nor is there anybody that may be equal unto me in wielding the\nmace. Strong men, O monarch, engage in battle depending on their might,\nand not on the force of numbers nor on information of the enemy's plans\nprocured through spies. Therefore, O son of Pandu exert thy might. Might\nis the root of wealth. Whatever else is said to be its root is really\nnot such. As the shade of the tree in winter goeth for nothing, so\nwithout might everything else becometh fruitless. Wealth should be spent\nby one who wisheth to increase his wealth, after the manner, O son of\nKunti, of scattering seeds on the ground. Let there be no doubt then in\nthy mind. Where, however, wealth that is more or even equal is not to be\ngained, there should be no expenditure of wealth. For investment of\nwealth are like the ass, scratching, pleasurable at first but painful\nafterwards. Thus, O king of men, the person who throweth away like seeds\na little of his virtue in order to gain a larger measure of virtue, is\nregarded as wise. Beyond doubt, it is as I say. They that are wise\nalienate the friends of the foe that owneth such, and having weakened\nhim by causing those friends to abandon him thus, they then reduce him\nto subjection. Even they that are strong, engage in battle depending on\ntheir courage. One cannot by even continued efforts (uninspired by\ncourage) or by the arts of conciliation, always conquer a kingdom.\nSometimes, O king, men that are weak, uniting in large numbers, slay\neven a powerful foe, like bees killing the despoiler of the honey by\nforce of numbers alone. (As regards thyself), O king, like the sun that\nsustaineth as well as slayeth creatures by his rays, adopt thou the ways\nof the sun. To protect one's kingdom and cherish the people duly, as\ndone by our ancestors, O king, is, it hath been heard by us, a kind of\nasceticism mentioned even in the Vedas. By asceticism, O king, a\nKshatriya cannot acquire such regions of blessedness as he can by fair\nfight whether ending in victory or defeat. Beholding, O king, this thy\ndistress, the world hath come to the conclusion that light may forsake\nthe Sun and grace the Moon. And, O king, good men separately as well as\nassembling together, converse with one another, applauding thee and\nblaming the other. There is this, moreover, O monarch, _viz_., that both\nthe Kurus and the Brahmanas, assembling together, gladly speak of thy\nfirm adherence to truth, in that thou hast never, from ignorance, from\nmeanness, from covetousness, or from fear, uttered an untruth. Whatever\nsin, O monarch, a king committeth in acquiring dominion, he consumeth it\nall afterwards by means of sacrifices distinguished by large gifts. Like\nthe Moon emerging from the clouds, the king is purified from all sins by\nbestowing villages on Brahmanas and kine by thousands. Almost all the\ncitizens as well as the inhabitants of the country, young or old, O son\nof the Kuru race, praise thee, O Yudhishthira! This also, O Bharata, the\npeople are saying amongst themselves, _viz_., that as milk in a bag of\ndog's hide, as the Vedas in a Sudra, as truth in a robber, as strength\nin a woman, so is sovereignty in Duryodhana. Even women and children are\nrepeating this, as if it were a lesson they seek to commit to memory. O\nrepresser of foes, thou hast fallen into this state along with\nourselves. Alas, we also are lost with thee for this calamity of thine.\nTherefore, ascending in thy car furnished with every implement, and\nmaking the superior Brahmanas utter benedictions on thee, march thou\nwith speed, even this very day, upon Hastinapura, in order that thou\nmayst be able to give unto Brahmanas the spoils of victory. Surrounded\nby thy brothers, who are firm wielders of the bow, and by heroes skilled\nin weapons and like unto snakes of virulent poison, set thou out even\nlike the slayer Vritra surrounded by the Marutas. And, O son of Kunti,\nas thou art powerful, grind thou with thy might thy weak enemies, like\nIndra grinding the Asuras; and snatch thou from Dhritarashtra's son the\nprosperity he enjoyeth. There is no mortal that can bear the touch of\nthe shafts furnished with the feathers of the vulture and resembling\nsnakes of virulent poison, that would be shot from the _Gandiva_. And, O\nBharata, there is not a warrior, nor an elephant, nor a horse, that is\nable to bear the impetus of my mace when I am angry in battle. Why, O\nson of Kunti, should we not wrest our kingdom from the foe, fighting\nwith the aid of the Srinjayas and Kaikeyas, and the bull of the Vrishni\nrace? Why, O king, should we not succeed in wresting the (sovereignty of\nthe) earth that is now in the hands of the foe, if, aided by a large\nforce, we do but strive?'\"\n\n\nSECTION XXXIV\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Thus addressed by Bhimasena, the high-souled king\nAjatasatru firmly devoted to truth, mustering his patience, after a few\nmoments said these words, 'No doubt, O Bharata, all this is true. I\ncannot reproach thee for thy torturing me thus by piercing me with thy\narrowy words. From my folly alone hath this calamity come against you. I\nsought to cast the dice desiring to snatch from Dhritarashtra's son his\nkingdom with the sovereignty. It was therefore that, that cunning\ngambler--Suvala's son--played against me on behalf of Suyodhana. Sakuni,\na native of the hilly country, is exceedingly artful. Casting the dice\nin the presence of the assembly, unacquainted as I am with artifices of\nany kind, he vanquished me artfully. It is, therefore, O Bhimasena, that\nwe have been overwhelmed with this calamity. Beholding the dice\nfavourable to the wishes of Sakuni in odds and evens, I could have\ncontrolled my mind. Anger, however, driveth off a person's patience. O\nchild, the mind cannot be kept under control when it is influenced by\nhauteur, vanity, or pride. I do not reproach thee, O Bhimasena, for the\nwords thou usest. I only regard that what hath befallen us was\npre-ordained. When king Duryodhana, the son of Dhritarashtra, coveting\nour kingdom, plunged us into misery and even slavery, then, O Bhima, it\nwas Draupadi that rescued us. When summoned again to the assembly for\nplaying once more, thou knowest as well as Arjuna what Dhritarashtra's\nson told me, in the presence of all the Bharatas, regarding the stake\nfor which we were to play. His words were, O prince Ajatsatru, (if\nvanquished), thou shalt have with all thy brothers, to dwell, to the\nknowledge of all men, for twelve years in the forest of thy choice,\npassing the thirteenth year in secrecy. If during the latter period, the\nspies of the Bharatas, hearing of thee, succeed in discovering thee,\nthou shalt have again to live in the forest for the same period, passing\nonce more the last year in secrecy. Reflecting upon this, pledge thyself\nto it. As regards myself, I promise truly in this assembly of the Kurus,\nthat if thou canst pass this time confounding my spies and undiscovered\nby them, then, O Bharata, this kingdom of the five rivers is once more\nthine. We also, O Bharata, if vanquished by thee, shall, all of us,\nabandoning all our wealth, pass the same period, according to the same\nrules. Thus addressed by the prince, I replied unto him in the midst of\nall the Kurus, \"_So be it_!\" The wretched game then commenced. We were\nvanquished and have been exiled. It is for this that we are wandering\nmiserably over different woody regions abounding with discomfort.\nSuyodhana, however, still dissatisfied, gave himself up to anger, and\nurged the Kurus as also all those under his sway to express their joy at\nour calamity. Having entered into such an agreement in the presence of\nall good men, who dareth break it for the sake of a kingdom on earth?\nFor a respectable person, I think, even death itself is lighter than the\nacquisition of sovereignty by an act of transgression. At the time of\nthe play, thou hadst desired to burn my hands. Thou wert prevented by\nArjuna, and accordingly didst only squeeze thy own hands. If thou\ncouldst do what thou hadst desired, could this calamity befall us?\nConscious of thy prowess, why didst thou not, O Bhima, say so before we\nentered into such an agreement? Overwhelmed with the consequence of our\npledge, and the time itself having passed, what is the use of thy\naddressing me these harsh words? O Bhima, this is my great grief that we\ncould not do anything even beholding Draupadi persecuted in that way. My\nheart burneth as if I have drunk some poisonous liquid. Having, however,\ngiven that pledge in the midst of the Kuru heroes, I am unable to\nviolate it now. Wait, O Bhima, for the return of our better days, like\nthe scatterer of seeds waiting for the harvest. When one that hath been\nfirst injured, succeedeth in revenging himself upon his foe at a time\nwhen the latter's enmity hath borne fruit and flowers, he is regarded\nto have accomplished a great thing by his prowess. Such a brave person\nearneth undying fame. Such a man obtaineth great prosperity. His enemies\nbow down unto him, and his friends gather round him, like the celestials\nclustering round Indra for protection. But know, O Bhima, my promise can\nnever be untrue. I regard virtue as superior to life itself and a\nblessed state of celestial existence. Kingdom, sons, fame, wealth,--all\nthese do not come up to even a sixteenth part of truth.'\"\n\n\nSECTION XXXV\n\n\"Bhima said, 'O king, unsubstantial as thou art like froth, unstable\nlike a fruit (falling when ripe), dependent on time, and mortal, having\nentered into an agreement in respect of time, which is infinite and\nimmeasurable, quick like a shaft or flowing like a stream, and carrying\neverything before it like death itself, how canst regard it as available\nby thee? How can he, O son of Kunti, wait whose life is shortened every\nmoment, even like a quantity of collyrium that is lessened each time a\ngrain is taken up by the needle? He only whose life is unlimited or who\nknoweth with certitude what the period of his life is, and who knoweth\nthe future as if it were before his eyes, can indeed wait for the\narrival of (an expected) time. If we wait, O king, for thirteen years,\nthat period, shortening our lives, will bring us nearer to death. Death\nis sure to overtake every creature having a corporeal existence.\nTherefore, we should strive for the possession of our kingdom before we\ndie. He that faileth to achieve fame, by failing to chastise his foes,\nis like an unclean thing. He is a useless burden on the earth like an\nincapacitated bull and perisheth ingloriously. The man who, destitute of\nstrength, and courage, chastiseth not his foes, liveth in vain, I regard\nsuch a one as low-born. Thy hand can rain gold; thy fame spreadeth over\nthe whole earth; slaying thy foes, therefore, in battle, enjoy thou the\nwealth acquired by the might of thy arms. O repressor of all foes, O\nking, if a man slaying his injurer, goeth the very day into hell, that\nhell becometh heaven to him. O king, the pain one feeleth in having to\nsuppress one's wrath is more burning than fire itself. Even now I burn\nwith it and cannot sleep in the day or the night. This son of Pritha,\ncalled Vibhatsu, is foremost in drawing the bow-string. He certainly\nburneth with grief, though he liveth here like a lion in his den. This\none that desireth to slay without aid all wielders of the bow on earth,\nrepresseth the wrath that riseth in his breast, like a mighty elephant.\nNakula, Sahadeva, and old Kunti--that mother of heroes, are all dumb,\ndesiring to please thee. And all our friends along with the Srinjayas\nequally desire to please thee. I alone, and Prativindhya's mother speak\nunto thee burning with grief. Whatever I speak unto thee is agreeable to\nall of them, for all of them plunged in distress, eagerly wish for\nbattle. Then, O monarch, what more wretched a calamity can overtake us\nthat our kingdom should be wrested from us by weak and contemptible foes\nand enjoyed by them? O king, from the weakness of thy disposition thou\nfeelest shame in violating thy pledge. But, O slayer of foes, no one\napplaudeth thee for thus suffering such pain in consequence of the\nkindliness of thy disposition. Thy intellect, O king, seeth not the\ntruth, like that of a foolish and ignorant person of high birth who hath\ncommitted the words of the Vedas to memory without understanding their\nsense. Thou art kind like a Brahmana. How hast thou been born in the\nKshatriya order? They that are born in the Kshatriya order are generally\nof crooked hearts. Thou hast heard (recited) the duties of kings, as\npromulgated by Manu, fraught with crookedness and unfairness and\nprecepts opposed to tranquillity and virtue. Why dost thou then, O king,\nforgive the wicked sons of Dhritarashtra? Thou hast intelligence,\nprowess, learning and high birth. Why dost thou then, O tiger among men,\nact in respect of thy duties, like a huge snake that is destitute of\nmotion? O son of Kunti, he that desireth to conceal us, only wisheth to\nconceal the mountains of Himavat by means of a handful of grass. O son\nof Pritha, known as thou art over whole earth, thou wilt not be able to\nlive unknown, like the sun that can never course through the sky unknown\nto men. Like a large tree in a well-watered region with spreading\nbranches and flowers and leaves, or like Indra's elephant, how will\nJishnu live unknown? How also will these children, the brothers, Nakula\nand Sahadeva, equal unto a couple of young lions, both live in secret?\nHow, O son of Pritha, will Krishna--the daughter of Drupada--a princess\nand mother of heroes, of virtuous deeds and known over all the world,\nlive unknown? Me also, everybody knoweth from my boyhood. I do not see\nhow I can live unknown. As well mighty mountains of Meru be sought to be\nconcealed. Then, again, many kings had been expelled by us from their\nkingdom. These kings and princes will all follow the bad son of\nDhritarashtra, for robbed and exiled by us, they have not still become\nfriendly. Desiring to do good unto Dhritarashtra, they will certainly\nseek to injure us. They will certainly set against us numerous spies in\ndisguise. If these discover us and report their discovery, a great\ndanger will overtake us. We have already lived in the woods full\nthirteen months. Regard them, O king, for their length as thirteen\nyears. The wise have said that a month is a substitute for a year, like\nthe pot-herb that is regarded as a substitute for the _Soma_. Or, (if\nthou breakest thy pledge), O king, thou mayst free thyself from this sin\nby offering good savoury food to a quiet bull carrying sacred burdens.\nTherefore, O king resolve thou to slay thy enemies. There is no virtue\nhigher than fighting, for every Kshatriya!'\"\n\n\nSECTION XXXVI\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Hearing those words of Bhima, Yudhishthira, the son\nof Kunti--tiger among men and slayer of all foes--began to sigh heavily,\nand reflect in silence. And he thought within himself, 'I have heard\nrecited the duties of kings, also all truths about the duties of the\ndifferent orders. He is said to observe those duties truly who keepeth\nthem before his eyes, so as to regulate his conduct both in the present\nand the future. Knowing as I do the true course of virtue, which,\nhowever is so very difficult of being known, how can I forcibly grind\nvirtue down like grinding the mountains of Meru?' Having reflected so\nfor a moment, and settled what he should do, he replied unto Bhima as\nfollows without allowing him another word:\n\n\"'O thou of mighty arms, it is even so as thou hast said. But, O thou\nforemost of speakers, listen now to another word I say. Whatever sinful\ndeeds, O Bhima, one seeketh to achieve, depending on his courage alone,\nbecome always a source of pain. But, O thou of mighty arms, whatever is\nbegun with deliberation, with well-directed prowess, with all\nappliances, and much previous thought, is seen to succeed. The gods\nthemselves favour such designs. Hear from me something about what, proud\nof thy might, O Bhima, and led away by thy restlessness, thou thinkest\nshould be immediately begun. Bhurisravas, Sala, the mighty Jarasandha,\nBhishma, Drona, Karna, the mighty son of Drona, Dhritarashtra's\nsons--Duryodhana and others--so difficult of being vanquished, are all\naccomplished in arms and ever ready for battle with us. Those kings and\nchiefs of the earth also who have been injured by us, have all adopted\nthe side of the Kauravas, and are bound by ties of affection to them. O\nBharata, they are engaged in seeking the good of Duryodhana and not of\nus. With full treasures and aided by large forces, they will certainly\nstrive their best in battle. All the officers also of the Kuru army\ntogether with their sons and relatives, have been honoured by Duryodhana\nwith wealth and luxuries. Those heroes are also much regarded by\nDuryodhana. This is my certain conclusion that they will sacrifice their\nlives for Duryodhana in battle. Although the behaviour of Bhishma,\nDrona, and the illustrious Kripa, is the same towards us as towards\nthem, yet, O thou of mighty arms, this is my certain conclusion that in\norder to pay off the royal favours they enjoy, they will throw their\nvery lives, than which there is nothing dearer, in battle. All of them\nare masters of celestial weapons, and devoted to the practice of virtue.\nI think they are incapable of being vanquished even by gods led by\nVasava himself. There is again amongst them that mighty\nwarrior--Karna--impetuous, and ever wrathful, master of all weapons, and\ninvincible, and encased in impenetrable mail. Without first vanquishing\nin battle all those foremost of men, unaided as thou art, how canst thou\nslay Duryodhana? O Vrikodara, I cannot sleep thinking of the lightness\nof hand of that _Suta's_ son, who, I regard, is the foremost of all\nwielders of the bow!'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Hearing these words of Yudhishthira, the\nimpetuous Bhima became alarmed, and forbore from speaking anything. And\nwhile the sons of Pandu were thus conversing with each other, there came\nto that spot the great ascetic Vyasa, the son of Satyavati. And as he\ncame, the sons of Pandu worshipped him duly. Then that foremost of all\nspeakers, addressing Yudhishthira, said, 'O, Yudhishthira, O thou of\nmighty arms, knowing by spiritual insight what is passing in thy heart,\nI have come to thee, O thou bull among men! The fear that is in thy\nheart, arising from Bhishma, and Drona, and Kripa, and Karna, and\nDrona's son, and prince Duryodhana, and Dussasana, I will dispel, O\nslayer of all foes, by means of an act enjoined by the ordinance.\nHearing it from me, accomplish it thou with patience, and having\naccomplished it, O king, quell this fever of thine soon.'\n\n\"That foremost of speakers then, the son of Parasara, taking\nYudhishthira to a corner, began to address him in words of deep import,\nsaying, 'O best of the Bharatas, the time is come for thy prosperity,\nwhen, indeed Dhananjaya--that son of Pritha--will slay all thy foes in\nbattle. Uttered by me and like unto success personified, accept from me\nthis knowledge called _Pratismriti_ that I impart to thee, knowing thou\nart capable of receiving it. Receiving it (from thee), Arjuna will be\nable to accomplish his desire. And let Arjuna, O son of Pandu, go unto\nMahendra and Rudra, and Varuna, and Kuvera, and Yama, for receiving\nweapons from them. He is competent to behold the gods for his asceticism\nand prowess. He is even a Rishi of great energy, the friend of Narayana;\nancient, eternal a god himself, invincible, ever successful, and knowing\nno deterioration. Of mighty arms, he will achieve mighty deeds, having\nobtained weapons from Indra, and Rudra, and the lokapalas. O son of\nKunti, think also of going from this to some other forest that may, O\nking, be fit for thy abode. To reside in one place for any length of\ntime is scarcely pleasant. In thy case, it might also be productive of\nanxiety to the ascetics. And as thou maintainest numerous Brahmanas\nversed in the Vedas and the several branches thereof, continued\nresidence here might exhaust the deer of this forest, and be destructive\nof the creepers and plants.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Having addressed him thus, that illustrious and\nexalted ascetic Vyasa, of great wisdom, acquainted with the mysteries of\nthe world, then imparted unto the willing Yudhishthira the just, who had\nmeanwhile purified himself, that foremost of sciences. And bidding\nfarewell unto the son of Kunti, Vyasa disappeared then and there. The\nvirtuous and intelligent Yudhishthira, however, having obtained that\nknowledge carefully retained it in his mind and always recited it on\nproper occasions. Glad of the advice given him by Vyasa, the son of\nKunti then, leaving the wood _Dwaitavana_ went to the forest of\n_Kamyaka_ on the banks of the Saraswati. And, O king, numerous Brahmanas\nof ascetic merit and versed in the science of orthoepy and orthography,\nfollowed him like the Rishis following the chief of the celestials.\nArrived at _Kamyaka_, those illustrious bulls amongst the Bharata took\nup their residence there along with their friends and attendants. And\npossessed of energy, those heroes, O king, lived there for some time,\ndevoted to the exercise of the bow and hearing all the while the\nchanting of the Vedas. And they went about those woods every day in\nsearch of deer, armed with pure arrows. And they duly performed all the\nrites in honour of the _Pitris_, the celestials and the Brahmanas.\"\n\n\nSECTION XXXVII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"After some time, Yudhishthira the just, remembering\nthe command of the _Muni_ (Vyasa) and calling unto himself that bull\namong men--Arjuna--possessed of great wisdom, addressed him in private.\nTaking hold of Arjuna's hands, with a smiling face and in gentle\naccents, that chastiser of foes--the virtuous Yudhishthira--apparently\nafter reflecting for a moment, spake these words in private unto\nDhananjaya, 'O Bharata, the whole science of arms dwelleth in Bhishma,\nand Drona, and Kripa, and Karna, and Drona's son. They fully know all\nsorts of _Brahma_ and celestial and human and _Vayavya_ weapons,\ntogether with the modes of using and warding them off. All of them are\nconciliated and honoured and gratified by Dhritarashtra's son who\nbehaveth unto them as one should behave unto his preceptor. Towards all\nhis warriors Dhritarashtra's son behaveth with great affection; and all\nthe chiefs honoured and gratified by him, seek his good in return. Thus\nhonoured by him, they will not fail to put forth their might. The whole\nearth, besides, is now under Duryodhana's sway, with all the villages\nand towns, O son of Pritha, and all the seas and woods and mines! Thou\nalone art our sole refuge. On thee resteth a great burden. I shall,\ntherefore, O chastiser of all foes, tell thee what thou art to do now. I\nhave obtained a science from Krishna Dwaipayana. Used by thee, that\nscience will expose the whole universe to thee. O child, attentively\nreceive thou that science from me, and in due time (by its aid) attain\nthou the grace of the celestials. And, O bull of the Bharata race,\ndevote thyself to fierce asceticism. Armed with the bow and sword, and\ncased in mail, betake thyself to austerities and good vows, and go thou\nnorthwards, O child, without giving way to anybody. O Dhananjaya, all\ncelestial weapons are with Indra. The celestials, from fear of Vritra,\nimparted at the time all their might to Sakra. Gathered together in one\nplace, thou wilt obtain all weapons. Go thou unto Sakra, he will give\nthee all his weapons. Taking the bow set thou out this very day in order\nto behold Purandara.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Having said this, the exalted Yudhishthira the\njust, imparted that science unto Arjuna. And the elder brother having\ncommunicated with due rites the Knowledge unto his heroic brother, with\nspeech and body and mind under perfect control, commanded him to depart.\nAnd at the command of Yudhishthira, the strong-armed Arjuna, taking up\nthe _Gandiva_ as also his inexhaustible quivers, and accoutred in mail\nand gauntlets and finger-protectors made of the skin of the guana, and\nhaving poured oblations into the fire and made the Brahmanas to utter\nbenedictions after gifts, set out (from _Kamyaka_) with the objects of\nbeholding Indra. And armed with the bow, the hero, at the time of\nsetting out heaved a sigh and cast a look upwards for achieving the\ndeath of Dhritarashtra's sons. And beholding Kunti's son thus armed and\nabout to set out, the Brahmanas and _Siddhas_ and invisible spirits\naddressed him, saying, 'O son of Kunti, obtain thou soon what thou\nwishest.' And the Brahmanas, also uttering benedictions said, 'Achieve\nthou the object thou hast in view. Let victory be truly thine.' And\nbeholding the heroic Arjuna, of thighs stout as the trunks of the\n_Sala_, about to set out taking away with him the hearts of all, Krishna\naddressed him saying, 'O thou strong-armed one, let all that Kunti had\ndesired at thy birth, and let all that thou desirest, be accomplished, O\nDhananjaya! Let no one amongst us be ever again born in the order of\nKshatriyas. I always bow down unto the Brahmanas whose mode of living is\nmendicancy. This is my great grief that the wretch Duryodhana beholding\nme in the assembly of princes mockingly called me a _cow_! Besides this\nhe told me in the midst of that assembly many other hard things. But the\ngrief I experience at parting with thee is far greater than any I felt\nat those insults. Certainly, in thy absence, thy brothers will while\naway their waking hours in repeatedly talking of thy heroic deeds! If,\nhowever, O son of Pritha, thou stayest away for any length of time, we\nshall derive no pleasure from our enjoyments or from wealth. Nay, life\nitself will be distasteful to us. O son of Pritha, our weal, and woe,\nlife and death, our kingdom and prosperity, are all dependent on thee. O\nBharata, I bless thee, let success be thine. O sinless one, thy\n(present) task thou wilt be able to achieve even against powerful\nenemies. O thou of great strength, go thou to win success with speed.\nLet dangers be not thine. I bow to _Dhatri_ and _Vidhatri_! I bless\nthee. Let prosperity be thine. And, O Dhananjaya, let _Hri, Sree, Kirti,\nDhriti, Pushti, Uma, Lakshmi, Saraswati_, all protect thee on thy way,\nfor thou ever worshippest thy elder brother and ever obeyest his\ncommands. And, O bull of the Bharata race, I bow to the Vasus, the\nRudras and Adityas, the Manilas, the Viswadevas, and the Sadhyas, for\nprocuring thy welfare. And, O Bharata, be thou safe from all spirits of\nmischief belonging to the sky, the earth, and the heaven, and from such\nother spirits generally.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Krishna, the daughter of Yajnasena, having\nuttered these benedictions, ceased. The strong-armed son of Pandu then,\nhaving walked round his brothers and round Dhaumya also, and taking up\nhis handsome bow, set out. And all creatures began to leave the way that\nArjuna of great energy and prowess, urged by the desire of beholding\nIndra, took. And that slayer of foes passed over many mountains\ninhabited by ascetics, and then reached the sacred Himavat, the resort\nof the celestials. And the high-souled one reached the sacred mountain\nin one day, for like the winds he was gifted with the speed of the mind,\nin consequence of his ascetic austerities. And having crossed the\nHimavat, as also the Gandhamadana, he passed over many uneven and\ndangerous spots, walking night and day without fatigue. And having\nreached _Indrakila_, Dhananjaya stopped for a moment. And then he heard\na voice in the skies, saying, 'Stop!' And hearing that voice, the son of\nPandu cast his glances all around. And Arjuna, capable of using his left\nhand with skill equal to that of his right hand, then beheld before him\nan ascetic under the shade of a tree, blazing with _Brahma_ brilliancy,\nof a tawny colour, with matted locks, and thin. And the mighty ascetic,\nbeholding Arjuna stop at that place, addressed him, saying, 'Who art\nthou, O child, arrived hither with bow and arrows, and cased in mail and\naccoutred in scabbard and gauntlet, and (evidently) wedded to the\ncustoms of the Kshatriya? There is no need of weapons here. This is the\nabode of peaceful Brahmanas devoted to ascetic austerities without anger\nor joy. There is no use for the bow here, for there is no dispute in\nthis place of any kind. Therefore throw away, O child, this bow of\nthine. Thou hast obtained a pure state of life by coming here. O hero,\nthere is no man who is like thee in energy and prowess.' That Brahmana\nthus addressed Arjuna, with a smiling face, repeatedly. But he succeeded\nnot in moving Arjuna, firmly devoted to his purpose. The regenerate one,\nglad at heart, smilingly addressed Arjuna once more, saying, 'O slayer\nof foes, blest be thou! I am Sakra: ask thou the boon thou desirest.'\nThus addressed, that perpetuator of the Kuru race, the heroic Dhananjaya\nbending his head and joining his hands, replied unto him of a thousand\neyes, saying, 'Even this is the object of my wishes; grant me this boon,\nO illustrious one. I desire to learn from thee all the weapons.' The\nchief of the celestials then, smiling, replied unto him cheerfully,\nsaying, 'O Dhananjaya, when thou hast reached this region, what need is\nthere of weapons? Thou hast already obtained a pure state of life. Ask\nthou for the regions of bliss that thou desirest.' Thus addressed,\nDhananjaya replied unto him of a thousand eyes, saying, 'I desire not\nregions of bliss, nor objects of enjoyment, nor the state of a\ncelestial; what is this talk about happiness? O chief of the celestials,\nI do not desire the prosperity of all the gods. Having left my brothers\nbehind me in the forest, and without avenging myself on the foe, shall I\nincur the opprobrium for all ages of all the world?' Thus addressed, the\nslayer of Vritra, worshipped of the worlds, consoling him with gentle\nwords, spake unto the son of Pandu, saying, 'When thou art able to\nbehold the three-eyed trident-bearing Siva, the lord of all creatures,\nit is then, O child, that I will give thee all the celestial weapons.\nTherefore, strive thou to obtain the sight of the highest of the gods;\nfor it is only after thou hast seen him, O son of Kunti, that thou wilt\nobtain all thy wishes.' Having spoken thus unto Phalguna, Sakra\ndisappeared then and there, and Arjuna, devoting himself to asceticism,\nremained at that spot.'\"\n\n\nSECTION XXXVIII\n\n(Kairata Parva)\n\nJanamejaya said, \"O illustrious one, I desire to hear in detail the\nhistory of the acquisition of weapons by Arjuna of spotless deeds. O\ntell me how that tiger among men, Dhananjaya, of mighty arms and\npossessed of great energy, entered that solitary forest without fear.\nAnd, O thou foremost of those acquainted with the Veda, what also did\nArjuna do while dwelling there? How also were the illustrious Sthanu and\nthe chief of the celestials gratified by him? O thou best of regenerate\nones, I desire to hear all this under thy favour. Thou art omniscient;\nthou knowest all about the gods and all about men. O Brahmana, the\nbattle that took place of old between Arjuna--that foremost of smiters\nnever defeated in battle--and Bhava was highly extraordinary and without\nparallel. It maketh one's hair stand on end to hear of it. Even the\nhearts of those lions among men--the brave sons of Pritha--trembled in\nconsequence of wonder and joy and a sense of their own inferiority. O\ntell me in full what else Arjuna did, I do not see even the most trivial\nthing to Jishnu that is censurable. Therefore, recite to me in full the\nhistory of that hero.\"\n\nVaisampayana said, \"O tiger among Kurus, I shall recite to thee that\nnarration, excellent and extensive and unrivalled, in connection with\nthe illustrious hero. O sinless one, hear in detail the particulars\nabout Arjuna's meeting with the three-eyed god of gods, and his contact\nwith the illustrious god's person!\n\n\"At Yudhishthira's command, Dhananjaya of immeasurable prowess set out\n(from Kamyaka) to obtain a sight of Sakra, the chief of the celestials\nand of Sankara, the god of gods. And the strong-armed Arjuna of great\nmight set out armed with his celestial bow and a sword with golden hilt,\nfor the success of the object he had in view, northwards, towards the\nsummit of the Himavat. And, O king, that first of all warriors in the\nthree worlds, the son of Indra, with a calm mind, and firmly adhering to\nhis purpose, then devoted himself, without the loss of any time, to\nascetic austerities. And he entered, all alone, that terrible forest\nabounding with thorny plants and trees and flowers and fruits of various\nkinds, and inhabited by winged creatures of various species, and\nswarming with animals of diverse kinds, and resorted to by _Siddhas_ and\n_Charanas_. And when the son of Kunti entered that forest destitute of\nhuman beings, sounds of conchs and drums began to be heard in the\nheavens. And a thick shower of flowers fell upon the earth, and the\nclouds spreading over the firmament caused a thick shade. Passing over\nthose difficult and woody regions at the foot of the great mountains,\nArjuna soon reached the breast of the Himavat; and staying there for\nsometime began to shine in his brilliancy. And he beheld there numerous\ntrees with expanding verdure, resounding with the melodious notes of\nwinged warblers. And he saw there rivers with currents of the _lapis\nlazuli_, broken by the fierce eddies here and there, and echoing with\nthe notes of swans and ducks and cranes. And the banks of those rivers\nresounded with the mellifluous strains of the male _Kokilas_ and the\nnotes of peacocks and cranes. And the mighty warrior, beholding those\nrivers of sacred and pure and delicious water and their charming banks,\nbecame highly delighted. And the delighted Arjuna of fierce energy and\nhigh soul then devoted himself to rigid austerities in that delightful\nand woody region. Clad in rags made of grass and furnished with a black\ndeerskin and a stick, he commenced to eat withered leaves fallen upon\nthe ground. And he passed the first month, by eating fruits at the\ninterval of three nights; and the second by eating at the interval of\nthe six nights; and the third by eating at the interval of a fortnight.\nWhen the fourth month came, that best of the Bharatas--the strong-armed\nson of Pandu--began to subsist on air alone. With arms upraised and\nleaning upon nothing and standing on the tips of his toes, he continued\nhis austerities. And the illustrious hero's locks, in consequence of\nfrequent bathing took the hue of lightning or the lotus. Then all the\ngreat Rishis went together unto the god of the _Pinaka_ for representing\nunto him about the fierce asceticism of Pritha's son. And bowing unto\nthat god of gods, they informed him of Arjuna's austerities saying,\n'This son of Pritha possessed of great energy is engaged in the most\ndifficult of ascetic austerities on the breast of the Himavat. Heated\nwith his asceticism, the earth is smoking all round, O god of gods. We\ndo not know what his object is for which he is engaged in these\nausterities. He, however, is causing us pain. It behoveth thee to\nprevent him!' Hearing these words of those _munis_ with souls under\nperfect control, the lord of all creatures--the husband of Uma said, 'It\nbehoveth you not to indulge in any grief on account of Phalguna! Return\nye all cheerfully and with alacrity to the places whence ye have come. I\nknow the desire that is in Arjuna's heart. His wish is not for heaven,\nnor for prosperity, nor for long life. And I will accomplish, even this\nday, all that is desired by him.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"The truth-speaking Rishis, having heard these\nwords of Mahadeva, became delighted, and returned to their respective\nabodes.\"\n\n\nSECTION XXXIX\n\nVaisampayana said, \"After all those illustrious ascetics had gone away,\nthat wielder of the _Pinaka_ and cleanser of all sins--the illustrious\nHara--assuming the form of a _Kirata_ resplendent as a golden tree, and\nwith a huge and stalwart form like a second _Meru_, and taking up a\nhandsome bow and a number of arrows resembling snakes of virulent poison,\nand looking like an embodiment of fire, came quickly down on the breast\nof Himavat. And the handsome god of gods was accompanied by Uma in the\nguise of a Kirata woman, and also by a swarm of merry spirits of various\nforms and attire, and by thousands of women in the form and attire of\nKiratas. And, O king, that region suddenly blazed up in beauty, in\nconsequence of the arrival of the god of gods in such company. And soon\nenough a solemn stillness pervaded the place. The sounds of springs, and\nwater-courses, and of birds suddenly ceased. And as the god of gods\napproached Pritha's son of blameless deeds, he beheld a wonderful sight,\neven that of a Danava named Muka, seeking, in the form of a boar, to\nslay Arjuna. Phalguna, at the sight of the enemy seeking to slay him,\ntook up the _Gandiva_ and a number of arrows resembling snakes of\nvirulent poison. And stringing his bow and filling the air with its\ntwang, he addressed the boar and said, 'I have come here but done thee\nno injury. As thou seekest to slay me, I shall certainly send thee to\nthe abode of Yama.' And beholding that firm wielder of the\nbow--Phalguna--about to slay the boar, Sankara in the guise of a\n_Kirata_ suddenly bade him stop saying, 'The boar like the mountain of\n_Indrakila_ in hue hath been aimed at by me first'; Phalguna, however,\ndisregarding these words, struck the boar. The _Kirata_ also blazing\nsplendour, let fly an arrow like flaming fire and resembling the\nthunderbolt at the same object. And the arrows thus shot by both fell at\nthe same instant of time upon the wide body of Muka, hard as adamant.\nAnd the two shafts fell upon the boar with a loud sound, even like that\nof Indra's thunderbolt and the thunder of the clouds falling together\nupon the breast of a mountain. And Muka, thus struck by two shafts which\nproduced numerous arrows resembling snakes of blazing mouths, yielded up\nhis life, assuming once more his terrible Rakshasa form. Jishnu--that\nslayer of foes--then beheld before him that person, of form blazing as\ngod, and attired in the dress of a _Kirata_ and accompanied by many\nwomen. And beholding him, the son of Kunti with a joyous heart addressed\nhim smilingly and said, 'Who art thou that thus wanderest in these\nsolitary woods, surrounded by women? thou of the splendour of gold, art\nthou not afraid of this terrible forest? Why, again, didst thou shoot\nthe boar that was first aimed at by me? This _Rakshasa_ that came\nhither, listlessly or with the object of slaying me, had been first\naimed at by me. Thou shalt not, therefore, escape from me with life. Thy\nbehaviour towards me is not consistent with the customs of the chase.\nTherefore, O mountaineer, I will take thy life.' Thus addressed by the\nson of Pandu, the _Kirata_, smiling, replied unto him capable of\nwielding the bow with his left hand, in soft words, saying, 'O hero,\nthou needst not be anxious on my account. This forest land is proper\nabode for us who always dwell in the woods. Respecting thyself, however,\nI may inquire, why thou hast selected thy abode here amid such\ndifficulties. We, O ascetic, have our habitation in these woods\nabounding in animals of all kinds. Why dost thou, so delicate and\nbrought up in luxury and possessed of the splendour of fire, dwell alone\nin such a solitary region?' Arjuna said, 'Depending on the _Gandiva_ and\narrows blazing like fire, I live in this great forest, like a second\n_Pavaki_. Thou hast seen how this monster--this terrible\n_Rakshasa_--that came hither in the form of an animal, hath been slain\nby me.' The _Kirata_ replied, 'This _Rakshasa_, first struck with the\nshot from my bow, was killed and sent to the regions of Yama by me. He\nwas first aimed at by me. And it is with my shot that he has been\ndeprived of life. Proud of thy strength, it behoveth thee not to impute\nthy own fault to others. Thou art thyself in fault, O wretch, and,\ntherefore, shalt not escape from me with life. Stay thou: I will shoot\nat thee shafts like thunderbolts. Strive thou also and shoot, to the\nbest of thy power, thy arrows at me.' Hearing these words of the\n_Kirata_, Arjuna became angry, and attacked him with arrows. The\n_Kirata_, however, with a glad heart received all those shafts upon\nhimself, repeatedly saying, 'Wretch, wretch, shoot thou best arrows\ncapable of piercing into the very vitals.' Thus addressed, Arjuna began\nto shower his arrows on him. Both of them then became angry and,\nengaging in fierce conflict, began to shoot at each other showers of\narrows, each resembling a snake of virulent poison. And Arjuna rained a\nperfect shower of arrows on the _Kirata_. Sankara, however, bore that\ndownpour on him with a cheerful heart. But the wielder of the _Pinaka_,\nhaving borne that shower of arrows for a moment, stood unwounded,\nimmovable like a hill. Dhananjaya, beholding his arrowy shower become\nfutile, wondered exceedingly, repeatedly saying, 'Excellent! Excellent!\nAlas, this mountaineer of delicate limbs, dwelling on the heights of the\nHimavat, beareth, without wavering, the shafts shot from the _Gandiva_!\nWho is he? Is he Rudra himself, or some other god, or a Yaksha, or an\nAsura? The gods sometimes do descend on the heights of the Himavat.\nExcept the god who wieldeth the _Pinaka_, there is none rise that can\nbear the impetuosity of the thousands of arrows shot by me from the\n_Gandiva_. Whether he is a god or a Yaksha, in fact, anybody except\nRudra, I shall soon send him, with my shafts, to the regions of Yama.'\nThus thinking, Arjuna, with a cheerful heart, began, O king, to shoot\narrows by hundreds, resembling in splendour the rays of the sun. That\ndownpour of shafts, however, the illustrious Creator of the worlds--the\nwielder of the trident--bore with a glad heart, like a mountain bearing\na shower of rocks. Soon, however, the arrows of Phalguna were exhausted.\nAnd noticing this fact, Arjuna became greatly alarmed. And the son of\nPandu then began to think of the illustrious god Agni who had before,\nduring the burning of the _Khandava_, given him a couple of\ninexhaustible quivers. And he began to think, 'Alas, my arrows are all\nexhausted. What shall I shoot now from my bow? Who is this person that\nswalloweth my arrows? Slaying him with the end of my bow, as elephants\nare killed with lances, I shall send him to the domains of the\nmace-bearing Yama.' The illustrious Arjuna then, taking up his bow and\ndragging the _Kirata_ with his bow-string, struck him some fierce blows\nthat descended like thunderbolts. When, however, that slayer of hostile\nheroes--the son of Kunti--commenced the conflict with the end of the\nbow, the mountaineer snatched from his hands that celestial bow. And\nbeholding his bow snatched from him, Arjuna took up his sword, and\nwishing to end the conflict, rushed at his foe. And then the Kuru\nprince, with the whole might of his arms, struck that sharp weapon upon\nthe head of the _Kirata_, a weapon that was incapable of being resisted\neven by solid rocks. But that first of swords, at touch of the\n_Kirata's_ crown, broke into pieces. Phalguna then commenced the\nconflict with trees and stones. The illustrious god in the form of the\nhuge-bodied _Kirata_, however, bore that shower of trees and rocks with\npatience. The mighty son of Pritha then, his mouth smoking with wrath,\nstruck the invincible god in the form of a Kirata, with his clenched\nfists, blows that descended like thunderbolts. The god in the _Kirata_\nform returned Phalguna's blows with fierce blows resembling the\nthunderbolts of Indra. And in consequence of that conflict of blows\nbetween the son of Pandu and the _Kirata_, there arose in that place\nloud and frightful sounds. That terrible conflict of blows, resembling\nthe conflict of yore between Vritra and Vasava, lasted but for a moment.\nThe mighty Jishnu clasping the _Kirata_ began to press him with his\nbreast, but the _Kirata_, possessed of great strength pressed the\ninsensible son of Pandu with force. And in consequence of the pressure\nof their arms and of their breasts, their bodies began to emit smoke\nlike charcoal in fire. The great god then, smiting the already smitten\nson of Pandu, and attacking him in anger with his full might, deprived\nhim of his senses. Then, O Bharata, Phalguna, thus pressed by the god of\nthe gods, with limbs, besides, bruised and mangled, became incapable of\nmotion and was almost reduced to a ball of flesh. And struck by the\nillustrious god, he became breathless and, falling down on earth without\npower of moving, looked like one that was dead. Soon, however, he\nregained consciousness, and, rising from his prostrate position, with\nbody covered with blood, became filled with grief. Mentally prostrating\nhimself before the gracious god of gods, and making a clay image of that\ndeity, he worshipped it, with offerings of floral garlands. Beholding,\nhowever, the garland that he had offered to the clay image of Bhava,\ndecking the crown of the _Kirata_, that best of Pandu's sons became\nfilled with joy and regained his ease. And he prostrated himself\nthereupon at the feet of Bhava, and the god also was pleased with him.\nAnd Hara, beholding the wonder of Arjuna and seeing that his body had\nbeen emaciated with ascetic austerities, spake unto him in a voice deep\nas the roaring of the clouds, saying, 'O Phalguna, I have been pleased\nwith thee for thy act is without a parallel. There is no Kshatriya who\nis equal to thee in courage, and patience. And, O sinless one, thy\nstrength and prowess are almost equal to mine. O mighty-armed one, I\nhave been pleased with thee. Behold me, O bull of the Bharata race! O\nlarge-eyed one! I will grant thee eyes (to see me in my true form). Thou\nwert a Rishi before. Thou wilt vanquish all thy foes, even the dwellers\nof heaven; I will as I have been pleased with thee, grant thee an\nirresistible weapon. Soon shall thou be able to wield that weapon of\nmine.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Phalguna then beheld him--Mahadeva--that god of\nblazing splendour--that wielder of the Pinaka--that one who had his\nabode on the mountains (of Kailasa)--accompanied by Uma. Bending down on\nhis knee and bowing with his head, that conqueror of hostile cities--the\nson of Pritha--worshipped Hara and inclined him to grace. And Arjuna\nsaid, 'O _Kapardin_, O chief of all gods, O destroyer of the eyes of\nBhaga, O god of gods, O Mahadeva, O thou of blue throat, O thou of\nmatted locks, I know thee as the Cause of all causes. O thou of three\neyes, O lord of all! Thou art the refuge of all the gods! This universe\nhath sprung from thee. Thou art incapable of being vanquished by the\nthree worlds of the celestials, the Asuras, and men. Thou art Siva in\nthe form of Vishnu, and Vishnu in the form of Siva. Thou destroyedest of\nold the great sacrifice of Daksha. O Hari, O Rudra, I bow to thee. Thou\nhast an eye on thy forehead. O Sarva, O thou that rainest objects of\ndesire, O bearer of the trident, O wielder of the Pinaka, O Surya, O\nthou of pure body, O Creator of all, I bow to thee. O lord of all\ncreated things, I worship thee to obtain thy grace. Thou art the lord of\nthe _Ganas_, the source of universal blessing, the Cause of the causes\nof the universe. Thou art beyond the foremost of male beings, thou art\nthe highest, thou art the subtlest, O Hara! O illustrious Sankara, it\nbehoveth thee to pardon my fault. It was even to obtain a sight of\nthyself that I came to this great mountain, which is dear to thee and\nwhich is the excellent abode of ascetics. Thou art worshipped of all\nworlds. O lord, I worship thee to obtain thy grace. Let not this\nrashness of mine be regarded as a fault--this combat in which I was\nengaged with thee from ignorance. O Sankara, I seek thy protection.\nPardon me all I have done.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Endued with great might, the god whose sign was\nthe bull, taking into his the handsome hands of Arjuna, smilingly\nreplied unto him, saying, 'I have pardoned thee.' And the illustrious\nHara, cheerfully clasping Arjuna with his arms, once more consoling\nArjuna said as follows.\"\n\n\nSECTION XL\n\n\"Mahadeva said, 'Thou wert in thy former life Nara, the friend of\nNarayana. In Vadari wert thou engaged in fierce ascetic austerities for\nseveral thousands of years. In thee as well as in Vishnu--that first of\nmale beings--dwelleth great might. Ye both, by your might, hold the\nuniverse; O lord, taking up that fierce bow whose twang resembled the\ndeep roar of the clouds, thou, as well as Krishna, chastisedest the\nDanavas during the coronation of Indra. Even this _Gandiva_ is that bow,\nO son of Pritha, fit for thy hands. O foremost of male beings, I\nsnatched it from thee, helped by my powers of illusion. This couple of\nquivers, fit for thee, will again be inexhaustible, O son of Pritha!\nAnd, O son of the Kuru race, thy body will be free from pain and\ndisease. Thy prowess is incapable of being baffled. I have been pleased\nwith thee. And, O first of male beings, ask thou of me the boon that\nthou desirest. O chastiser of all foes, O giver of proper respect, (to\nthose deserving it) not even in heaven is there any male being who is\nequal to thee, nor any Kshatriya who is thy superior.'\n\n\"Arjuna said, 'O illustrious god having the bull for thy sign, if thou\nwilt grant me my desire, I ask of thee, O lord that fierce celestial\nweapon wielded by thee and called _Brahmasira_--that weapon of terrific\nprowess which destroyeth, at the end of the _Yuga_ the entire\nuniverse--that weapon by the help of which, O god of gods, I may under\nthy grace, obtain victory in the terrible conflict which shall take\nplace between myself (on one side), and Karna and Bhishma and Kripa and\nDrona (on the other)--that weapon by which I may consume in battle\nDanavas and Rakshasas and evil spirits and Pisachas and Gandharvas and\nNagas--that weapon which when hurled with _Mantras_ produceth darts by\nthousands and fierce-looking maces and arrows like snakes of virulent\npoison, and by means of which I may fight with Bhishma and Drona and\nKripa and Karna of ever abusive tongue, O illustrious destroyer of the\neyes of Bhaga, even this is my foremost desire, _viz_., that I may be\nable to fight with them and obtain success.'\n\n\"Bhava replied, 'O powerful one, I will give to thee that favourite\nweapon of mine called the _Pasuputa_. O son of Pandu, thou art capable\nof holding, hurling, and withdrawing it. Neither the chief himself of\nthe gods, nor Yama, nor the king of the Yakshas, nor Varuna, nor Vayu,\nknoweth it. How could men know anything of it? But, O son of Pritha,\nthis weapon should not be hurled without adequate cause; for if hurled\nat any foe of little might it may destroy the whole universe. In the\nthree worlds with all their mobile and immobile creatures, there is none\nwho is incapable of being slain by this weapon. And it may be hurled by\nthe mind, by the eye, by words, and by the bow.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Hearing these words, the son of Pritha purified\nhimself. And approaching the lord of the universe with rapt attention,\nhe said, 'Instruct me!' Mahadeva then imparted unto that best of Pandu's\nson the knowledge of that weapon looking like the embodiment of Yama,\ntogether with all the mysteries about hurling and withdrawing it. And\nthat weapon thence began to wait upon Arjuna as it did upon Sankara, the\nlord of Uma. And Arjuna also gladly accepted it. And at the moment the\nwhole earth, with its mountains and woods and trees and seas and forests\nand villages and towns and mines, trembled. And the sounds of conchs and\ndrums and trumpets by thousands began to be heard. And at that moment\nhurricanes and whirlwinds began to blow. And the gods and the Danavas\nbeheld that terrible weapon in its embodied form stay by the side of\nArjuna of immeasurable energy. And whatever of evil there had been in\nthe body of Phalguna of immeasurable energy was all dispelled by the\ntouch of the three-eyed deity. And the three eyed god then commanded\nArjuna, saying, 'Go thou into heaven.' Arjuna then, O king, worshipping\nthe god with bent head, gazed at him, with joined hands. Then the lord\nof all the dwellers of heaven, the deity of blazing splendour having his\nabode on mountain-breasts, the husband of Uma, the god of passions under\ncomplete control, the source of all blessings, Bhava gave unto Arjuna,\nthat foremost of men, the great bow called _Gandiva_, destructive of\nDanavas and Pisachas. And the god of gods, then leaving that blessed\nmountain with snowy plateaus and vales and caves, favourite resort of\nsky-ranging great Rishis, went up, accompanied by Uma into the skies, in\nthe sight of that foremost of men.\"\n\n\nSECTION XLI\n\nVaisampayana said, \"The wielder of the Pinaka, having the bull for his\nsign, thus disappeared in the very sight of the gazing son of Pandu,\nlike the sun setting in the sight of the world. Arjuna, that slayer of\nhostile heroes, wondered much at this, saying, 'O, I have seen the great\ngod of gods. Fortunate, indeed I am, and much favoured, for I have both\nbeheld and touched with my hand the three-eyed Hara the wielder of the\nPinaka, in his boon-giving form. I shall win success. I am already\ngreat. My enemies have already been vanquished by me. My purposes have\nbeen already achieved.' And while the son of Pritha, endued with\nimmeasurable energy, was thinking thus, there came to that place Varuna\nthe god of waters, handsome and of the splendour of the _lapis lazuli_\naccompanied by all kinds of aquatic creatures, and filling all the\npoints of the horizon with a blazing effulgence. And accompanied by\nRivers both male and female, and Nagas, and Daityas and Sadhyas and\ninferior deities, Varuna, the controller and lord of all aquatic\ncreatures, arrived at that spot. There came also the lord Kuvera of body\nresembling pure gold, seated on his car of great splendour, and\naccompanied by numerous Yakshas. And the lord of treasures, possessed of\ngreat beauty, came there to see Arjuna, illuminating the firmament with\nhis effulgence. And there came also Yama himself, of great beauty, the\npowerful destroyer of all the worlds, accompanied by those lords of the\ncreation--the Pitris--both embodied and disembodied. And the god of\njustice, of inconceivable soul, the son of Surya, the destroyer of all\ncreatures, with the mace in hand, came there on his car, illuminating\nthe three worlds with regions of the Guhyakas, the Gandharvas and the\nNagas, like a second Surya as he riseth at the end of the Yuga. Having\narrived there, they beheld, from the effulgent and variegated summits of\nthe great mountain, Arjuna engaged in ascetic austerities. And there\ncame in a moment the illustrious Sakra also, accompanied by his queen,\nseated on the back of (the celestial elephant) Airavata, and surrounded\nalso by all the deities. And in consequence of the white umbrella being\nheld over his head, he looked like the moon amid fleecy clouds. And\neulogised by Gandharvas, and Rishis endued with wealth of asceticism,\nthe chief of the celestials alighted on a particular summit of the\nmountain, like a second sun. Then Yama possessed of great intelligence,\nand fully conversant with virtue, who had occupied a summit on the\nsouth, in a voice deep as that of the clouds, said these auspicious\nwords, 'Arjuna, behold us, the protectors of the worlds, arrive here! We\nwill grant thee (spiritual) vision, for thou deservest to behold us.\nThou wert in thy former life a Rishi of immeasurable soul, known as Nara\nof great might. At the command, O child, of Brahma, thou hast been born\namong men! O sinless one, by thee shall be vanquished in battle the\nhighly virtuous grandsire of the Kurus--Bhishma of great energy--who is\nborn of the Vasus. Thou shalt also defeat all the Kshatriyas of fiery\nenergy commanded by the son of Bharadwaja in battle. Thou shalt also\ndefeat those Danavas of fierce prowess that have been born amongst men,\nand those Danavas also that are called Nivatakavachas. And, O son of the\nKuru race, O Dhananjaya, thou shalt also slay Karna of fierce prowess,\nwho is even a portion of my father Surya, of energy celebrated\nthroughout the worlds. And, O son of Kunti, smiter of all foes, thou\nshalt also slay all the portions of celestials and Danavas and the\nRakshasas that have been incarnate on earth. And slain by thee, these\nshall attain to the regions earned by them according to their acts. And,\nO Phalguna, the fame of thy achievements will last for ever in the\nworld: thou hast gratified Mahadeva himself in conflict. Thou shalt,\nwith Vishnu himself, lighten the burden of the earth. O accept this\nweapon of mine--the mace I wield incapable of being baffled by any body.\nWith this weapon thou wilt achieve great deeds.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"O Janamejaya, the son of Pritha then received\nfrom Yama that weapon duly, along with the _Mantras_ and rite, and the\nmysteries of hurling and withdrawing it. Then Varuna, the lord of all\naquatic creatures, blue as the clouds, from a summit he had occupied on\nthe west, uttered these words, 'O son of Pritha, thou art the foremost\nof Kshatriyas, and engaged in Kshatriya practices. O thou of large\ncoppery eyes, behold me! I am Varuna, the lord of waters. Hurled by me,\nmy nooses are incapable of being resisted. O son of Kunti, accept of me\nthese Varuna weapons along with the mysteries of hurling and withdrawing\nthem. With these, O hero, in the battle that ensued of your on account\nof Taraka (the wife of Vrihaspati), thousands of mighty Daityas were\nseized and tied. Accept them of me. Even if Yama himself be thy foe,\nwith these in thy hands, he will not be able to escape from thee. When\nthou wilt armed with these, range over the field of battle, the land,\nbeyond doubt, will be destitute of Kshatriyas.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"After both Varuna and Yama had given away their\ncelestial weapons, the lord of treasures having his home on the heights\nof Kailasa, then spake, 'O son of Pandu, O thou of great might and\nwisdom, I too have been pleased with thee. And this meeting with thee\ngiveth me as much pleasure as a meeting with Krishna. O wielder of the\nbow with the left hand, O thou of mighty arms, thou wert a god before,\neternal (as other gods). In ancient _Kalpas_, thou hadst every day gone\nthrough ascetic austerities along with us. O best of men, I grant thee\ncelestial vision. O thou of mighty arms, thou wilt defeat even\ninvincible Daityas and Danavas. Accept of me also without loss of time,\nan excellent weapon. With this thou wilt be able to consume the ranks of\nDhritarashtra. Take then this favourite weapon of mine called\n_Antarddhana_. Endued with energy and prowess and splendour, it is\ncapable of sending the foe to sleep. When the illustrious Sankara slew\nTripura, even this was the weapon which he shot and by which many mighty\nAsuras were consumed. O thou of invincible prowess I take it up for\ngiving it to thee. Endued with the dignity of the Meru, thou art\ncompetent to hold this weapon.'\n\n\"After these words had been spoken, the Kuru prince Arjuna endued with\ngreat strength, duly received from Kuvera that celestial weapon. Then\nthe chief of the celestials addressing Pritha's son of ceaseless deeds\nin sweet words, said, in a voice deep as that the clouds or the\nkettle-drum, 'O thou mighty-armed son of Kunti, thou art an ancient god.\nThou hast already achieved the highest success, and acquired the stature\nof a god. But, O represser of foes, thou hast yet to accomplish the\npurposes of the gods. Thou must ascend to heaven. Therefore prepare thou\nO hero of great splendour! My own car with Matali as charioteer, will\nsoon descend on the earth. Taking thee, O Kaurava, to heaven, I will\ngrant thee there all my celestial weapons.'\n\n\"Beholding those protectors of the worlds assembled together on the\nheights of Himavat, Dhananjaya, the son of Kunti, wondered much. Endued\nwith great energy, he then duly worshipped the assembled _Lokapalas_,\nwith words, water, and fruits. The celestials then returning that\nworship, went away. And the gods capable of going everywhere at will,\nand endued with the speed of the mind, returned to the places whence\nthey had come.\n\n\"That bull among men--Arjuna--having obtained weapons thus, was filled\nwith pleasure. And he regarded himself as one whose desires had been\nfulfilled and who was crowned with success.\"\n\n\nSECTION XLII\n\n(Indralokagamana Parva)\n\nVaisampayana said, \"After the _Lokapalas_ had gone away, Arjuna--that\nslayer of all foes--began to think, O monarch, of the car of Indra! And\nas Gudakesa gifted with great intelligence was thinking of it, the car\nendued with great effulgence and guided by Matali, came dividing the\nclouds and illuminating the firmament and filling the entire welkin with\nits rattle deep as the roar of mighty masses of clouds. Swords, and\nmissiles of terrible forms and maces of frightful description, and\nwinged darts of celestial splendour and lightnings of the brightest\neffulgence, and thunderbolts, and propellors furnished with wheels and\nworked with atmosphere expansion and producing sounds loud as the roar\nof great masses of clouds, were on that car. And there were also on that\ncar fierce and huge-bodied _Nagas_ with fiery mouths, and heaps of\nstones white as the fleecy clouds. And the car was drawn by ten\nthousands of horses of golden hue, endued with the speed of the wind.\nAnd furnished with prowess of illusion, the car was drawn with such\nspeed that the eye could hardly mark its progress. And Arjuna saw on\nthat car the flag-staff called _Vaijayanta_, of blazing effulgence,\nresembling in hue the emerald or the dark-blue lotus, and decked with\ngolden ornaments and straight as the bamboo. And beholding a charioteer\ndecked in gold seated on that car, the mighty-armed son of Pritha\nregarded it as belonging to the celestials. And while Arjuna was\noccupied with his thoughts regarding the car, the charioteer Matali,\nbending himself after descending from the car, addressed him, saying, 'O\nlucky son of Sakra! Sakra himself wisheth to see thee. Ascend thou\nwithout loss of time this car that hath been sent by Indra. The chief of\nthe immortals, thy father--that god of a hundred sacrifices--hath\ncommanded me, saying, _Bring the son of Kunti hither. Let the gods\nbehold him._ And Sankara himself, surrounded by the celestials and\nRishis and Gandharvas and Apsaras, waiteth to behold thee. At the\ncommand of the chastiser of Paka, therefore, ascend thou with me from\nthis to the region of the celestials. Thou wilt return after obtaining\nweapons.'\n\n\"Arjuna replied, 'O Matali, mount thou without loss of time this\nexcellent car, a car that cannot be attained even by hundreds of\n_Rajasuya_ and horse sacrifices. Even kings of great prosperity who have\nperformed great sacrifices distinguished by large gifts (to Brahmanas),\neven gods and Danavas are not competent to ride this car. He that hath\nnot ascetic merit is not competent to even see or touch this car, far\nless to ride on it. O blessed one, after thou hast ascended it, and\nafter the horses have become still, I will ascend it, like a virtuous\nman stepping into the high-road of honesty.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Matali, the charioteer of Sakra, hearing these\nwords of Arjuna, soon mounted the car and controlled the horses. Arjuna\nthen, with a cheerful heart, purified himself by a bath in the Ganges.\nAnd the son of Kunti then duly repeated (inaudibly) his customary\nprayers. He then, duly and according to the ordinance, gratified the\n_Pitris_ with oblations of water. And, lastly, he commenced to invoke\nthe Mandara--that king of mountains--saying, 'O mountain, thou art ever\nthe refuge of holy, heaven-seeking _Munis_ of virtuous conduct and\nbehaviour. It is through thy grace, O mountain, that Brahmanas and\nKshatriyas and Vaisyas attain heaven, and their anxieties gone, sport\nwith the celestials. O king of mountains, O mountain, thou art the\nasylum of _Munis_, and thou holdest on thy breast numerous sacred\nshrines. Happily have I dwelt on thy heights. I leave thee now, bidding\nthee farewell. Oft have I seen thy tablelands and bowers, thy springs\nand brooks, and the sacred shrines on thy breast. I have also eaten the\nsavoury fruits growing on thee, and have slated my thirst with draughts\nof perfumed water oozing from thy body. I have also drunk the water of\nthy springs, sweet as _amrita_ itself. O mountain, as a child sleepeth\nhappily on the lap of his father, so have I, O king of mountains, O\nexcellent one, sported on thy breast, echoing with the notes of Apsaras\nand the chanting of the Vedas. O mountain, every day have I lived\nhappily on thy tablelands.' Thus having bidden farewell to the mountain,\nthat slayer of hostile heroes--Arjuna--blazing like the Sun himself,\nascended the celestial car. And the Kuru prince gifted with great\nintelligence, with a glad heart, coursed through the firmament on that\ncelestial car effulgent as the sun and of extra-ordinary achievements.\nAnd after he had become invisible to the mortals of the earth, he beheld\nthousands of cars of extra-ordinary beauty. And in that region there was\nno sun or moon or fire to give light, but it blazed in light of its own,\ngenerated by virtue of ascetic merit. And those brilliant regions that\nare seen from the earth in the form of stars, like lamps (in the\nsky)--so small in consequence of their distance, though very large--were\nbeheld by the son of Pandu, stationed in their respective places, full\nof beauty and effulgence and blazing with splendour all their own. And\nthere he beheld royal sages crowned with ascetic success, and heroes who\nhad yielded up their lives in battle, and those that had acquired heaven\nby their ascetic austerities, by hundreds upon hundreds. And there were\nalso Gandharvas, of bodies blazing like the sun, by thousands upon\nthousands, as also Guhyakas and Rishis and numerous tribes of Apsaras.\nAnd beholding those self-effulgent regions, Phalguna became filled with\nwonder, and made enquiries of Matali. And Matali also gladly replied\nunto him, saying, 'These, O son of Pritha, are virtuous persons\nstationed in their respective places. It is these whom thou hast seen, O\nexalted one, as stars, from the earth.' Then Arjuna saw standing at the\ngates (Indra's region) the handsome and ever victorious\nelephant--Airavata--furnished with four tusks, and resembling the\nmountain of Kailasa with its summits. And coursing along that path of\nthe _Siddhas_, that foremost of the Kurus and the son of Pandu, sat in\nbeauty like Mandhata--that best of kings. Endued with eyes like lotus\nleaves, he passed through the region set apart for virtuous kings. And\nthe celebrated Arjuna having thus passed through successive regions of\nheaven at last beheld _Amaravati_, the city of Indra.\"\n\n\nSECTION XLIII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"And the city of Indra which Arjuna saw was\ndelightful and was the resort of _Siddhas_ and _Charanas_. And it was\nadorned with the flowers of every season, and with sacred trees of all\nkinds. And he beheld also celestial gardens called _Nandana_--the\nfavourite resort of Apsaras. And fanned by the fragrant breezes charged\nwith the scent of sweet-scented flowers, the trees with their load of\ncelestial blossoms seemed to welcome him amongst them. And the region\nwas such that none could behold it who had not gone through ascetic\nausterities, or who had not poured libations on fire. It was a region\nfor the virtuous alone, and not for those who had turned their back on\nthe field of battle. And none were competent to see it who had not\nperformed sacrifices or observed rigid vows, or who were without a\nknowledge of the Vedas, or who had not bathed in sacred waters, or who\nwere not distinguished for sacrifices and gifts. And none were competent\nto see it who were disturbers of sacrifices, or who were low, or who\ndrank intoxicating liquors, or who were violators of their preceptors'\nbed, or who were eaters of (unsanctified) meat, or who were wicked. And\nhaving beheld those celestial gardens resounding with celestial music,\nthe strong-armed son of Pandu entered the favourite city of Indra. And\nhe beheld there celestial cars by thousands, capable of going everywhere\nat will, stationed in proper places. And he saw tens of thousands of\nsuch cars moving in every direction. And fanned by pleasant breezes\ncharged with the perfumes of flowers, the son of Pandu was praised by\nApsaras and Gandharvas. And the celestials then, accompanied by the\nGandharvas and Siddhas and great Rishis, cheerfully reverenced Pritha's\nson of white steeds. Benedictions were poured upon him, accompanied by\nthe sounds of celestial music. The strong-armed son of Pritha then heard\naround him the music of conchs and drums. And praised all around, the\nson of Pritha then went, at the command of Indra, to that large and\nextensive starry way called by the name of _Suravithi_. There he met\nwith the _Sadhyas_, the _Viswas_, the _Marutas_, the twin _Aswins_, the\n_Adityas_, the _Vasus_, the _Rudras_, the _Brahmarshis_ of the great\nsplendour, and numerous royal sages with Dilipa at their head, and\nTumvura and Narada, and that couple of Gandharvas known by the names of\nHaha and Huhu. And the Kuru prince--that chastiser of foes--having met\nand duly saluted them, last of all beheld the chief of the\ncelestials--the god of a hundred sacrifices. Then the strong-armed son\nof Pritha, alighting from the car approached the lord himself of the\ngods--his father--that chastiser of Paka. And a beautiful white umbrella\nfurnished with a golden staff was held over the chief of the celestials.\nAnd he was fanned with a _Chamara_ perfumed with celestial scents. And\nhe was eulogised by many Gandharvas headed by _Viswavasu_ and others, by\nbards and singers, and by foremost Brahmanas chanting _Rik_ and _Yajus_\nhymns. And the mighty son of Kunti, approaching Indra, saluted him by\nbending his head to the ground. And Indra thereupon embraced him with\nhis round and plump arms. And taking his hand, Sakra made him sit by him\non a portion of his own seat, that sacred seat which was worshipped by\ngods and Rishis. And the lord of the celestials--that slayer of hostile\nheroes--smelt the head of Arjuna bending in humility, and even took him\nupon his lap. Seated on Sakra's seat at the command of that god of a\nthousand eyes, Pritha's son of immeasurable energy began to blaze in\nsplendour like a second Indra. And moved by affection, the slayer of\nVritra, consoling Arjuna, touched his beautiful face with his own\nperfumed hands. And the wielder of the thunderbolt, patting and rubbing\ngently again and again with his own hands which bore the marks of the\nthunderbolt the handsome and huge arms of Arjuna which resembled a\ncouple of golden columns and which were hard in consequence of drawing\nthe bowstring, the god of a thousand eyes eying his son of curly locks\nsmilingly and with eyes expanded with delight, seemed scarcely to be\ngratified. The more he gazed, the more he liked to gaze on. And seated\non one seat, the father and son enhanced the beauty of the assembly,\nlike the sun and moon beautifying the firmament together on the\nfourteenth day of the dark fortnight. And a band of Gandharvas headed by\nTumvuru skilled in music sacred and profane, sang many verses in\nmelodious notes. And Ghritachi and Menaka and Rambha and Purvachitti and\nSwayamprabha and Urvasi and Misrakesi and Dandagami and Varuthini and\nGopali and Sahajanya and Kumbhayoni and Prajagara and Chitrasena and\nChitralekha and Saha and Madhuraswana, these and others by thousands,\npossessed of eyes like lotus leaves, who were employed in enticing the\nhearts of persons practising rigid austerities, danced there. And\npossessing slim waists and fair large hips, they began to perform\nvarious evolutions, shaking their deep bosoms, and casting their glances\naround, and exhibiting other attractive attitude capable of stealing the\nhearts and resolutions and minds of the spectators.\"\n\n\nSECTION XLIV\n\nVaisampayana said, \"The gods and the Gandharvas then, understanding the\nwishes of Indra, procured an excellent _Arghya_ and reverenced the son\nof Pritha in a hurry. And giving water to wash both his feet and face,\nthey caused the prince to enter the palace of Indra. And thus\nworshipped, Jishnu continued to live in the abode of his father. And the\nson of Pandu continued all the while to acquire celestial weapons,\ntogether with the means of withdrawing them. And he received from the\nhands of Sakra his favourite weapon of irresistible force, _viz_., the\nthunder-bolt and those other weapons also, of tremendous roar, _viz_.,\nthe lightnings of heaven, whose flashes are inferable from the\nappearance of clouds and (the dancing of) peacocks. And the son of\nPandu, after he had obtained those weapons, recollected his brothers.\nAnd at the command of Indra, however, he lived for full five years in\nheaven, surrounded by every comfort and luxury.\n\n\"After some time, when Arjuna had obtained all the weapons, Indra\naddressed him in due time, saying, 'O son of Kunti, learn thou music and\ndancing from Chitrasena. Learn the instrumental music that is current\namong the celestials and which existeth not in the world of men, for, O\nson of Kunti, it will be to thy benefit.' And Parandana gave Chitrasena\nas a friend unto Arjuna. And the son of Pritha lived happily in peace\nwith Chitrasena. And Chitrasena instructed Arjuna all the while in\nmusic; vocal and instrumental and in dancing. But the active Arjuna\nobtained no peace of mind, remembering the unfair play at dice of\nSakuni, the son of Suvala, and thinking with rage of Dussasana and his\ndeath. When however, his friendship with Chitrasena had ripened fully,\nhe at times learned the unrivalled dance and music practised among the\nGandharvas. And at last having learnt various kinds of dance and diverse\nspecies of music, both vocal and instrumental, that slayer of hostile\nheroes obtained no peace of mind remembering his brothers and mother\nKunti.\"\n\n\nSECTION XLV\n\nVaisampayana said, \"One day, knowing that Arjuna's glances were cast\nupon Urvasi, Vasava, calling Chitrasena to himself, addressed him in\nprivate saying, 'O king of Gandharvas, I am pleased; go thou as my\nmessenger to that foremost of Apsaras, Urvasi, and let her wait upon\nthat tiger among men, Phalguna. Tell her, saying these words of mine,\n'As through my instrumentality Arjuna hath learnt all the weapons and\nother arts, worshipped by all, so shouldst thou make him conversant with\nthe arts of acquitting one's self in female company.' Thus addressed by\nIndra, the chief of the Gandharvas in obedience to that command of\nVasava, soon went to Urvasi that foremost of Apsaras. And as he saw her,\nshe recognised him and delighted him by the welcome she offered and the\nsalutation she gave. And seated at ease he then smilingly addressed\nUrvasi, who also was seated at ease, saying, 'Let it be known, O thou of\nfair hips, that I come hither despatched by the one sole lord of heaven\nwho asketh of thee a favour. He who is known amongst gods and men for\nhis many inborn virtues, for his grace, behaviour, beauty of person,\nvows and self-control; who is noted for might and prowess, and respected\nby the virtuous, and ready-witted; who is endued with genius and\nsplendid energy, is of a forgiving temper and without malice of any\nkind; who hath studied the four Vedas with their branches, and the\n_Upanishads_, and the Puranas also; who is endued with devotion to his\npreceptors and with intellect possessed of the eight attributes, who by\nhis abstinence, ability, origin and age, is alone capable of protecting\nthe celestial regions like Mahavat himself; who is never boastful; who\nshoweth proper respect to all; who beholdeth the minutest things as\nclearly as if those were gross and large; who is sweet-speeched; who\nshowereth diverse kinds of food and drink on his friends and dependents;\nwho is truthful, worshipped of all, eloquent, handsome, and without\npride; who is kind to those devoted to him, and universally pleasing and\ndear to all; who is firm in promise; who is equal to even Mahendra and\nVaruna in respect of every desirable attribute, _viz_., Arjuna, is known\nto thee. O Urvasi, know thou that hero is to be made to taste the joys\nof heaven. Commanded by Indra, let him today obtain thy feet. Do this, O\namiable one, for Dhananjaya is inclined to thee.'\n\n\"Thus addressed, Urvasi of faultless features assumed a smiling face,\nand receiving the words of the Gandharva with high respect, answered\nwith a glad heart, saying, 'Hearing of the virtues that should adorn\nmen, as unfolded by thee, I would bestow my favours upon any one who\nhappened to possess them. Why should I not then, choose Arjuna for a\nlover? At the command of Indra, and for my friendship for thee, and\nmoved also by the numerous virtues of Phalguna, I am already under the\ninfluence of the god of love. Go thou, therefore, to the place thou\ndesirest. I shall gladly go to Arjuna.'\"\n\n\nSECTION XLVI\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Having thus sent away the Gandharva successful in\nhis mission, Urvasi of luminous smiles, moved by the desire of\npossessing Phalguna, took a bath. And having performed her ablutions,\nshe decked herself in charming ornaments and splendid garlands of\ncelestial odour. And inflamed by the god of love, and her heart pierced\nthrough and through by the shafts shot by Manmatha keeping in view the\nbeauty of Arjuna, and her imagination wholly taken up by the thoughts of\nArjuna, she mentally sported with him on a wide and excellent bed laid\nover with celestial sheets. And when the twilight had deepened and the\nmoon was up, that Apsara of high hips set out for the mansions of\nArjuna. And in that mood and with her crisp, soft and long braids decked\nwith bunches of flowers, she looked extremely beautiful. With her beauty\nand grace, and the charm of the motions of her eye-brows and of her soft\naccents, and her own moon-like face, she seemed to tread, challenging\nthe moon himself. And as she proceeded, her deep, finely tapering\nbosoms, decked with a chain of gold and adorned with celestial unguents\nand smeared with fragrant sandal paste, began to tremble. And in\nconsequence of the weight of her bosoms, she was forced to slightly\nstoop forward at every step, bending her waist exceedingly beautiful\nwith three folds. And her loins of faultless shape, the elegant abode of\nthe god of love, furnished with fair and high and round hips and wide at\ntheir lower part as a hill, and decked with chains of gold, and capable\nof shaking the saintship of anchorites, being decked with thin attire,\nappeared highly graceful. And her feet with fair suppressed ankles, and\npossessing flat soles and straight toes of the colour of burnished\ncopper and high and curved like tortoise back and marked by the wearing\nof ornaments furnished with rows of little bells, looked exceedingly\nhandsome. And exhilarated with a little liquor which she had taken, and\nexcited by desire, and moving in diverse attitudes and expressing a\nsensation of delight, she looked more handsome than usual. And though\nheaven abounded with many wonderful objects, yet when Urvasi proceeded\nin this manner, the _Siddhas_ and _Charanas_ and _Gandharvas_ regarded\nher to be the handsomest object they had cast their eyes upon. And the\nupper half of her body clad in an attire of fine texture and cloudy\nhues, she looked resplendent like a digit of the moon in the firmament\nshrouded by fleecy clouds. And endued with the speed of the winds or the\nmind, she of luminous smiles soon reached the mansion of Phalguna, the\nson of Pandu. And, O best of men, Urvasi of beautiful eyes, having\narrived at the gate of Arjuna's abode, sent word through the keeper in\nattendance. And (on receiving permission), she soon entered that\nbrilliant and charming palace. But, O monarch, upon beholding her at\nnight in his mansion, Arjuna, with a fearstricken heart, stepped up to\nreceive her with respect and as soon as he saw her, the son of Pritha,\nfrom modesty, closed his eyes. And saluting her, he offered the Apsara\nsuch worship as is offered unto a superior. And Arjuna said, 'O thou\nforemost of the Apsaras, I reverence thee by bending my head down. O\nlady, let me know thy commands. I wait upon thee as thy servant.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Hearing these words of Phalguna, Urvasi became\ndeprived of her senses. And she soon represented unto Arjuna all that\nhad passed between her and the Gandharva, Chitrasena. And she said, 'O\nbest of men, I shall tell thee all that hath passed between me and\nChitrasena, and why I have come hither. On account of thy coming here, O\nArjuna, Mahendra had convened a large and charming assembly, in which\ncelestial festivities were held. Unto that assembly came, O best of men,\nthe Rudras and the Adityas and the Aswins and the Vasus. And there came\nalso numbers of great Rishis and royal sages and Siddhas and Charanas\nand Yakshas and great Nagas. And, O thou of expansive eyes, the members\nof the assembly resplendent as fire or the sun or the moon, having taken\ntheir seats according to rank, honour, and prowess, O son of Sakra, the\nGandharvas began to strike the _Vinas_ and sing charming songs of\ncelestial melody. And, O perpetuator of the Kuru race, the principal\nApsaras also commenced to dance. Then, O son of Pritha, thou hadst\nlooked on me only with a steadfast gaze. When that assembly of the\ncelestials broke, commanded by thy father, the gods went away to their\nrespective places. And the principal Apsaras also went away to their\nabodes, and others also, O slayer of foes, commanded by thy father and\nobtaining his leave. It was then that Chitrasena sent to me by Sakra,\nand arriving at my abode, O thou of eyes like lotus leaves, he addressed\nme, saying, \"O thou of the fairest complexion, I have been sent unto\nthee by the chief of the celestials. Do thou something that would be\nagreeable to Mahendra and myself and to thyself also. O thou of fair\nhips, seek thou to please Arjuna, who is brave in battle even like Sakra\nhimself, and who is always possessed of magnanimity.\" Even these, O son\nof Pritha, were his words. Thus, O sinless one, commanded by him and thy\nfather also, I come to thee in order to wait upon thee, O slayer of\nfoes. My heart hath been attracted by thy virtues, and am already under\nthe influence of the god of love. And, O hero, even this is my wish, and\nI have cherished it for ever!'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"While in heaven, hearing her speak in this\nstrain, Arjuna was overcome with bashfulness. And shutting his ears with\nhis hands, he said, 'O blessed lady, fie on my sense of hearing, when\nthou speakest thus to me. For, O thou of beautiful face, thou art\ncertainly equal in my estimation unto the wife of a superior. Even as\nKunti of high fortune or Sachi the queen of Indra, art thou to me, O\nauspicious one, of this there is no doubt! That I had gazed particularly\nat thee, O blessed one, is true. There was a reason for it. I shall\ntruly tell it to thee, O thou of luminous smiles! In the assembly I\ngazed at thee with eyes expanded in delight, thinking, _Even this\nblooming lady is the mother of the Kaurava race._ O blessed Apsara, it\nbehoveth thee not to entertain other feelings towards me, for thou art\nsuperior to my superiors, being the parent of my race.'\n\n\"Hearing these words of Arjuna, Urvasi answered, saying, 'O son of the\nchief of the celestials, we Apsaras are free and unconfined in our\nchoice. It behoveth thee not, therefore, to esteem me as thy superior.\nThe sons and grandsons of Puru's race, that have come hither in\nconsequence of ascetic merit do all sport with us, without incurring any\nsin. Relent, therefore, O hero, it behoveth thee not to send me away. I\nam burning with desire. I am devoted to thee. Accept me, O thou giver of\nproper respect.'\n\n\"Arjuna replied, 'O beautiful lady of features perfectly faultless,\nlisten. I truly tell thee. Let the four directions and the transverse\ndirections, let also the gods listen. O sinless one, as Kunti, or Madri,\nor Sachi, is to me, so art thou, the parent of my race, an object of\nreverence to me. Return, O thou of the fairest complexion: I bend my\nhead unto thee, and prostrate myself at thy feet. Thou deservest my\nworship as my own mother; and it behoveth thee to protect me as a son.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Thus addressed by Partha, Urvasi was deprived\nof her senses by wrath. Trembling with rage, and contracting her brows,\nshe cursed Arjuna, saying, 'Since thou disregardest a woman come to thy\nmansion at the command of thy father and of her own motion--a woman,\nbesides, who is pierced by the shafts of _Kama_, therefore, O Partha,\nthou shalt have to pass thy time among females unregarded, and as a\ndancer, and destitute of manhood and scorned as a eunuch.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Having cursed Arjuna thus, Urvasi's lips still\nquivered in anger, herself breathing heavily all the while. And she soon\nreturned to her own abode. And that slayer of foes, Arjuna also sought\nChitrasena without loss of time. And having found him, he told him all\nthat had passed between him and Urvasi in the night. And he told\nChitrasena everything as it had happened, repeatedly referring to the\ncurse pronounced upon him. And Chitrasena also represented everything\nunto Sakra. And Harivahana, calling his son unto himself in private, and\nconsoling him in sweet words, smilingly said, 'O thou best of beings,\nhaving obtained thee, O child, Pritha hath to-day become a truly blessed\nmother. O mighty-armed one, thou hast now vanquished even Rishis by the\npatience and self-control. But, O giver of proper respect, the curse\nthat Urvasi hath denounced on thee will be to thy benefit, O child, and\nstand thee in good stead. O sinless one, ye will have on earth to pass\nthe thirteenth year (of your exile), unknown to all. It is then that\nthou shalt suffer the curse of Urvasi. And having passed one year as a\ndancer without manhood, thou shalt regain thy power on the expiration of\nthe term.'\n\n\"Thus addressed by Sakra, that slayer of hostile heroes, Phalguna,\nexperienced great delight and ceased to think of the curse. And\nDhananjaya, the son of Pandu, sported in regions of heaven with the\nGandharva Chitrasena of great celebrity.\n\n\"The desires of the man that listeneth to this history of the son of\nPandu never run after lustful ends. The foremost of men, by listening to\nthis account of the awfully pure conduct of Phalguna, the son of the\nlord of the celestials, become void of pride and arrogance and wrath and\nother faults, and ascending to heaven, sport there in bliss.\"\n\n\nSECTION XLVII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"One day, the great _Rishi_ Lomasa in course of his\nwanderings, went to the abode of Indra, desirous of beholding the lord\nof the celestials. And the great Muni, having approached the chief of\nthe gods, bowed to him respectfully. And he beheld the son of Pandu\noccupying half of the seat of Vasava. And worshipped by the great\nRishis, that foremost of Brahmanas sat on an excellent seat at the\ndesire of Sakra. And beholding Arjuna seated on Indra's seat, the Rishi\nbegan to think as to how Arjuna who was a Kshatriya had attained to the\nseat of Sakra himself. What acts of merit had been performed by him and\nwhat regions had been conquered by him (by ascetic merit), that he had\nobtained a seat that was worshipped by the gods themselves? And as the\nRishi was employed with these thoughts, Sakra, the slayer of Vritra,\ncame to know of them. And having known them, the lord of Sachi addressed\nLomasa with a smile and said, 'Listen, O _Brahmarshi_, about what is now\npassing in thy mind. This one is no mortal though he hath taken his\nbirth among men. O great Rishi, the mighty-armed hero is even my son\nborn of Kunti. He hath come hither, in order to acquire weapons for some\npurpose. Alas! dost thou not recognise him as an ancient Rishi of the\nhighest merit? Listen to me, O Brahmana, as I tell thee who is and why\nhe hath come to me. Those ancient and excellent Rishis who were known by\nthe names of Nara and Narayana are, know, O Brahmana, none else than\nHrishikesa and Dhananjaya. And those Rishis, celebrated throughout the\nthree worlds, and known by the names of Nara and Narayana have, for the\naccomplishment of a certain purpose, been born on earth--for the\nacquisition of virtue. That sacred asylum which even gods and\nillustrious Rishis are not competent to behold, and which is known\nthroughout the world by the name of Vadari, and situate by the source of\nthe Ganga, which is worshipped by the Siddhas and the Charanas, was the\nabode, O Brahmana, of Vishnu and Jishnu. Those Rishis of blazing\nsplendour have, O _Brahmarshi_, at my desire, been born on earth, and\nendued with mighty energy, will lighten the burden thereof. Besides\nthis, there are certain Asuras known as Nivatakavachas, who, proud of\nthe boon they have acquired, are employed in doing us injuries. Boastful\nof their strength, they are even now planning the destruction of the\ngods, for, having received a boon, they no longer regard the gods. Those\nfierce and mighty Danavas live in the nether regions. Even all the\ncelestials together are incapable of fighting with them. The blessed\nVishnu--the slayer of Madhu--he, indeed who is known on earth as Kapila,\nand whose glance alone, O exalted one, destroyed the illustrious sons of\nSagara, when they approached him with loud sounds in the bowels of the\nearth,--that illustrious and invincible Hari is capable, O Brahmana of\ndoing us a great service. Either he or Partha or both may do us that\ngreat service, without doubt. Verily as the illustrious Hari had slain\nthe Nagas in the great lake, he, by sight alone, is capable of slaying\nthose Asuras called the Nivatakavachas, along with their followers. But\nthe slayer of Madhu should not be urged when the task is insignificant.\nA mighty mass of energy that he is, it swelleth to increasing\nproportions, it may consume the whole universe. This Arjuna also is\ncompetent to encounter them all, and the hero having slain them in\nbattle, will go back to the world of men. Go thou at my request to\nearth. Thou wilt behold the brave Yudhishthira living in the woods of\nKamyaka. And for me tell thou the virtuous Yudhishthira of unbaffled\nprowess in battle, that he should not be anxious on account of Phalguna,\nfor that hero will return to earth a thorough master of weapons, for\nwithout sanctified prowess of arms, and without skill in weapons, he\nwould not be able to encounter Bhishma and Drona and others in battle.\nThou wilt also represent unto Yudhishthira that the illustrious and\nmighty-armed Gudakesa, having obtained weapons, hath also mastered the\nscience of celestial dancing and music both instrumental and vocal. And\nthou wilt also tell him, O king of men, O slayer of foes, thyself also,\naccompanied by all thy brothers, should see the various sacred shrines.\nFor having bathed in different sacred waters, thou wilt be cleansed from\nthy sins, and the fever of thy heart will abate. And then thou wilt be\nable to enjoy thy kingdom, happy in the thought that thy sins have been\nwashed off. And, O foremost of Brahmanas, endued with ascetic power, it\nbehoveth thee also to protect Yudhishthira during his wandering over the\nearth. Fierce Rakshasas ever live in mountain fastnesses and rugged\nsteppes. Protect thou the king from those cannibals.'\n\n\"After Mahendra had spoken thus unto Lomasa, Vibhatsu also reverently\naddressed that Rishi, saying, 'Protect thou ever the son of Pandu. O\nbest of men, let the king, O great Rishi, protected by thee, visit the\nvarious places of pilgrimage and give away unto Brahmanas in charity.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"The mighty ascetic Lomasa, having answered both\nsaying, 'So be it,' set out for the earth, desirous of arriving at\nKamvaka. And having arrived at those woods, he beheld the slayer of foes\nand son of Kunti, king Yudhishthira the just, surrounded by ascetics and\nhis younger brothers.\"\n\n\nSECTION XLVIII\n\nJanamejaya said, \"These feats of Pritha's son endued with immeasurable\nenergy, were certainly marvellous. O Brahmana, what did Dhritarashtra of\ngreat wisdom say, when he heard of them?\"\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Amvika's son, king Dhritarashtra, having heard of\nArjuna's arrival and stay at Indra's abode, from Dwaipayana, that\nforemost of Rishis, spake unto Sanjaya, saying, 'O charioteer, dost thou\nknow in detail the acts of the intelligent Arjuna, of which I have heard\nfrom beginning to end? O charioteer, my wretched and sinful son is even\nnow engaged in a policy of the most vulgar kind. Of wicked soul, he will\ncertainly depopulate the earth. The illustrious person whose words even\nin jest are true, and who hath Dhananjaya to fight for him, is sure to\nwin the three worlds. Who that is even beyond the influence of Death and\nDecay will be able to stay before Arjuna, when he will scatter his\nbarbed and sharp-pointed arrows whetted on stone? My wretched sons, who\nhave to fight with the invincible Pandavas are indeed, all doomed.\nReflecting day and night, I see not the warrior amongst us that is able\nto stay in battle before the wielder of the _Gandiva_. If Drona, or\nKarna, or even Bhishma advance against him in battle, a great calamity\nis likely to befall the earth. But even in that case, I see not the way\nto our success. Karna is kind and forgetful. The preceptor Drona is old,\nand the teacher (of Arjuna). Arjuna, however, is wrathful, and strong,\nand proud, and of firm and steady prowess. As all these warriors are\ninvincible, a terrible fight will take place between them. All of them\nare heroes skilled in weapons and of great reputation. They would not\nwish for the sovereignty of the world, if it was to be purchased by\ndefeat. Indeed, peace will be restored only on the death of these or of\nPhalguna. The slayer of Arjuna, however, existeth not, nor doth one that\ncan vanquish him. Oh, how shall that wrath of his which hath myself for\nits object be pacified. Equal unto the chief of the celestials, that\nhero gratified Agni at _Khandava_ and vanquished all the monarchs of the\nearth on the occasion of the great _Rajasuya_. O Sanjaya, the\nthunder-bolt falling on the mountain top, leaveth a portion unconsumed;\nbut the shafts, O child, that are shot by Kiriti leave not a rack\nbehind. As the rays of the sun heat this mobile and immobile universe,\nso will the shafts shot by Arjuna's hands scorch my sons. It seemeth to\nme that the _Chamus_ of the Bharatas, terrified at the clatter of\nArjuna's chariot-wheels, are already broken through in all directions.\nVidhatri hath created Arjuna as an all-consuming Destroyer. He stayeth\nin battle as a foe, vomitting and scattering swarms of arrows. Who is\nthere that will defeat him?'\"\n\n\nSECTION XLIX\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'That which hath been uttered by thee, O king, with\nrespect to Duryodhana is all true. Nothing that thou hast said, O lord\nof the earth, is untrue. The Pandavas of immeasurable energy have been\nfilled with rage at the sight of Krishna their wedded wife of pure\nfame brought in the midst of the assembly. Hearing also those cruel\nwords of Dussasana and Karna, they have been so incensed, O king, that\nthey will not, I ween, forgive (the Kurus) on thy account. I have heard,\nO king, how Arjuna hath gratified in battle by means of his bow the god\nof gods--Sthanu of eleven forms. The illustrious lord of all the\ngods--Kapardin himself--desirous of testing Phalguna, fought with him,\nhaving assumed the guise of a _Kirata_. And there it was that the\n_Lokapala_, in order to give away their weapons unto that bull of the\nKuru race, showed themselves unto him of undeteriorating prowess. What\nother man on earth, except Phalguna, would strive to have a sight of\nthese gods in their own forms? And, O king, who is there that will\nweaken in battle Arjuna, who could not be weakened by Maheswara himself\npossessed of eight forms? Thy sons, having dragged Draupadi, and thereby\nincensed the sons of Pandu, have brought this frightful and horrifying\ncalamity upon themselves. Beholding Duryodhana showing both his thighs\nunto Draupadi, Bhima said with quivering lips, _wretch! those thighs of\nthine will I smash with my fierce descending mace, on the expiration of\nthirteen years_. All the sons of Pandu are the foremost of smiters; all\nof them are of immeasurable energy; all of them are well-versed in every\nkind of weapons. For these, they are incapable of being vanquished even\nby the gods. Incensed at the insult offered to their wedded wife,\nPritha's sons, urged by wrath, will, I ween, slay all thy sons in\nbattle.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'O charioteer, what mischief hath been done by\nKarna uttering those cruel words, to the sons of Pandu! Was not the\nenmity sufficient that was provoked by bringing Krishna into the\nassembly? How can my wicked sons live, whose eldest brother and\npreceptor walketh not in the path of righteousness? Seeing me void of\neye-sight, and incapable of exerting myself actively, my wretched son, O\ncharioteer, believeth me to be a fool, and listeneth not to my words.\nThose wretches also that are his counsellors, _viz_., Karna and Suvala,\nand others, always pander to his vices, as he is incapable of\nunderstanding things rightly. The shafts that Arjuna of immeasurable\nprowess may lightly shoot, are capable of consuming all my sons, leave\nalone those shafts that he will shoot, impelled by anger. The arrows\nurged by the might of Arjuna's arms and shot from his large bow, and\ninspired with _mantras_ capable of converting them into celestial\nweapons can chastise the celestials themselves. He who hath for his\ncounsellor and protector and friend that smiter of sinful men--the lord\nof the three worlds--Hari himself--encountereth nothing that he cannot\nconquer. This, O Sanjaya, is most marvellous in Arjuna that, as we have\nheard, he hath been clasped by Mahadeva in his arms. That also which\nPhalguna, assisted by Damodara did of old towards helping Agni in the\nconflagration of _Khandava_, hath been witnessed by all the world. When,\ntherefore, Bhima and Partha and Vasudeva of the Satwata race become\nenraged, surely my sons along with their friends and the Suvalas are all\nunequal to fight with them.'\"\n\n\nSECTION L\n\nJanamejaya said, \"Having sent the heroic sons of Pandu into exile, these\nlamentations, O _Muni_, of Dhritarashtra were perfectly futile. Why did\nthe king permit his foolish son Duryodhana to thus incense those mighty\nwarriors, the sons of Pandu? Tell us now, O Brahmana, what was the food\nof the sons of Pandu, while they lived in the woods? Was it of the\nwilderness, or was it the produce of cultivation?\"\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Those bulls among men, collecting the produce of the\nwilderness and killing the deer with pure arrows, first dedicated a\nportion of the food to the Brahmanas, and themselves ate the rest. For,\nO king, while those heroes wielding large bows lived in the woods, they\nwere followed by Brahmanas of both classes, _viz_., those worshipping\nwith fire and those worshipping without it. And there were ten thousand\nillustrious _Snataka_ Brahmanas, all conversant with the means of\nsalvation, whom Yudhishthira supported in the woods. And killing with\narrows _Rurus_ and the black deer and other kinds of clean animals of\nthe wilderness, he gave them unto those Brahmanas. And no one that lived\nwith Yudhishthira looked pale or ill, or was lean or weak, or was\nmelancholy or terrified. And the chief of the Kurus--the virtuous king\nYudhishthira--maintained his brothers as if they were his sons, and his\nrelatives as if they were his uterine brothers. And Draupadi of pure\nfame fed her husbands and the Brahmanas, as if she was their mother; and\nlast of all took her food herself. And the king himself wending towards\nthe east, and Bhima, towards the south, and the twins, towards the west\nand the north, daily killed with bow in hand the deer of the forest, for\nthe sake of meat. And it was that the Pandavas lived for five years in\nthe woods of _Kamyaka_, in anxiety at the absence of Arjuna, and engaged\nall the while in study and prayers and sacrifices.\"\n\n\nSECTION LI\n\nVaisampayana said, \"That bull among men--Dhritarashtra--the son of\nAmvika, having heard of this wonderful way of life--so above that of\nmen--of the sons of Pandu, was filled with anxiety and grief. And\noverwhelmed with melancholy and sighing heavily and hot, that monarch,\naddressing his charioteer Sanjaya, said, 'O charioteer, a moment's peace\nI have not, either during the day or the night, thinking of the terrible\nmisbehaviour of my sons arising out of their past gambling, and thinking\nalso of the heroism, the patience, the high intelligence, the unbearable\nprowess, and the extraordinary love unto one another of the sons of\nPandu. Amongst the Pandavas, the illustrious Nakula and Sahadeva, of\ncelestial origin and equal unto the chief himself of the celestials in\nsplendour, are invincible in battle. They are firm in the wielding of\nweapons, capable of shooting at a long distance, resolute in battle, of\nremarkable lightness of hand, of wrath that is not easily quelled,\npossessed of great steadiness, and endued with activity. Possessed of\nthe prowess of lions and unbearable as the Aswins themselves, when they\nwill come to the field of battle with Bhima and Arjuna in front, I see,\nO Sanjaya, that my soldiers will all be slain without a remnant. Those\nmighty warriors of celestial origin, unrivalled in battle by anybody,\nfilled with rage at the remembrance of that insult to Draupadi, will\nshow no forgiveness. The mighty warriors of the Vrishnis also, and the\nPanchalas of great energy, and the sons of Pritha themselves, led by\nVasudeva of unbaffled prowess, will blast my legions. O charioteer, all\nthe warriors on my side assembled together, are not competent to bear\nthe impetus of the Vrishnis alone when commanded by Rama and Krishna.\nAnd amongst them will move that great warrior Bhima of terrible prowess,\narmed with his iron mace held on high and capable of slaying every hero.\nAnd high above the din will be heard the twang of the _Gandiva_ loud as\nthe thunder of heaven. The impetus of Bhima's mace and the loud twang of\nthe Gandiva are incapable of being stood against by any of the kings on\nmy side. It is then, O Sanjaya, that obedient as I have been to the\nvoice of Duryodhana, I shall have to call back the rejected counsels of\nmy friends--counsels that I should have attended to in time.'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'This hath been thy great fault, O king, _viz_., that\nthough capable, thou didst not, from affection prevent thy son from\ndoing what he hath done. The slayer of Madhu, that hero of unfading\nglory, hearing that the Pandavas had been defeated at dice, soon went to\nthe woods of _Kamyaka_ and consoled them there. And Draupadi's sons also\nheaded by Dhrishtadyumna, and Virata, and Dhrishtaketu, and those mighty\nwarriors, the Kekayas, all went there. All that was said by these\nwarriors at the sight of Pandu's son defeated at dice, was learnt by me\nthrough our spies. I have also told thee all, O king. When the slayer of\nMadhu met the Pandavas, they requested him to become the charioteer of\nPhalguna in battle. Hari himself, thus requested, answered them, saying,\n_so be it_. And even Krishna himself beholding the sons of Pritha\ndressed in deer skins, became filled with rage, and addressing\nYudhishthira, said, \"That prosperity which the sons of Pritha had\nacquired at Indraprastha, and which, unobtainable by other kings, was\nbeheld by me at the _Rajasuya_ sacrifice, at which, besides, I saw all\nkings, even those of the Vangas and Angas and Paundras and Odras and\nCholas and Dravidas and Andhakas, and the chiefs of many islands and\ncountries on the sea-board as also of frontier states, including the\nrulers of the Sinhalas, the barbarous _mlecchas_, the natives of Lanka,\nand all the kings of the West by hundreds, and all the chiefs of the\nsea-coast, and the kings of the Pahlavas and the Daradas and the various\ntribes of the Kiratas and Yavanas and Sakras and the Harahunas and\nChinas and Tukharas and the Sindhavas and the Jagudas and the Ramathas\nand the Mundas and the inhabitants of the kingdom of women and the\nTanganas and the Kekayas and the Malavas and the inhabitants of Kasmira,\nafraid of the prowess of your weapons, present in obedience to your\ninvitation, performing various offices,--that prosperity, O king, so\nunstable and waiting at present on the foe, I shall restore to thee,\ndepriving thy foe of his very life. I shall, O chief of the Kurus,\nassisted by Rama and Bhima and Arjuna and the twins and Akrura and Gada\nand Shamva and Pradyumna and Ahuka and the heroic Dhrishtadyumna and the\nson of Sisupala, slay in battle in course of a day Duryodhana and Karna\nand Dussasana and Suvala's son and all others who may fight against us.\nAnd thou shalt, O Bharata, living at Hastinapura along with thy\nbrothers, and snatching from Dhritarashtra's party the prosperity they\nare enjoying, rule this earth.\" Even these, O king, were Krishna's words\nunto Yudhishthira, who, on the conclusion of Krishna's speech, addressed\nhim in that meeting of heroes and in the hearing of all those brave\nwarriors headed by Dhrishtadyumna, saying, \"O Janardana, I accept these\nwords of thine as truth. O thou of mighty arms, do thou, however, slay\nmy enemies along with all their followers on the expiry of thirteen\nyears. O Kesava, promise this truly unto me. I promised in the presence\nof the king to live in the forest as I am now living.\" Consenting to\nthese words of king Yudhishthira the just, his counsellors headed by\nDhrishtadyumna soon pacified the incensed Kesava with sweet words and\nexpressions suitable to the occasion. And they also said unto Draupadi\nof pure deeds in the hearing of Vasudeva himself, these words, \"O lady,\nin consequence of thy anger, Duryodhana shall lay down his life. We\npromise it, O thou of the fairest complexion. Therefore, grieve no more.\nO Krishna, those that mocked thee, beholding thee won at dice, shall\nreap the fruit of their act. Beasts of prey and birds shall eat their\nflesh, and mock them thus. Jackals and vultures will drink their blood.\nAnd, O Krishna, thou shalt behold the bodies of those wretches that\ndragged thee by the hair prostrate on the earth, dragged and eaten by\ncarnivorous animals. They also that gave thee pain and disregarded thee\nshall lie on the earth destitute of their heads, and the earth herself\nshall drink their blood.\" These and other speeches of various kinds were\nuttered there, O king, by those bulls of the Bharata race. All of them\nare endued with energy and bravery, and marked with the marks of battle.\nOn the expiration of the thirteenth year, those mighty warriors, chosen\nby Yudhishthira and headed by Vasudeva, will come (to the field of\nbattle). Rama and Krishna and Dhananjaya and Pradyumna and Shamva and\nYuyudhana and Bhima and the sons of Madri and the Kekaya princes and the\nPanchala princes, accompanied by the king of Matsya, these all,\nillustrious and celebrated and invincible heroes, with their followers\nand troops, will come. Who is there that, desiring to live, will\nencounter these in battle, resembling angry lions of erect manes?'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'What Vidura told me at the time of the game at\ndice, \"If thou seekest, O king, to vanquish the Pandavas (at dice), then\ncertainly a terrible blood-shed ending in the destruction of all the\nKurus will be the result,\" I think it is about to be realised. As Vidura\ntold me of old, without doubt a terrible battle will take place, as soon\nas the pledged period of the Pandavas expireth.'\"\n\n\nSECTION LII\n\n(Nalopakhyana Parva)\n\nJanamejaya said, \"When the high-souled Partha went to Indra's region for\nobtaining weapons, what did Yudhishthira and the other sons of Pandu\ndo?\"\n\nVaisampayana said, \"When the high-souled Partha went to Indra's region\nfor obtaining weapons, those bulls of the Bharata race continued to\ndwell with Krishna in (the woods of) _Kamyaka_. One day, those foremost\nof the Bharatas, afflicted with grief, were seated with Krishna on a\nclean and solitary sward. Grieving for Dhananjaya, overwhelmed with\nsorrow, their voices were choked with weeping. Tortured by Dhananjaya's\nabsence, grief afflicted them equally. And filled with sorrow at their\nseparation from Arjuna and at the loss of their kingdom, the\nmighty-armed Bhima among them addressed Yudhishthira, saying, 'That Bull\nof the Bharata race, Arjuna, O great king, on whom depend the lives of\nPandu's sons, and on whose death the Panchalas as also ourselves with\nour sons and Satyaki and Vasudeva are sure to die, hath gone away at thy\nbehest. What can be sadder than this that the virtuous Vibhatsu hath\ngone away at thy command, thinking of his many griefs? Depending upon\nthe might of that illustrious hero's arms, regard our foes as already\nvanquished in battle, and the whole earth itself as already acquired by\nus. It was for the sake of that mighty warrior that I refrained from\nsending to the other world all the Dhartarashtras along with the\nSuvalas, in the midst of the assembly. Gifted with might of arms, and\nsupported by Vasudeva, we have to suppress the wrath that hath been\nroused in us, because thou art the root of that wrath. Indeed, with\nKrishna's help, slaying our foes headed by Karna, we are able to rule\nthe entire earth (thus) conquered by our own arms. Endued with\nmanliness, we are yet overwhelmed with calamities, in consequence of thy\ngambling vice, while the foolish followers of Dhritarashtra are growing\nstronger with the tributes (gathered from dependent kings). O mighty\nmonarch, it behoveth thee to keep in view the duties of the Kshatriya. O\ngreat king, it is not the duty of a Kshatriya to live in the woods. The\nwise are of the opinion that to rule is the foremost duty of a\nKshatriya. O king, thou art conversant with Kshatriya morality. Do not,\ntherefore, deviate from the path of duty. Turning away from the woods,\nlet us, summoning Partha and Janardana, slay, O king, the sons of\nDhritarashtra, even before the twelve years are complete. O illustrious\nmonarch, O king of kings, even if these Dhartarashtras be surrounded by\nsoldiers in array of battle, I shall send them to the other world by\ndint of might alone. I shall slay all the sons of Dhritarashtra along\nwith the Sauvalas, indeed, Duryodhana, Karna, and any one else that will\nfight with me. And after I shall have slain all our foes, thou mayst\ncome back unto the woods. By acting thus, O king, no fault will be\nthine. (Or if any sin be thine), O represser of foes, O mighty monarch,\nwashing it off, O sire, by various sacrifices, we may ascend to a\nsuperior heaven. Such a consummation may come to pass, if our king\nproveth not unwise or procrastinating. Thou art, however, virtuous.\nVerily the deceitful should be destroyed by deceit. To slay the\ndeceitful by deceit, is not regarded as sinful. O Bharata, it is also\nsaid by those versed in morality that one day and night is, O great\nprince, equal unto a full year. The Veda text also, exalted one, is\noften heard, signifying that a year is equivalent to a day when passed\nin the observance of certain difficult vows. O thou of unfading glory,\nif the Vedas are an authority with thee, regard thou the period of a day\nand something more as the equivalent of thirteen years. O represser of\nfoes, this is the time to slay Duryodhana with his adherents. Else, O\nking, he will beforehand bring the whole earth obedient to his will. O\nforemost of monarchs, all this is the result of thy addiction to\ngambling. We are on the verge of destruction already, in consequence of\nthy promise of living one year undiscovered. I do not find the country\nwhere, if we live, the wicked-minded Suyodhana may not be able to trace\nus by his spies. And finding us out, that wretch will again deceitfully\nsend us into such exile in the woods. Or if that sinful one beholdeth us\nemerge, after the expiry of the pledged period of non-discovery, he will\nagain invite thee, O great king, to dice, and the play will once more\nbegin. Summoned once more, thou wilt again efface thyself at dice. Thou\nart not skilled at dice, and when summoned at play, thou wilt be\ndeprived of thy senses. Therefore, O mighty monarch thou wilt have to\nlead a life in the woods again. If, O mighty king, it behoveth thee not\nto make us wretched for life, observe thou fully the ordinance of the\nVedas, (which inculcateth that) verily the deceitful ought to be slain\nby deceit. If I but have thy command I would go (to Hastinapura) and,\neven as fire falling upon a heap of grass consumeth it, would slay\nDuryodhana, putting forth my utmost might. It behoveth thee, therefore,\nto grant me the permission.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Thus addressed by Bhima, king Yudhishthira the\njust, smelt the crown of that son of Pandu, and pacifying him said, 'O\nmighty-armed one, without doubt, thou wilt, assisted by the wielder of\nthe _Gandiva_, slay Suyodhana at the expiry of the thirteenth year. But,\nO son of Pritha, as for thy assertion, _O Lord, the time is complete_, I\ncannot dare tell an untruth, for untruth is not in me. O son of Kunti,\nwithout the help of fraud, wilt thou kill the wicked and irrepressible\nDuryodhana, with his allies.'\n\n\"While Yudhishthira the just, was speaking unto Bhima thus, there came\nthe great and illustrious Rishi Vrihadaswa before them. And beholding\nthat virtuous ascetic before him, the righteous king worshipped him\naccording to the ordinance, with the offering of _Madhuparka_. And when\nthe ascetic was seated and refreshed, the mighty-armed Yudhishthira sat\nby him, and looking up at the former, addressed him thus in exceedingly\npiteous accents:\n\n\"'O holy one, summoned by cunning gamblers skilled at dice, I have been\ndeprived of wealth and kingdom through gambling. I am not an adept at\ndice, and am unacquainted with deceit. Sinful men, by unfair means,\nvanquished me at play. They even brought into the public assembly my\nwife dearer unto me than life itself. And defeating me a second time,\nthey have sent me to distressful exile in this great forest, clad in\ndeer skins. At present I am leading a distressful life in the woods in\ngrief of heart. Those harsh and cruel speeches they addressed me on the\noccasion of that gambling match, and the words of my afflicted friends\nrelating to the match at dice and other subjects, are all stored up in\nmy remembrance. Recollecting them I pass the whole night in (sleepless)\nanxiety. Deprived also (of the company) of the illustrious wielder of\nthe Gandiva, on whom depend the lives of us all, I am almost deprived of\nlife. Oh, when shall I see the sweet-speeched and large-hearted Vibhatsu\nso full of kindness and activity, return to us, having obtained all\nweapons? Is there a king on this earth who is more unfortunate than\nmyself? Hast thou ever seen or heard of any such before? To my thinking,\nthere is no man more wretched than I am.'\n\n\"Vrihadaswa said, 'O great king, O son of Pandu, thou sayest, \"There is\nno person more miserable than I am.\" O sinless monarch, if thou wilt\nlisten, I will relate unto thee the history of a king more wretched than\nthyself.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"And thereupon the king said unto the ascetic,\n'O illustrious one, tell me, I desire to hear the history of the king\nwho had fallen into such a condition.'\n\n\"Vrihadaswa said, 'O king, O thou that never fallest off, listen\nattentively with thy brothers, I will narrate the history of a prince\nmore miserable than thyself. There was a celebrated king among the\nNishadhas, named Virasena. He had a son named Nala, versed in (the\nknowledge of) virtue and wealth. It hath been heard by us that, that\nking was deceitfully defeated by Pushkara, and afflicted with calamity,\nhe dwelt in the woods with his spouse. And, O king, while he was living\nin the forest, he had neither slaves nor cars, neither brother nor\nfriends with him. But thou art surrounded by thy heroic brothers like\nunto the celestials, and also by foremost regenerate ones like unto\nBrahma himself. Therefore, it behoveth thee not to grieve.'\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'I am anxious to hear in detail, O thou foremost of\neloquent men, the history of the illustrious Nala. It behoveth thee\ntherefore to relate it unto me.'\"\n\n\nSECTION LIII\n\n\"Vrihadaswa said, 'There was a king named Nala, the son of Virasena. And\nhe was strong, and handsome, and well-versed in (the knowledge of)\nhorses, and possessed of every desirable accomplishment. And he was at\nthe head of all the kings, even like the lord of the celestials. And\nexalted over all, he resembled the sun in glory. And he was the king of\nthe Nishadhas, intent on the welfare of the Brahmanas, versed in the\nVedas, and possessed of heroism. And he was truth-telling, fond of dice,\nand the master of a mighty army. And he was the beloved of men and\nwomen, and of great soul and subdued passions. And he was the protector\n(of all), and the foremost of bowmen, and like unto Manu himself. And\nlike him, there was among the Vidarbhas (a king named) Bhima, of\nterrible prowess, heroic and well-disposed towards his subjects and\npossessed of every virtue. (But withal) he was childless. And with a\nfixed mind, he tried his utmost for obtaining issue. And, O Bharata\nthere came unto him (once) a Brahmarshi named Damana. And, O king of\nkings, desirous of having offspring, Bhima, versed in morality, with his\nqueen gratified that illustrious Rishi by a respectful reception. And\nDamana, well-pleased, granted unto the king and his consort a boon in\nthe form of a jewel of a daughter, and three sons possessed of lofty\nsouls and great fame. (And they were called respectively) Damayanti, and\nDama and Dama, and illustrious Damana. And the three sons were possessed\nof every accomplishment and terrible mien and fierce prowess. And the\nslender-waisted Damayanti, in beauty and brightness, in good name and\ngrace and luck, became celebrated all over the world. And on her\nattaining to age, hundreds of hand-maids, and female slaves, decked in\nornaments, waited upon her like _Sachi_ herself. And Bhima's daughter of\nfaultless features, decked in every ornament, shone in the midst of her\nhand-maids, like the luminous lightning of the clouds. And the\nlarge-eyed damsel was possessed of great beauty like that of Sree\nherself. And neither among celestials, nor among Yakshas, nor among men\nwas anybody possessed of such beauty, seen or heard of before. And the\nbeautiful maiden filled with gladness the hearts of even the gods. And\nthat tiger among men, Nala also had not his peer in the (three) worlds:\nfor in beauty he was like _Kandarpa_ himself in his embodied form. And\nmoved by admiration, the heralds again and again celebrated the praises\nof Nala before Damayanti and those of Damayanti before the ruler of the\nNishadhas. And repeatedly hearing of each other's virtues they conceived\nan attachment towards each other not begot of sight, and that\nattachment, O son of Kunti began to grow in strength. And then Nala was\nunable to control the love that was in his bosom. And he began to pass\nmuch of his time in solitude in the gardens adjoining the inner\napartment (of his palace). And there he saw a number of swans furnished\nwith golden wings, wandering in those woods. And from among them he\ncaught one with his hands. And thereupon the sky-ranging one said unto\nNala. \"Deserve I not to be slain by thee, O king. I will do something\nthat is agreeable to thee, O king of the Nishadhas. I will speak of thee\nbefore Damayanti in such a way that she will not ever desire to have any\nother person (for her lord).\" Thus addressed, the king liberated that\nswan. And those swans then rose on their wings and went to the country\nof the Vidarbhas. And on arriving at the city of the Vidarbhas the birds\nalighted before Damayanti, who beheld them all. And Damayanti in the\nmidst of her maids, beholding those birds of extraordinary appearance\nwas filled with delight, and strove without loss of time to catch those\ncoursers of the skies. And the swans at this, before that bevy of\nbeauties, fled in all directions. And those maidens there pursued the\nbirds, each (running) after one. And the swan after which Damayanti ran,\nhaving led her to a secluded spot, addressed her in human speech,\nsaying, O Damayanti, there is a king amongst the Nishadhas named Nala.\nHe is equal unto the Aswins in beauty, not having his peer among men.\nIndeed, in comeliness, he is like _Kandarpa_ himself in his embodied\nform. O fair-complexioned one, O thou of slender waist, if thou becomest\nhis wife, thy existence and this thy beauty may be of purpose. We have,\nindeed, beheld celestials and Gandharvas, and Nagas, and Rakshasas, and\nmen, but never saw we before any one like Nala. Thou also art a jewel\namong thy sex, as Nala is the prince among men. The union of the best\nwith the best is happy.\" Thus addressed by the swan, Damayanti, O\nmonarch, replied unto him there, saying, \"Do thou speak thus unto Nala\nalso.\" Saying _So be it_, to the daughter of Vidarbha, the oviparous\none, O king, returned to the country of the Nishadhas, and related\neverything unto Nala.'\"\n\n\nSECTION LIV\n\n\"Vrihadaswa said, 'O Bharata, hearing those words of the swan, Damayanti\nthenceforth lost all peace of mind on account of Nala. And heaving\nfrequent sighs she was filled with anxiety, and became melancholy and\npale-faced and lean. And with her heart possessed by the god of love,\nshe soon lost colour, and with her upturned gaze and modes of\nabstraction, looked like one demented. And she lost all inclination for\nbeds and seats and object of enjoyment. And she ceased to lie down by\nday or night, always weeping with exclamation of _Oh!_ and _Alas!_ And\nbeholding her uneasy and fallen into that condition, her hand-maids\nrepresented, O king, the matter of her illness unto the ruler of\nVidarbha by indirect hints. And king Bhima, hearing of this from the\nhandmaids of Damayanti, regarded the affair of his daughter to be\nserious. And he asked himself, \"Why is it that my daughter seemeth to be\nso ill now?\" And the king, reflecting by himself that his daughter had\nattained to puberty, concluded that Damayanti's _Swayamvara_ should take\nplace. And the monarch, O exalted one, (invited) all the rulers of the\nearth, saying, _Ye heroes, know that Damayanti's Swayamvara is at hand_.\nAnd all the kings, hearing of Damayanti's _Swayamvara_, came unto Bhima,\nagreeable to his message, filling the earth with the clatter of their\ncars, the roar of their elephants, and the neighing of their horses, and\naccompanied with their fine-looking battalions decked in ornaments and\ngraceful garlands. And the mighty-armed Bhima paid due reverence unto\nthose illustrious monarchs. And duly honoured by him they took up their\nquarters there.\n\n\"'And at the juncture, those foremost of celestial Rishis possessed of\ngreat splendour, of great wisdom and great vows--namely, Narada and\nParvata--having arrived in course of their wandering at the regions of\nIndra entered the mansion of the lord of the immortals, receiving proper\nworship. And Maghavat having worshipped them reverentially, inquired\nafter their undisturbed peace and welfare as regards all respects. And\nNarada said, \"O lord, O divine one, peace attendeth us in every respect.\nAnd, O Maghavat, peace attendeth also O exalted one, the kings of the\nwhole world.\"'\n\n\"Vrihadaswa continued. 'Hearing the words of Narada the slaver of Vala\nand Vritra said, \"Those righteous rulers of the earth who fight\nrenouncing all desire of life, and who meet death when their time is\ncome by means of weapons, without flying from the field,--theirs is this\nregion, everlasting unto them and granting all desires, even as it is to\nme. Where be those Kshatriya heroes? I do not see those kings approach\n(now). Where are my favourite guests?\" Thus addressed by Sakra, Narada\nreplied, \"Listen, O Mahaval, why seest not thou the kings (now)? The\nruler of the Vidarbhas hath a daughter--the celebrated Damayanti. In\nbeauty she transcendeth all the women of the earth. Her _Swayamvara_, O\nSakra, will take place shortly. Thither are going all the kings and\nPrinces from all directions. And all the lords of the earth desire to\nhave that pearl of the earth,--desire to have her eagerly, O slaver of\nVala and Vritra.\" And while they were talking thus, those foremost of\nthe immortals, the _Lokapalas_ with Agni among them, appeared before the\nlord of the celestials. And all of them heard the words of Narada\nfraught with grave import. And as soon as they heard them, they\nexclaimed in rapture, _We also will go there_. And, O mighty monarch,\naccompanied by their attendants and mounted on their (respective)\nvehicles, they set out for the country of Vidarbhas, whither (had gone)\nall the kings. And, O son of Kunti, the high-souled king Nala also\nhearing of that concourse of kings, set out with a cheerful heart, full\nof Damayanti's love. And (it came to pass) that the gods saw Nala on the\nway treading on the earth. And his form owing to its beauty was like\nthat of the god of love himself. And beholding him resplendent as the\nsun, the _Lokapalas_ were filled with astonishment at his wealth of\nbeauty, and abandoned their intention. And, O king, leaving their cars\nin the sky the dwellers of heaven alighted from the welkin and spake\nunto the ruler of the Nishadhas, saying, \"O foremost of monarchs ruling\nthe Nishadhas, O Nala, thou art devoted to truth. Do thou help us. O\nbest of men, be thou our messenger.\"'\"\n\n\nSECTION LV\n\n\"Vrihadaswa continued, 'O Bharata, Nala pledged his word to the\ncelestials saying, \"_I will do it_.\" And then approaching these, he\nasked with folded hands, \"Who are ye? And who also is he that desireth\nme to be his messenger? And what, further, shall I have to do for you? O\ntell me truly!\"--When the king of the Nishadhas spoke thus, Maghavat\nreplied, saying, \"Know us as the immortals come hither for Damayanti's\nsake. I am Indra, this one is Agni, this the lord of waters, and this, O\nking, is even Yama the destroyer of the bodies of men. Do thou inform\nDamayanti of our arrival, saying, 'The guardians of the world,\n(consisting of) the great Indra and the others, are coming to the\nassembly, desirous of beholding (the Swayamvara). The gods, Sakra and\nAgni and Varuna and Yama, desire to obtain thee. Do thou, therefore,\nchoose one of them for thy lord.'\" Thus addressed by Sakra, Nala said\nwith joined hands, \"I have come here with the self same object. It\nbehoveth thee not to send me (on this errand). How can a person who is\nhimself under the influence of love bring himself to speak thus unto a\nlady on behalf of others? Therefore, spare me, ye gods.\" The gods,\nhowever, said, \"O ruler of the Nishadhas, having promised first, saying,\n_I will!_ why wilt thou not act accordingly now? O ruler of the\nNishadhas, tell us this without delay.\"'\n\n\"Vrihadaswa continued, 'Thus addressed by those celestials, the ruler of\nNishadhas spake again, saying, \"Those mansions are well-guarded. How can\nI hope to enter them?\" Indra replied, \"Thou shalt be able to enter.\"\nAnd, saying, _So be it_, Nala thereupon went to the palace of Damayanti.\nAnd having arrived there, he beheld the daughter of the king of Vidarbha\nsurrounded by her hand-maids, blazing in beauty and excelling in\nsymmetry of form, of limbs exceedingly delicate, of slender waist and\nfair eyes. And she seemed to rebuke the light of the moon by her own\nsplendour. And as he gazed on that lady of sweet smiles, Nala's love\nincreased, but desirous of keeping his truth, he suppressed his passion.\nAnd at the sight of Naishadha, overpowered by his effulgence, those\nfirst of women sprang up from their seats in amazement. And filled with\nwonder (at his sight), they praised Nala in gladness of heart. And\nwithout saying anything, they mentally paid him homage, \"Oh, what\ncomeliness! Oh, what gentleness belongeth to this high-souled one! Who\nis he? Is he some god or Yaksha or Gandharva?\" And those foremost of\nwomen, confounded by Nala's splendour and bashfulness would not accost\nhim at all in speech. And Damayanti although herself struck with\namazement, smilingly addressed the warlike Nala who also gently smiled\nat her, saying, \"What art thou, O thou of faultless features, that hast\ncome here awakening my love? O sinless one, O hero of celestial form, I\nam anxious to know who thou art that hast come hither. And why hast thou\ncome hither? And how is it that thou hast not been discovered by any\none, considering that my apartments are well-guarded and the king's\nmandates are stern.\" Thus addressed by the daughter of the king of the\nVidarbhas, Nala replied, \"O beauteous lady, know that my name is Nala. I\ncome here as the messenger of the gods. The celestials, Sakra, Agni,\nVaruna and Yama, desire to have thee. O beautiful lady, do thou choose\none of them for thy lord. It is through their power that I have entered\nhere unperceived, and it is for this reason that none saw me on my way\nor obstructed my entrance. O gentle one, I have been sent by the\nforemost of the celestials even for this object. Hearing this, O\nfortunate one, do what thou pleasest.\"'\"\n\n\nSECTION LVI\n\n\"Vrihadaswa said, 'Damayanti, having bowed down unto the gods, thus\naddressed Nala with a smile, \"O king, love me with proper regard, and\ncommand me what I shall do for thee. Myself and what else of wealth is\nmine are thine. Grant me, O exalted one, thy love in full trust. O king,\nthe language of the swans is burning me. It is for thy sake, O hero,\nthat I have caused the kings to meet. O giver of proper honour, if thou\nforsake me who adore thee, for thy sake will I resort to poison, or\nfire, or water or the rope.\" Thus addressed by the daughter of the king\nof the Vidarbhas, Nala answered her saying, \"With the _Lokapalas_\npresent, choosest thou a man? Do thou turn thy heart to those\nhigh-souled lords, the creators of the worlds, unto the dust of whose\nfeet I am not equal. Displeasing the gods, a mortal cometh by death.\nSave me, O thou of faultless limbs! Choose thou the all-excelling\ncelestials. By accepting the gods, do thou enjoy spotless robes, and\ncelestial garlands of variegated hues, and excellent ornaments. What\nwoman would not choose as her lord Hutasana--the chief of the\ncelestials, who encompassing the earth swalloweth it? What woman would\nnot choose him as her lord the dread of whose mace induceth all\ncreatures to tread the path of virtue? And what woman would not choose\nas her lord the virtuous and high-souled Mahendra, the lord of the\ncelestials, the chastiser of Daityas and Danavas? Or, if thou couldst\nchoose in thy heart Varuna amongst the _Lokapalas_, do so\nunhesitatingly. O accept this friendly advice.\" Thus addressed by\nNaishadha, Damayanti, with eyes bathed in tears of grief spake thus unto\nNala, \"O lord of the earth, bowing to all the gods, I choose thee for my\nlord. Truly do I tell thee this.\" The king, who had come as the\nmessenger of the gods, replied unto the trembling Damayanti standing\nwith folded hands, \"O amiable one, do as thou pleasest. Having given my\npledge, O blessed one, unto the gods in especial, how can I, having come\non other's mission, dare seek my own interest? If seeking my own\ninterest consists with virtue, I will seek it, and do thou also, O\nbeauteous one, act accordingly.\" Then Damayanti of luminous smiles\nslowly spake unto king Nala, in words choked with tears, \"O lord of men\nI see a blameless way, by which no sin whatever will attach unto thee. O\nking, do thou, O foremost of men, come to the _Swayamvara_ in company\nwith all the gods headed by Indra. There, O Monarch, in the presence of\nthe _Lokapalas_ I will, O tiger among men, choose thee--at which no\nblame will be thine.\" Thus addressed, O monarch, by the daughter of\nVidarbha, king Nala returned to where the gods were staying together.\nAnd beholding him approach those great gods, the _Lokapalas_, eagerly\nasked him about all that had happened saying, \"Hast thou, O king, seen\nDamayanti of sweet smiles? What hath she said unto us all? O sinless\nmonarch, tell us everything.\" Nala answered, \"Commanded by you I entered\nDamayanti's palace furnished with lofty portals guarded by veteran\nwarders bearing wands. And as I entered, no one perceived me, by virtue\nof your power, except the princess. And I saw her hand-maids, and they\nalso saw me. And, O exalted celestials, seeing me, they were filled with\nwonder. And as I spake unto her of you, the fair-faced maiden, her will\nfixed on me, O ye best of the gods, chose me (for her spouse). And the\nmaiden said, 'Let the gods, O tiger among men, come with thee to the\n_Swayamvara_, I will in their presence, choose thee. At this, O thou of\nmighty arms, no blame will attach to thee.' This is all, ye gods, that\ntook place, as I have said. Finally, everything rests with you, ye\nforemost of celestials.\"'\"\n\n\nSECTION LVII\n\n\"Vrihadaswa continued, 'Then at the sacred hour of the holy lunar day of\nthe auspicious season, king Bhima summoned the kings to the\n_Swayamvara_. And hearing of it, all the lords of earth smit with love\nspeedily came thither, desirous of (possessing) Damayanti. And the\nmonarchs entered the amphitheatre decorated with golden pillars and a\nlofty portal arch, like mighty lions entering the mountain wilds. And\nthose lords of earth decked with fragrant garlands and polished\near-rings hung with jewels seated themselves on their several seats. And\nthat sacred assembly of Kings, graced by those tigers among men,\nresembled the _Bhogavati_ swarming with the Nagas, or a mountain cavern\nwith tigers. And their arms were robust, and resembling iron maces, and\nwell-shaped, and graceful, and looking like five-headed snakes. And\ngraced with beautiful locks and fine noses and eyes and brows, the\ncountenance of the kings shone like stars in the firmament. And (when\nthe time came), Damayanti of beauteous face, stealing the eyes and\nhearts of the princes by her dazzling light, entered the hall. And the\nglances of those illustrious kings were rivetted to those parts of her\nperson where they had chanced to fall first, without moving at all. And\nwhen, O Bharata, the names of the monarchs were proclaimed, the daughter\nof Bhima saw five persons all alike in appearance. And beholding them\nseated there, without difference of any kind in form, doubt filled her\nmind, and she could not ascertain which of them was king Nala. And at\nwhomsoever (among them) she looked, she regarded him to be the king of\nthe Nishadhas. And filled with anxiety, the beautious one thought within\nherself, \"Oh, how shall I distinguish the celestials, and how discern\nthe royal Nala?\" And thinking thus, the daughter of Vidarbha became\nfilled with grief. And, O Bharata, recollecting the marks belonging to\nthe celestials, of which she had heard, she thought, \"Those attributes\nof the celestials, of which I have heard from the aged, do not pertain\nto any of these deities present here upon the earth.\" And revolving the\nmatter long in her mind, and reflecting upon it repeatedly, she decided\nupon seeking the protection of the gods themselves. And bowing down unto\nthem with mind and speech, with folded hands, she addressed them\ntrembling, \"Since I heard the speech of the swans, I chose the king of\nthe Nishadhas as my lord. For the sake of truth, O, let the gods reveal\nhim to me. And as in thought or word I have never swerved from him, O,\nlet the gods, for the sake of that truth, reveal him to me. And as the\ngods themselves have destined the ruler of the Nishadhas to be my lord,\nO, let them, for the sake of that truth, reveal him to me. And as it is\nfor paying homage unto Nala that I have adopted this vow, for the sake\nof that truth, O, let the gods reveal him unto me. O, let the exalted\nguardians of the worlds assume their own proper forms, so that I may\nknow the righteous king.\" Hearing these piteous words of Damayanti, and\nascertaining her fixed resolve, and fervent love for the king of\nNishadhas, the purity of her heart and her inclination and regard and\naffection for Nala, the gods did as they had been adjured, and assumed\ntheir respective attributes as best they could. And thereupon she beheld\nthe celestials unmoistened with perspiration, with winkless eyes, and\nunfading garlands, unstained with dust, and staying without touching the\nground. And Naishadha stood revealed to his shadow, his fading garlands,\nhimself stained with dust and sweat, resting on the ground with winking\neyes. And, O Bharata, discerning the gods and the virtuous Nala the\ndaughter of Bhima chose Naishadha according to her truth. And the\nlarge-eyed damsel then bashfully caught the hem of his garment and\nplaced round his neck a floral wreath of exceeding grace. And when that\nfair-complexioned maiden had thus chosen Nala for her husband, the kings\nsuddenly broke out into exclamations of _Oh!_ and _Alas!_ And, O\nBharata, the gods and the great Rishis in wonder cried _Excellent!\nExcellent!_, applauding the king the while. And, O Kauravya, the royal\nson of Virasena, with heart filled with gladness, comforted the\nbeauteous Damayanti, saying, \"Since thou, O blessed one, hast chosen a\nmortal in the presence of the celestials, know me for a husband even\nobedient to thy command. And, O thou of sweet smiles, truly do I tell\nthee this that as long as life continueth in this body of mine, I will\nremain thine and thine alone.\" Damayanti also, with folded hands paid\nhomage unto Nala in words of like import. And the happy pair beholding\nAgni and the other gods mentally sought their protection. And after the\ndaughter of Bhima had chosen Naishadha as her husband, the _Lokapalas_\nof exceeding effulgence with pleased hearts, bestowed on Nala eight\nboons. And Sakra, the lord of Sachi, bestowed on Nala the boon that he\nshould be able to behold his godship in sacrifices and that he should\nattain to blessed regions thereafter, and Hutasana bestowed on him the\nboon of his own presence whenever Naishadha wished, and regions also\nbright as himself. And Yama granted him subtle taste in food as well as\npre-eminence in virtue. And the lord of waters granted Nala his own\npresence whenever he desired, and also garlands of celestial fragrance.\nAnd thus each of them bestowed upon him a couple of boons. And having\nbestowed these the gods went to heaven. And the kings also, having\nwitnessed with wonder Damayanti's selection of Nala, returned delighted\nwhence they had come. And on the departure of those mighty monarchs, the\nhigh-souled Bhima, well pleased, celebrated the wedding of Nala and\nDamayanti. And having stayed there for a time according to his desire,\nNaishadha, the best of men, returned to his own city with the permission\nof Bhima. And having attained that pearl of a woman, the virtuous king,\nO monarch, began to pass his days in joy, like the slayer of Vala and\nVritra in the company of Sachi. And resembling the sun in glory, the\nking, full of gladness, began to rule his subjects righteously, and give\nthem great satisfaction. And like unto Yayati, the son of Nahusha, that\nintelligent monarch celebrated the horse sacrifice and many other\nsacrifices with abundant gifts to Brahmanas. And like unto a very god,\nNala sported with Damayanti in romantic woods and groves. And the\nhigh-minded king begat upon Damayanti a son named Indrasena, and a\ndaughter named Indrasena. And celebrating sacrifice, and sporting (with\nDamayanti) thus, the king ruled the earth abounding in wealth.'\"\n\n\nSECTION LVIII\n\n\"Vrihadaswa said, 'When the blazing guardians of the worlds were\nreturning after the daughter of Bhima had chosen Naishadha, on their way\nthey met Dwapara with Kali approaching towards them. And seeing Kali,\nSakra the slayer of Vala and Vritra, said, \"O Kali, say whither thou art\ngoing with Dwapara.\" And thereupon Kali replied unto Sakra, \"Going to\nDamayanti's _Swayamvara_, will I obtain her (for my wife), as my heart\nis fixed upon that damsel.\" Hearing this, Indra said with a smile, \"That\n_Swayamvara_ is already ended. In our sight she hath chosen Nala for her\nhusband.\" Thus answered by Sakra, Kali, that vilest of the celestials,\nfilled with wrath, addressing all those gods spake, \"Since in the\npresence of the celestials she hath chosen a mortal for her lord, it is\nmeet that she should undergo a heavy doom.\" Upon hearing these words of\nKali, the celestials answered, \"It is with our sanction that Damayanti\nhath chosen Nala. What damsel is there that would not choose king Nala\nendued with every virtue? Well-versed in all duties, always conducting\nhimself with rectitude, he hath studied the four Vedas together with the\nPuranas that are regarded as the fifth. Leading a life of harmlessness\nunto all creatures, he is truth-telling and firm in his vows, and in his\nhouse the gods are ever gratified by sacrifices held according to the\nordinance. In that tiger among men--that king resembling a _Lokapala_\nin truth, and forbearance, and knowledge, and asceticism, and purity and\nself-control, and perfect tranquillity of soul. O Kali, the fool that\nwisheth to curse Nala bearing such a character, curseth himself, and\ndestroyeth himself by his own act. And, O Kali, he that seeketh to curse\nNala crowned with such virtues, sinketh into the wide bottomless pit of\nhell rife with torments.\" Having said this to Kali and Dwapara, the gods\nwent to heaven. And when the gods had gone away, Kali said unto Dwapara,\n\"I am ill able, O Dwapara, to suppress my anger. I shall possess Nala,\ndeprive him of his kingdom, and he shall no more sport with Bhima's\ndaughter. Entering the dice, it behoveth thee to help me.\"'\"\n\n\nSECTION LIX\n\n\"Vrihadaswa said, 'Having made this compact with Dwapara, Kali came to\nthe place where the king of the Nishadhas was. And always watching for a\nhole, he continued to dwell in the country of the Nishadhas for a long\ntime. And it was in the twelfth year that Kali saw a hole. For one day\nafter answering the call of nature, Naishadha touching water said his\ntwilight prayers, without having previously washed his feet. And it was\nthrough this (omission) that Kali entered his person. And having\npossessed Nala, he appeared before Pushkara, and addressed him, saying,\n\"Come and play at dice with Nala. Through my assistance thou wilt surely\nwin at the play. And defeating king Nala and acquiring his kingdom, do\nthou rule the Nishadhas.\" Thus exhorted by Kali, Pushkara went to Nala.\nAnd Dwapara also approached Pushkara, becoming the principal die called\n_Vrisha_. And appearing before the warlike Nala, that slayer of hostile\nheroes, Pushkara, repeatedly said, \"Let us play together with dice.\"\nThus challenged in the presence of Damayanti, the lofty-minded king\ncould not long decline it. And he accordingly fixed the time for the\nplay. And possessed by Kali, Nala began to lose, in the game, his stakes\nin gold, and silver, and cars with the teams thereof, and robes. And\nmaddened at dice, no one amongst his friends could succeed in dissuading\nthat represser of foes from the play that went on. And thereupon, O\nBharata, the citizens in a body, with the chief councillors, came\nthither to behold the distressed monarch and make him desist. And the\ncharioteer coming to Damayanti spake to her of this, saying, \"O lady,\nthe citizens and officers of the state wait at the gate. Do thou inform\nthe king of the Nishadhas that the citizens have come here, unable to\nbear the calamity that hath befallen their king conversant with virtue\nand wealth.\" Thereupon Bhima's daughter, overwhelmed with grief and\nalmost deprived of reason by it, spake unto Nala in choked accents, \"O\nking, the citizens with the councillors of state, urged by loyalty, stay\nat the gate desirous of beholding thee. It behoveth thee to grant them\nan interview.\" But the king, possessed by Kali, uttered not a word in\nreply unto his queen of graceful glances, uttering thus her\nlamentations. And at this, those councillors of state as also the\ncitizens, afflicted with grief and shame, returned to their homes,\nsaying, \"_He liveth not_.\" And, O Yudhishthira, it was thus that Nala\nand Pushkara gambled together for many months, the virtuous Nala being\nalways worsted.'\"\n\n\nSECTION LX\n\n\"Vrihadaswa said, 'Bhima's daughter, the cool-headed Damayanti, seeing\nthe righteous king maddened and deprived of his senses at dice, was\nfilled, O king, with alarm and grief. And she thought the affair to be a\nserious one with the king. And apprehensive of the calamity that\nthreatened Nala, yet seeking his welfare and at last understanding that\nher lord had lost everything, she said unto her nurse and maid-servant\nVrihatsena of high fame, intent upon her good, dexterous in all duties,\nfaithful and sweet-speeched, these words, \"O Vrihatsena, go thou and\nsummon the councillors in the name of Nala, and tell them also what of\nwealth and other things hath been lost and what remaineth.\" The\ncouncillors then, hearing of Nala's summons, said, \"This is fortunate\nfor us\" and approached the king. And when the subjects in a body had\n(thus) come a second time, the daughter of Bhima informed Nala of it.\nBut the king regarded her not. Finding her husband disregarding her\nwords, Damayanti, filled with shame, returned to her apartments. And\nhearing that the dice were uniformly unfavourable to the virtuous Nala,\nand that he had lost everything, she again spake unto her nurse, saying,\n\"O Vrihatsena, go thou again in Nala's name to bring hither, O blessed\none, the charioteer, Varshneya. The matter at hand is very serious.\" And\nVrihatsena, hearing those words of Damayanti caused Varshneya to be\nsummoned by trusty servants. And the blameless daughter of Bhima,\nacquainted with conduct suitable to time and place, addressing soft\nwords said according to the occasion, \"Thou knowest how the king hath\nalways behaved towards thee. He is now in difficulty, and it behoveth\nthee to assist him. The more the king loseth to Pushkara, the greater\nbecometh his ardour for the play. And as the dice fall obedient to\nPushkara, it is seen that they are adverse to Nala in the matter of the\nplay. And absorbed in the play, he heedeth not the words of his friends\nand relatives, nor even those of mine. I do not think, however, that in\nthis the high-souled Naishadha is to blame, in as much as the king\nregarded not my words, being absorbed in play. O Charioteer, I seek thy\nprotection. Do my behest. My mind misgiveth me. The king may come to\ngrief. Yoking Nala's favourite horses endued with the fleetness of the\nmind, do thou take these twins (my son and daughter) on the car and hie\nthou to Kundina. Leaving the children there with my kindred as also the\ncar and the horses, either stay thou there, or go to any other place as\nit listeth thee.\" Varshneya, the charioteer of Nala, then reported in\ndetail these words of Damayanti unto the chief officers of the king. And\nhaving settled (the matter) in consultation with them, and obtaining\ntheir assent, O mighty monarch, the charioteer started for Vidarbha,\ntaking the children on that car. And leaving there the boy Indrasena and\nthe girl Indrasena, as also that best of cars and those steeds, the\ncharioteer, with a sad heart grieving for Nala, bade farewell unto\nBhima. And wandering for some time, he arrived at the city of Ayodhya.\nAnd there he appeared with a sorrowful heart before king Rituparna, and\nentered the service of that monarch as charioteer.'\"\n\n\nSECTION LXI\n\n\"Vrihadaswa said, 'After Varshneya had gone away, Pushkara won from the\nrighteous Nala that latter's kingdom and what else of wealth he had. And\nunto Nala, O king, who had lost his kingdom, Pushkara laughingly said,\n\"Let the play go on. But what stake hast thou now? Damayanti only\nremaineth; all else of thine hath been won by me. Well, if thou likest,\nthat Damayanti be our stake now.\" Hearing these words of Pushkara the\nvirtuous king felt as if his heart would burst in rage, but he spake not\na word. And gazing at Pushkara in anguish, king Nala of great fame took\nall the ornaments off every part of his body. And attired in a single\npiece of cloth, his body uncovered, renouncing all his wealth, and\nenhancing the grief of friends, the king set out. And Damayanti, clad in\none piece of cloth, followed him behind as he was leaving the city. And\ncoming to the outskirts of the city, Nala stayed there for three nights\nwith his wife. But Pushkara, O king, proclaimed through the city that\n_he that should show any attention to Nala, would be doomed to death_.\nAnd on account of these words of Pushkara and knowing his malice towards\nNala, the citizens, O Yudhishthira, no longer showed him hospitable\nregards. And unregarded though deserving of hospitable regards, Nala\npassed three nights in the outskirts of the city, living on water alone.\nAnd afflicted with hunger, the king went away in search of fruit and\nroots, Damayanti following him behind. And in agony of famine, after\nmany days, Nala saw some birds with plumage of golden hue. And thereupon\nthe mighty lord of the Nishadhas thought within himself, \"These will be\nmy banquet today and also my wealth.\" And then he covered them with the\ncloth he had on--when bearing up that garment of his, the birds rose up\nto the sky. And beholding Nala nude and melancholy, and standing with\nface turned towards the ground, those rangers of the sky addressed him,\nsaying, \"O thou of small sense, we are even those dice. We had come\nhither wishing to take away thy cloth, for it pleased us not that thou\nshouldst depart even with thy cloth on.\" And finding himself deprived of\nhis attire, and knowing also that the dice were departing (with it), the\nvirtuous Nala, O king, thus spake unto Damayanti, \"O faultless one, they\nthrough whose anger I have been despoiled of my kingdom, they through\nwhose influence distressed and afflicted with hunger, I am unable to\nprocure sustenance, they for whom the Nishadhas offered me not any\nhospitality, they, O timid one, are carrying off my cloth, assuming the\nform of birds. Fallen into this dire disaster, I am afflicted with grief\nand deprived of my senses, I am thy lord, do thou, therefore, listen to\nthe words I speak for thy good. These many roads lead to the southern\ncountry, passing by (the city of) Avanti and the Rikshavat mountains.\nThis is that mighty mountain called Vindhya; yon, the river Payasvini\nrunning sea-wards, and yonder are the asylums of the ascetics, furnished\nwith various fruit and roots. This road leadeth to the country of the\nVidarbhas--and that, to the country of the Kosalas. Beyond these roads\nto the south is the southern country.\" Addressing Bhima's daughter, O\nBharata, the distressed king Nala spake those words unto Damayanti over\nand over again. Thereupon afflicted with grief, in a voice choked with\ntears, Damayanti spake unto Naishadha these piteous words, \"O king,\nthinking of thy purpose, my heart trembleth, and all my limbs become\nfaint. How can I go, leaving thee in the lone woods despoiled of thy\nkingdom and deprived of thy wealth, thyself without a garment on, and\nworn with hunger and toil? When in the deep woods, fatigued and\nafflicted with hunger, thou thinkest of thy former bliss, I will, O\ngreat monarch, soothe thy weariness. In every sorrow there is no physic\nequal unto the wife, say the physicians. It is the truth, O Nala, that I\nspeak unto thee.\" Hearing those words of his queen, Nala replied, \"O\nslender-waisted Damayanti, it is even as thou hast said. To a man in\ndistress, there is no friend or medicine that is equal unto a wife. But\nI do not seek to renounce thee, wherefore, O timid one, dost thou dread\nthis? O faultless one, I can forsake myself but thee I cannot forsake.\"\nDamayanti then said, \"If thou dost not, O mighty king, intend to forsake\nme, why then dost thou point out to me the way to the country of the\nVidarbhas? I know, O king, that thou wouldst not desert me. But, O lord\nof the earth, considering that thy mind is distracted, thou mayst desert\nme. O best of men, thou repeatedly pointest out to me the way and it is\nby this, O god-like one, that thou enhancest my grief. If it is thy\nintention that I should go to my relatives, then if it pleaseth thee,\nboth of us will wend to the country of the Vidarbhas. O giver of\nhonours, there the king of the Vidarbhas will receive thee with respect.\nAnd honoured by him, O king, thou shall live happily in our home.\"'\"\n\n\nSECTION LXII\n\n\"'Nala said, \"Surely, thy father's kingdom is as my own. But thither I\nwill not, by any means, repair in this extremity. Once I appeared there\nin glory, increasing thy joy. How can I go there now in misery,\naugmenting thy grief?\"'\n\n\"Vrihadaswa continued, 'Saying this again and again unto Damayanti, king\nNala, wrapped in half a garment, comforted his blessed wife. And both\nattired in one cloth and wearied with hunger and thirst, in course of\ntheir wanderings, at last they came to a sheltered shed for travellers.\nAnd arrived at this place, the king of the Nishadhas sat down on the\nbare earth with the princess of Vidarbha. And wearing the same piece of\ncloth (with Damayanti), and dirty, and haggard, and stained with dust,\nhe fell asleep with Damayanti on the ground in weariness. And suddenly\nplunged in distress, the innocent and delicate Damayanti with every mark\nof good fortune, fell into a profound slumber. And, O monarch, while she\nslept, Nala, with heart and mind distraught, could not slumber calmly as\nbefore. And reflecting on the loss of his kingdom, the desertion of his\nfriends, and his distress in the woods, he thought with himself, \"What\navaileth my acting thus? And what if I act not thus? Is death the better\nfor me now? Or should I desert my wife? She is truly devoted to me and\nsuffereth this distress for my sake. Separated from me, she may\nperchance wander to her relatives. Devoted as she is to me, if she\nstayeth with me, distress will surely be hers; while it is doubtful, if\nI desert her. On the other hand, it is not unlikely that she may even\nhave happiness some time.\" Reflecting upon this repeatedly, and thinking\nof it again and again, he concluded, O monarch, that the desertion of\nDamayanti was the best course for him. And he also thought, \"Of high\nfame and auspicious fortune, and devoted to me, her husband, she is\nincapable of being injured by any one on the way on account of her\nenergy.\" Thus his mind that was influenced by the wicked Kali, dwelling\nupon Damayanti, was made up for deserting her. And then thinking of his\nown want of clothing, and of her being clad in a single garment, he\nintended to cut off for himself one half of Damayanti's attire. And he\nthought, \"How shall I divide this garment, so that my beloved one may\nnot perceive?\" And thinking of this, the royal Nala began to walk up and\ndown that shed. And, O Bharata, pacing thus to and fro, he found a\nhandsome sword lying near the shed, unsheathed. And that repressor of\nfoes, having with that sword cut off one half of the cloth, and throwing\nthe instrument away, left the daughter of Vidharbha insensible in her\nsleep and went away. But his heart failing him, the king of the\nNishadhas returned to the shed, and seeing Damayanti (again), burst into\ntears. And he said, \"Alas! that beloved one of mine whom neither the god\nof wind nor the sun had seen before, even she sleepeth to-day on the\nbare earth, like one forlorn. Clad in this severed piece of cloth, and\nlying like one distracted, how will the beauteous one of luminous smiles\nbehave when she awaketh? How will the beautiful daughter of Bhima,\ndevoted to her lord, all alone and separated from me, wander through\nthese deep woods inhabited by beasts and serpents? O blessed one, may\nthe Adityas and the Vasus, and the twin Aswins together with the Marutas\nprotect thee, thy virtue being thy best guard.\" And addressing thus his\ndear wife peerless on earth in beauty, Nala strove to go, reft of reason\nby Kali. Departing and still departing, king Nala returned again and\nagain to that shed, dragged away by Kali but drawn back by love. And it\nseemed as though the heart of the wretched king was rent in twain, and\nlike a swing, he kept going out from cabin and coming back into it. At\nlength after lamenting long and piteously, Nala stupefied and bereft of\nsense by Kali went away, forsaking that sleeping wife of his. Reft of\nreason through Kali's touch, and thinking of his conduct, the king\ndeparted in sorrow, leaving his wife alone in that solitary forest.'\"\n\n\nSECTION LXIII\n\n\"Vrihadaswa said, 'O king, after Nala had gone away, the beauteous\nDamayanti, now refreshed, timorously awoke in that lonely forest. And O\nmighty monarch, not finding her lord Naishadha, afflicted with grief and\npain, she shrieked aloud in fright, saying, \"O lord? O mighty monarch! O\nhusband, dost thou desert me? Oh, I am lost and undone, frightened in\nthis desolate place. O illustrious prince, thou art truthful in speech,\nand conversant with morality. How hast thou then, having pledged thy\nword, deserted me asleep in the woods? Oh, why hast thou deserted thy\naccomplished wife, ever devoted to thee, particularly one that hath not\nwronged thee, though wronged thou hast been by others? O king of men, it\nbehoveth thee to act faithfull, according to those words thou hadst\nspoken unto me before in the presence of the guardians of the worlds. O\nbull among men, that thy wife liveth even a moment after thy desertion\nof her, is only because mortals are decreed to die at the appointed\ntime. O bull among men, enough of this joke! O irrepressible one, I am\nterribly frightened. O lord, show thyself. I see thee! I see thee, o\nking! Thou art seen, O Naishadha. Hiding thyself behind those shrubs,\nwhy dost thou not reply unto me? It is cruel of thee, O great king, that\nseeing me in this plight and so lamenting, thou dost not, O king,\napproach and comfort me. I grieve not for myself, nor for anything else.\nI only grieve to think how thou wilt pass thy days alone, O king. In the\nevening oppressed with hunger and thirst and fatigue, underneath the\ntrees, how wilt it take with thee when thou seest me not?\" And then\nDamayanti, afflicted with anguish and burning with grief, began to rush\nhither and thither, weeping in woe. And now the helpless princess sprang\nup, and now she sank down in stupor; and now she shrank in terror, and\nnow she wept and wailed aloud. And Bhima's daughter devoted to her\nhusband, burning in anguish and sighing ever more, and faint and weeping\nexclaimed, \"That being through whose imprecation the afflicted Naishadha\nsuffereth this woe, shall bear grief that is greater than ours. May that\nwicked being who hath brought Nala of sinless heart this, lead a more\nmiserable life bearing greater ills.\" Thus lamenting, the crowned\nconsort of the illustrious (king) began to seek her lord in those woods,\ninhabited by beasts of prey. And the daughter of Bhima, wailing\nbitterly, wandered hither and thither like a maniac, exclaiming, _\"Alas!\nAlas! Oh king!\"_ And as she was wailing loudly like a female osprey, and\ngrieving and indulging in piteous lamentations unceasingly, she came\nnear a gigantic serpent. And that huge and hungry serpent thereupon\nsuddenly seized Bhima's daughter, who had come near and was moving about\nwithin its range. And folded within serpent's coils and filled with\ngrief, she still wept, not for herself but for Naishadha. And she said\n\"O lord, why dost thou not rush towards me, now that I am seized,\nwithout anybody to protect me, by this serpent in these desert wilds?\nAnd, O Naishadha, how will it fare with thee when thou rememberest me? O\nlord, why hast thou gone away, deserting me today in the forest? Free\nfrom thy curse, when thou wilt have regained thy mind and senses and\nwealth, how will it be with thee when thou thinkest of me? O Naishadha,\nO sinless one, who will soothe thee when thou art weary, and hungry, and\nfainting, O tiger among kings?\" And while she was wailing thus, a\ncertain huntsman ranging the deep woods, hearing her lamentations,\nswiftly came to the spot. And beholding the large-eyed one in the coils\nof the serpent, he pushed towards it and cut off its head with his sharp\nweapon. And having struck the reptile dead, the huntsman set Damayanti\nfree. And having sprinkled her body with water and fed and comforted\nher, O Bharata, he addressed her saying, \"O thou with eyes like those of\na young gazelle, who art thou? And why also hast thou come into the\nwoods? And, O beauteous one, how hast thou fallen into this extreme\nmisery?\" And thus accosted, O monarch, by that man, Damayanti, O\nBharata, related unto him all that had happened. And beholding that\nbeautiful woman clad in half a garment, with deep bosom and round hips,\nand limbs delicate and faultless, and face resembling the full moon, and\neyes graced with curved eye-lashes, and speech sweet as honey, the\nhunter became inflamed with desire. And afflicted by the god of love,\nthe huntsman began to soothe her in winning voice and soft words. And as\nsoon as the chaste and beauteous Damayanti, beholding him understood his\nintentions, she was filled with fierce wrath and seemed to blaze up in\nanger. But the wicked-minded wretch, burning with desire became wroth,\nattempted to employ force upon her, who was unconquerable as a flame of\nblazing fire. And Damayanti already distressed upon being deprived of\nhusband and kingdom, in that hour of grief beyond utterance, cursed him\nin anger, saying, \"I have never even thought of any other person than\nNaishadha, therefore let this mean-minded wretch subsisting on chase,\nfall down lifeless.\" And as soon as she said this, the hunter fell down\nlifeless upon the ground, like a tree consumed by fire.'\"\n\n\nSECTION LXIV\n\n\"Vrihadaswa continued, 'Having destroyed that hunter Damayanti of eyes\nlike lotus leaves, went onwards through that fearful and solitary forest\nringing with the chirp of crickets. And it abounded with lions, and\nleopards, and _Rurus_ and tigers, and buffaloes, and bears and deer. And\nit swarmed with birds of various species, and was infested by thieves\nand _mlechchha_ tribes. And it contained _Salas_, and bamboos and\n_Dhavas_, and _Aswatthas_, and _Tindukas_ and _Ingudas_, and _Kinsukas_,\nand _Arjunas_, and _Nimvas_, and _Tinisas_ and _Salmalas_, and _Jamvus_,\nand mango trees, and _Lodhras_, and the catechu, and the cane, and\n_Padmakas_, and _Amalahas_, and _Plakshas_, and _Kadamvas_, and\n_Udumvaras_ and _Vadaras_, and _Vilwas_, and banians, and _Piyalas_, and\npalms, and date-trees, and _Haritakas_ and _Vibhitakas_. And the\nprincess of Vidarbha saw many mountains containing ores of various\nkinds, and groves resounding with the notes of winged choirs, and many\nglens of wondrous sight, and many rivers and lakes and tanks and various\nkinds of birds and beasts. And she saw numberless snakes and goblins and\n_Rakshasas_ of grim visage, and pools and tanks and hillocks, and brooks\nand fountains of wonderful appearance. And the princess of Vidarbha saw\nthere herds of buffaloes, and boars, and bears as well as serpents of\nthe wilderness. And safe in virtue and glory and good fortune and\npatience, Damayanti wandered through those woods alone, in search of\nNala. And the royal daughter of Bhima, distressed only at her separation\nfrom her lord, was not terrified at aught in that fearful forest. And, O\nking, seating herself down upon a stone and filled with grief, and every\nlimb of hers trembling with sorrow on account of her husband, she began\nto lament thus: \"O king of the Nishadhas, O thou of broad chest and\nmighty arms, whither hast thou gone, O king, leaving me in this lone\nforest? O hero, having performed the _Aswamedha_ and other sacrifices,\nwith gifts in profusion (unto the Brahmanas), why hast thou, O tiger\namong men, played false with me alone? O best of men, O thou of great\nsplendour, it behoveth thee, O auspicious one, to remember what thou\ndidst declare before me, O bull among kings! And, O monarch, it behoveth\nthee also to call to mind what the sky-ranging swans spake in thy\npresence and in mine. O tiger among men, the four Vedas in all their\nextent, with the Angas and the Upangas, well-studied, on one side, and\none single truth on the other, (are equal). Therefore, O slayer of foes,\nit behoveth thee, O lord of men, to make good what thou didst formerly\ndeclare before me. Alas, O hero! warrior! O Nala! O sinless one being\nthine, I am about to perish in this dreadful forest. Oh! wherefore dost\nthou not answer me? This terrible lord of the forest, of grim visage and\ngaping jaws, and famishing with hunger, filleth me with fright. Doth it\nnot behove thee to deliver me? Thou wert wont to say always, _Save thee\nthere existeth not one dear unto me_. O blessed one, O king, do thou now\nmake good thy words so spoken before. And, O king, why dost thou not\nreturn an answer to thy beloved wife bewailing and bereft of sense,\nalthough thou lovest her, being loved in return? O king of the earth, O\nrespected one, O represser of foes, O thou of large eyes, why dost thou\nnot regard me, emaciated, and distressed and pale, and discoloured, and\nclad in a half piece of cloth, and alone, and weeping, and lamenting\nlike one forlorn, and like unto a solitary doe separated from the herd?\nO illustrious sovereign, it is, I, Damayanti, devoted to thee, who,\nalone in this great forest, address thee. Wherefore, then, dost thou not\nreply unto me? Oh, I do not behold thee today on this mountain, O chief\nof men, O thou of noble birth and character with every limb possessed of\ngrace! In this terrible forest, haunted by lions and tigers, O king of\nthe Nishadhas, O foremost of men, O enhancer of my sorrows, (Wishing to\nknow) whether thou art lying down, or sitting, or standing, or gone,\nwhom shall I ask, distressed and woe-stricken on thy account, saying,\n_Hast thou seen in this woods the royal Nala?_ Of whom shall I in this\nforest enquire after the departed Nala, handsome and of high soul, and\nthe destroyer of hostile arrays? From whom shall I today hear the sweet\nwords, _viz_., _That royal Nala, of eyes like lotus-leaves, whom thou\nseekest, is even here?_ Yonder cometh the forest-king, that tiger of\ngraceful mien, furnished with four teeth and prominent cheeks. Even him\nwill I accost fearlessly: Thou art the lord of all animals, and of this\nforest the king. Know me for Damayanti, the daughter of the king of the\nVidarbhas, and the wife of Nala, destroyer of foes, and the king of the\nNishadhas. Distressed and woe-stricken, I am seeking my husband alone in\nthese woods. Do thou, O king of beasts, comfort me (with news of Nala)\nif thou hast seen him. Or, O lord of the forest, if thou cannot speak of\nNala, do thou, then, O best of beasts, devour me, and free me from this\nmisery. Alas! hearing my plaintive appeal in the wilderness, this king\nof mountains, this high and sacred hill, crested with innumerable\nheaven-kissing and many-hued and beauteous peaks, and abounding in\nvarious ores, and decked with gems of diverse kings, and rising like a\nbanner over this broad forest, and ranged by lions and tigers and\nelephants and boars and bears and stags, and echoing all around with\n(the notes of) winged creatures of various species, and adorned with\n_kinsukas_ and _Asokas_ and _Vakulas_ and _Punnagas_, with blossoming\n_Karnikaras_, and _Dhavas_ and _Plakshas_, and with streams haunted by\nwaterfowls of every kind, and abounding in crested summits, O sacred\none! O best of mountains! O thou of wondrous sight! O celebrated hill! O\nrefuge (of the distressed)! O highly auspicious one! I bow to thee, O\npillar of the earth! Approaching, I bow to thee. Know me for a king's\ndaughter, and a king's daughter-in-law, and king's consort, Damayanti by\nname that lord of earth who ruleth the Vidarbhas, that mighty\nwarrior-king Bhima by name, who protecteth the four orders, is my sire.\nThat best of kings celebrated the _Rajasuya_ and _Aswamedha_ sacrifices,\nwith profuse gifts to the Brahmanas. Possessed of beautiful and large\neyes, distinguished for devotion to the Vedas, of unblemished character,\ntruth-telling, devoid of guile, gentle, endued with prowess, lord of\nimmense wealth, versed in morality, and pure, he having vanquished all\nhis foes, effectually protecteth the inhabitants of Vidarbha. Know me, O\nholy one, for his daughter, thus come to thee. That best of men--the\ncelebrated ruler of the Nishadha--known by the name of Virasena of high\nfame, was my father-in-law. The son of that king, heroic and handsome\nand possessed of energy incapable of being baffled, who ruleth well the\nkingdom which hath descended to him from his father, is named Nala.\nKnow, O mountain, that of that slayer of foes, called also _Punyastoka_,\npossessed of the complexion of gold, and devoted to the Brahmanas, and\nversed in the Vedas, and gifted with eloquence,--of that righteous and\n_Soma_-quaffing and fire-adoring king, who celebrateth sacrifices and is\nliberal and warlike and who adequately chastiseth (criminals), I am the\ninnocent spouse--the chief of his queens--standing before thee.\nDespoiled of prosperity and deprived of (the company of my) husband\nwithout a protector, and afflicted with calamity, hither have I come, O\nbest of mountains, seeking my husband. Hast thou, O foremost of\nmountains, with thy hundreds of peaks towering (into the sky) seen king\nNala in this frightful forest? Hast thou seen my husband, that ruler of\nthe Nishadhas, the illustrious Nala, with the tread of a mighty\nelephant, endued with intelligence, long-armed, and of fiery energy,\npossessed of prowess and patience and courage and high fame? Seeing me\nbewailing alone, overwhelmed with sorrow, wherefore, O best of\nmountains, dost thou not today soothe me with thy voice, as thy own\ndaughter in distress? O hero, O warrior of prowess, O thou versed in\nevery duty, O thou adhering to truth--O lord of the earth, if thou art\nin this forest, then, O king, reveal thyself unto me. Oh, when shall I\nagain hear the voice of Nala, gentle and deep as that of the clouds,\nthat voice, sweet as _Amrita_, of the illustrious king, calling me\n_Vidharva's daughter_, with accents distinct, and holy, and musical as\nthe chanting of the Vedas and rich, and soothing all my sorrows. O king,\nI am frightened. Do thou, O virtuous one, comfort me.\"\n\n\"'Having addressed that foremost of mountain thus, Damayanti then went\nin a northerly direction. And having proceeded three days and nights,\nthat best of women came to an incomparable penance grove of ascetics,\nresembling in beauty a celestial grove. And the charming asylum she\nbeheld was inhabited and adorned by ascetics like Vasishtha and Bhrigu\nand Atri, self-denying and strict in diet, with minds under control,\nendued with holiness, some living on water, some on air, and some on\n(fallen) leaves, with passions in check, eminently blessed, seeking the\nway to heaven, clad in barks of trees and deer-skins, and with senses\nsubdued. And beholding that hermitage inhabited by ascetics, and\nabounding in herds of deer and monkeys, Damayanti was cheered. And that\nbest of women, the innocent and blessed Damayanti, with graceful\neye-brows, and long tresses, with lovely hips and deep bosom, and face\ngraced with fine teeth and with fine black and large eyes, in her\nbrightness and glory entered that asylum. And saluting those ascetics\ngrown old in practising austerities, she stood in an attitude of\nhumility. And the ascetics living in that forest, said, _Welcome!_ And\nthose men of ascetic wealth, paying her due homage, said, \"Sit ye down,\nand tell us what we may do for thee.\" That best of women replied unto\nthem, saying, \"Ye sinless and eminently blessed ascetics, is it well\nwith your austerities, and sacrificial fire, and religious observances,\nand the duties of your own order? And is it well with the beasts and\nbirds of this asylum?\" And they answered, \"O beauteous and illustrious\nlady, prosperity attendeth us in every respect. But, O thou of faultless\nlimbs, tell us who thou art, and what thou seekest. Beholding thy\nbeauteous form and thy bright splendour, we have been amazed. Cheer up\nand mourn not. Tell us, O blameless and blessed one, art thou the\npresiding deity of this forest, or of this mountain, or of this river?\"\nDamayanti replied unto those ascetics, saying, \"O Brahmanas, I am not\nthe goddess of this forest, or of this mountain, or of this stream. O\nRishis of ascetic wealth, know that I am a human being. I will relate my\nhistory in detail. Do ye listen to me. There is a king--the mighty ruler\nof the Vidarbhas--Bhima by name. O foremost of regenerate ones, know me\nto be his daughter. The wise ruler of the Nishadhas, Nala by name, of\ngreat celebrity, heroic, and ever victorious in battle, and learned, is\nmy husband. Engaged in the worship of the gods, devoted to the\ntwice-born ones, the guardian of the line of the Nishadhas, of mighty\nenergy, possessed of great strength, truthful, conversant with all\nduties, wise, unwavering in promise, the crusher of foes, devout,\nserving the gods, graceful, the conqueror of hostile towns, that\nforemost of kings, Nala by name, equal in splendour unto the lord of\ncelestials, the slayer of foes, possessed of large eyes, and a hue\nresembling the full moon, is my husband. The celebrator of great\nsacrifices, versed in the Vedas and their branches, the destroyer of\nenemies in battle, and like unto the sun and the moon in splendour, is\nhe. That king devoted to faith and religion was summoned to dice by\ncertain deceitful persons of mean mind and uncultured soul and of\ncrooked ways, and skilful in gambling, and was deprived of wealth and\nkingdom. Know that I am the wife of that bull among kings, known to all\nby the name of Damayanti, anxious to find out my (missing) lord. In\nsadness of heart am I wandering among woods, and mountains, and lakes,\nand rivers, and tanks and forests, in search of that husband of\nmine--Nala, skilled in battle, high-souled, and well-versed in the use\nof weapons. O hath king Nala, the lord of the Nishadhas, come to this\ndelightful asylum of your holy selves? It is for him, O Brahmanas, that\nI have come to this dreary forest full of terrors and haunted by tigers\nand other beasts. If I do not see king Nala within a few days and\nnights, I shall seek my good by renouncing this body. Of what use is my\nlife without that bull among men? How shall I live afflicted with grief\non account of my husband?\"\n\n\"'Unto Bhima's daughter, Damayanti, lamenting forlorn in that forest,\nthe truth-telling ascetics replied, saying, \"O blessed and beauteous\none, we see by ascetic power that the future will bring happiness to\nthee, and that thou wilt soon behold Naishadha. O daughter of Bhima,\nthou wilt behold Nala, the lord of the Nishadhas, the slayer of foes,\nand the foremost of the virtuous freed from distress. And O blessed\nlady, thou wilt behold the king--thy lord--freed from all sins and\ndecked with all kinds of gems, and ruling the selfsame city, and\nchastising his enemies, and striking terror into the hearts of foes, and\ngladdening the hearts of friends, and crowned with every blessing.\"\n\n\"'Having spoken unto that princess--the beloved queen of Nala--the\nascetics with their sacred fires and asylum vanished from sight. And\nbeholding that mighty wonder, the daughter-in-law of king Virasena,\nDamayanti of faultless limbs, was struck with amazement. And she asked\nherself, \"Was it a dream that I saw? What an occurrence hath taken\nplace! Where are all those ascetics? And where is that asylum? Where,\nfurther, is that delightful river of sacred waters--the resort of\ndiverse kinds of fowls? And where, again, are those charming trees\ndecked with fruits and flowers?\" And after thinking so for some time,\nBhima's daughter, Damayanti of sweet smiles melancholy and afflicted\nwith grief on account of her lord, lost the colour of her face (again).\nAnd going to another part of the wood, she saw an _Asoka_ tree. And\napproaching that first of trees in the forest, so charming with blossoms\nand its load of foliage, and resounding with the notes of birds,\nDamayanti, with tears in her eyes and accents choked in grief, began to\nlament, saying, \"Oh, this graceful tree in the heart of the forest,\ndecked in flowers, looketh beautiful, like a charming king of hills. O\nbeauteous _Asoka_, do thou speedily free me from grief. Hast thou seen\nking Nala, the slayer of foes and the beloved husband of\nDamayanti,--freed from fear and grief and obstacles? Hast thou seen my\nbeloved husband, the ruler of the Nishadhas, clad in half a piece of\ncloth, with delicate skin, that hero afflicted with woe and who hath\ncome into this wilderness? O _Asoka_ tree, do thou free me from grief! O\n_Asoka_, vindicate thy name, for _Asoka_ meaneth _destroyer of grief_.\"\nAnd going round that tree thrice, with an afflicted heart, that best of\nwomen, Bhima's daughter, entered a more terrible part of the forest. And\nwandering in quest of her lord, Bhima's daughter beheld many trees and\nstreams and delightful mountains, and many beasts and birds, and caves,\nand precipices, and many rivers of wonderful appearance. And as she\nproceeded she came upon a broad way where she saw with wonder a body of\nmerchants, with their horses and elephants, landing on the banks of a\nriver, full of clear and cool water, and lovely and charming to behold,\nand broad, and covered with bushes of canes, and echoing with the cries\nof cranes and ospreys and _Chakravakas_, and abounding in tortoises and\nalligators and fishes, and studded with innumerable islets. And as soon\nas she saw that caravan, the beauteous and celebrated wife of Nala,\nwild like a maniac, oppressed with grief, clad in half a garment, lean\nand pale and smutted, and with hair covered with dust, drew near and\nentered into its midst. And beholding her, some fled in fear, and some\nbecame extremely anxious, and some cried aloud, and some laughed at her,\nand some hated her. And some, O Bharata, felt pity for, and even\naddressed, her, saying, \"O blessed one, who art thou, and whose? What\nseekest thou in woods? Seeing thee here we have been terrified. Art thou\nhuman? Tell us truly, O blessed one if thou art the goddess of this wood\nor of this mountain or of the points of the heaven. We seek thy\nprotection. Art thou a female _Yaksha_, or a female _Rakshasa_, or a\ncelestial damsel? O thou of faultless features, do thou bless us wholly\nand protect us. And, O blessed one, do thou so act that this caravan may\nsoon go hence in prosperity and that the welfare of all of us may be\nsecured.\" Thus addressed by that caravan, the princess Damayanti,\ndevoted to her husband and oppressed by the calamity that had befallen\nher, answered, saying, \"O leader of the caravan, ye merchants, ye\nyouths, old men, and children, and ye that compose this caravan, know me\nfor a human being. I am the daughter of a king, and the daughter in-law\nof a king, and the consort also of a king, eager for the sight of my\nlord. The ruler of the Vidarbhas is my father, and my husband is the\nlord of the Nishadhas, named Nala. Even now I am seeking that\nunvanquished and blessed one. If ye have chanced to see my beloved one,\nking Nala, that tiger among men, that destroyer of hostile hosts, O tell\nme quick.\" Thereupon the leader of that great caravan, named Suchi,\nreplied unto Damayanti of faultless limbs, saying, \"O blessed one,\nlisten to my words. O thou of sweet smiles, I am a merchant and the\nleader of this caravan. O illustrious lady, I have not seen any man of\nthe name of Nala. In this extensive forest uninhabited by men, there are\nonly elephants and leopards and buffaloes, and tigers and bears and\nother animals. Except thee, I have not met with any man or woman here,\nso help us now Manibhadra, the king of Yakshas!\" Thus addressed by them\nshe asked those merchants as well as the leader of the host saying, \"It\nbehoveth you to tell me whither this caravan is bound.\" The leader of\nthe band said, \"O daughter of a great king, for the purpose of profit\nthis caravan is bound direct for the city of Suvahu, the truth-telling\nruler of the Chedis.\"'\"\n\n\nSECTION LXV\n\n\"Vrihadaswa said, 'Having heard the words of the leader of that caravan,\nDamayanti of faultless limbs proceeded with that caravan itself anxious\nto behold her lord. And after having proceeded for many days the\nmerchants saw a large lake fragrant with lotuses in the midst of that\ndense and terrible forest. And it was beautiful all over, and\nexceedingly delightful, (with banks) abounding in grass and fuel and\nfruits and flowers. And it was inhabited by various kinds of fowls and\nbirds, and full of water that was pure and sweet. And it was cool and\ncapable of captivating the heart. And the caravan, worn out with toil,\nresolved to halt there. And with the permission of their leader, they\nspread themselves around those beautiful woods. And that mighty caravan\nfinding it was evening halted at that place. And (it came to pass that)\nat the hour of midnight when everything was hushed and still and the\ntired caravan had fallen asleep, a herd of elephants in going towards a\nmountain stream to drink of its water befouled by their temporal juice,\nsaw that caravan as also the numerous elephants belonging to it. And\nseeing their domesticated fellows the wild elephants infuriated and with\nthe temporal juice trickling down rushed impetuously on the former, with\nthe intention of killing them. And the force of the rush of those\nelephants was hard to bear, like the impetuosity of peaks lessened from\nmountain summits rolling towards the plain. The rushing elephants found\nthe forest paths to be all blocked up, for the goodly caravan was\nsleeping obstructing the paths around that lake of lotuses. And the\nelephants all of a sudden, began to crush the men lying insensible on\nthe ground. And uttering cries of \"_Oh!_\" and \"_Alas!_\" the merchants,\nblinded by sleep, fled, in order to escape that danger, to copses and\nwoods for refuge. And some were slain by the tusks, and some by the\ntrunks, and some by the legs of those elephants. And innumerable camels\nand horses were killed, and crowds of men on foot, running in fright,\nkilled one another. And uttering loud cries some fell down on the\nground, and some in fear climbed on trees, and some dropped down on\nuneven ground. And, O king, thus accidentally attacked by that large herd\nof elephants, that goodly caravan suffered a great loss. And there arose\na tremendous uproar calculated to frighten the three worlds, \"Lo! a\ngreat fire hath broken out. Rescue us. Do ye speedily fly away. Why do\nye fly? Take the heaps of jewels scattered around. All this wealth is a\ntrifle. I do not speak falsely, I tell you again, (exclaimed some one)\nthink on my words, O ye distracted one!\" With such exclamation they ran\nabout in fright. And Damayanti awoke in fear and anxiety, while that\nterrible slaughter was raging there. And beholding slaughter capable of\nawaking the fear of all the worlds, and which was so unforeseen, the\ndamsel of eyes like lotus leaves rose up, wild with fright, and almost\nout of breath. And those of the caravan that had escaped unhurt, met\ntogether, and asked one another, \"Of what deed of ours is this the\nconsequence? Surely, we have failed to worship the illustrious\nManibhadras, and likewise the exalted and graceful Vaisravana, the king\nof the Yaksha. Perhaps, we have not worshipped the deities that cause\ncalamities, or perhaps, we have not paid them the first homage. Or,\nperhaps, this evil is the certain consequence of the birds (we saw). Our\nstars are not unpropitious. From what other cause, then hath this\ndisaster come?\" Others, distressed and bereft of wealth and relatives,\nsaid, \"That maniac-like woman who came amongst this mighty caravan in\nguise that was strange and scarcely human, alas, it is by her that this\ndreadful illusion had been pre-arranged. Of a certainty, she is a\nterrible Rakshasa or a Yaksha or a Pisacha woman. All this evil is her\nwork, what need of doubts? If we again see that wicked destroyer of\nmerchants, that giver of innumerable woes, we shall certainly slay that\ninjurer of ours, with stones, and dust, and grass, and wood, and cuffs.\"\nAnd hearing these dreadful words of the merchants, Damayanti, in terror\nand shame and anxiety, fled into the woods apprehensive of evil. And\nreproaching herself she said, \"Alas! fierce and great is the wrath of\nGod on me. Peace followeth not in my track. Of what misdeed is this the\nconsequence? I do not remember that I did ever so little a wrong to any\none in thought, word, or deed. Of what deed, then, is this the\nconsequence? Certainly, it is on account of the great sins I had\ncommitted in a former life that such calamity hath befallen me, _viz_.,\nthe loss of my husband's kingdom, his defeat at the hands of his own\nkinsmen, this separation from my lord and my son and daughter, this my\nunprotected state, and my presence in this forest abounding in\ninnumerable beasts of prey!\"\n\n\"'The next day, O king, the remnant of that caravan left the place\nbewailing the destruction that had overtaken them and lamenting for\ntheir dead brothers and fathers and sons and friends. And the princess\nof Vidarbha began to lament, saying, \"Alas! What misdeed have I\nperpetrated! The crowd of men that I obtained in this lone forest, hath\nbeen destroyed by a herd of elephants, surely as a consequence of my ill\nluck. Without doubt, I shall have to suffer misery for a long time. I\nhave heard from old men that no person dieth ere his time; it is for\nthis that my miserable self hath not been trodden to death by that herd\nof elephants. Nothing that befalleth men is due to anything else than\nDestiny, for even in my childhood I did not commit any such sin in\nthought, word, or deed, whence might come this calamity. Methinks, I\nsuffer this severance from my husband through the potency of those\ncelestial _Lokapalas_, who had come to the Swayamvara but whom I\ndisregarded for the sake of Nala.\" Bewailing thus, O tiger among kings,\nthat excellent lady, Damayanti, devoted to her husband, went, oppressed\nwith grief and (pale) as the autumnal moon, with those Brahmanas versed\nin the Vedas that had survived the slaughter of the caravan. And\ndeparting speedily, towards evening, the damsel came to the mighty city\nof the truth-telling Suvahu, the king of the Chedis. And she entered\nthat excellent city clad in half a garment. And the citizens saw her as\nshe went, overcome with fear, and lean, melancholy, her hair dishevelled\nand soiled with dust, and maniac-like. And beholding her enter the city\nof the king of the Chedis, the boys of the city, from curiosity, began\nto follow her. And surrounded by them, she came before the palace of the\nking. And from the terrace the queen-mother saw her surrounded by the\ncrowd. And she said to her nurse, \"Go and bring that woman before me.\nShe is forlorn and is being vexed by the crowd. She hath fallen into\ndistress and standeth in need of succour. I find her beauty to be such\nthat it illumineth my house. The fair one, though looking like a maniac,\nseemeth a very _Sree_ with her large eyes.\" Thus commanded, the nurse\nwent out and dispersing the crowd brought Damayanti to that graceful\nterrace. And struck with wonder, O king, she asked Damayanti, saying,\n\"Afflicted though thou art with such distress, thou ownest a beautiful\nform. Thou shinest like lightning in the midst of the clouds. Tell me\nwho thou art, and whose, O thou possessed of celestial splendour,\nsurely, thy beauty is not human, bereft though thou art of ornaments.\nAnd although thou art helpless, yet thou art unmoved under the outrage\nof these men.\" Hearing these words of the nurse, the daughter of Bhima\nsaid, \"Know that I am a female belonging to the human species and\ndevoted to my husband. I am a serving woman of good lineage. I live\nwherever I like, subsisting on fruit and roots, and whom a companion,\nand stay where evening overtaketh me. My husband is the owner of\ncountless virtues and was ever devoted to me. And I also, on my part,\nwas deeply attached to him, following him like his shadow. It chanced\nthat once he became desperately engaged at dice. Defeated at dice, he\ncame alone into the forest. I accompanied my husband into the woods,\ncomforting the hero clad in a single piece of cloth and maniac-like and\noverwhelmed with calamity. Once on a time for some cause, that hero,\nafflicted with hunger and thirst and grief, was forced to abandon that\nsole piece of covering in the forest. Destitute of garment and\nmaniac-like and deprived of his senses as he was, I followed him, myself\nin a single garment. Following him, I did not sleep for nights together.\nThus passed many days, until at last while I was sleeping, he cut off\nhalf of my cloth, and forsook me who had done him no wrong. I am seeking\nmy husband but unable to find him who is of hue like the filaments of\nthe lotus, without being able to cast my eyes on that delight of my\nheart, that dear lord who owneth my heart and resembleth the celestials\nin mien, day and night do I burn in grief.\"\n\n\"'Unto Bhima's daughter thus lamenting with tearful eyes, and afflicted\nand speaking in accents choked in grief, the queen-mother herself said,\n\"O blessed damsel, do thou stay with me. I am well pleased with thee. O\nfair lady, my men shall search for thy husband. Or, perhaps he may come\nhere of his own accord in course of his wanderings. And, O beautiful\nlady, residing here thou wilt regain thy (lost) lord.\" Hearing these\nwords of the queen mother, Damayanti replied, \"O mother of heroes, I may\nstay with thee on certain conditions. I shall not eat the leavings on\nany dish, nor shall I wash anybody's feet, nor shall I have to speak\nwith other men. And if anybody shall seek me (as a wife or mistress) he\nshould be liable to punishment at thy hands. And, further, should he\nsolicit me over and over again, that wicked one should be punished with\ndeath. This is the vow I have made. I intend to have an interview with\nthose Brahmanas that will set out to search for my husband. If thou\ncanst do all this, I shall certainly live with thee. If it is otherwise,\nI cannot find it in my heart to reside with thee.\" The queen-mother\nanswered her with a glad heart, saying, \"I will do all this. Thou hast\ndone well in adopting such a vow!\"'\n\n\"Vrihadaswa continued, 'O king, having spoken so unto the daughter of\nBhima, the queen-mother, O Bharata, said to her daughter named Sunanda,\n\"O Sunanda, accept this lady like a goddess as thy _Sairindhri_! Let her\nbe thy companion, as she is of the same age with thee. Do thou, with\nheart free from care, always sport with her in joy.\" And Sunanda\ncheerfully accepted Damayanti and led her to her own apartment\naccompanied by her associates. And treated with respect, Damayanti was\nsatisfied, and she continued to reside there without anxiety of any\nkind, for all her wishes were duly gratified.'\"\n\n\nSECTION LXVI\n\n\"Vrihadaswa said, 'O monarch, having deserted Damayanti, king Nala saw a\nmighty conflagration that was raging in that dense forest. And in the\nmidst of that conflagration, he heard the voice of some creature,\nrepeatedly crying aloud, \"O righteous Nala, come hither.\" And answering,\n\"Fear not,\" he entered into the midst of the fire and beheld a mighty\n_Naga_ lying in coils. And the Naga with joined hands, and trembling,\nspake unto Nala, saying, \"O king, I am a snake, Karkotaka by name. I had\ndeceived the great Rishi Narada of high ascetic merit, and by him have I\nbeen cursed in wrath, O king of men, even in words such as these: 'Stay\nthou here like an immobile thing, until one Nala taketh thee hence. And,\nindeed, on the spot to which he will carry thee, there shalt thou be\nfreed from my curse.' It is for that curse of his that I am unable to\nstir one step. I will instruct thee in respect of thy welfare. It\nbehoveth thee to deliver me. I will be thy friend. There is no snake\nequal to me. I will be light in thy hands. Taking me up, do thou\nspeedily go hence.\" Having said this, that prince of snakes became as\nsmall as the thumb. And taking him up, Nala went to a spot free from\nfire. Having reached an open spot where there was no fire, Nala intended\nto drop the serpent, upon which Karkotaka again addressed him, saying,\n\"O king of the Nishadhas, proceed thou yet, counting a few steps of\nthine; meanwhile, O mighty-armed one, I will do thee great good.\" And as\nNala began to count his steps, the snake bit him at the tenth step. And,\nlo! As he was bit, his form speedily underwent a change. And beholding\nhis change of form, Nala was amazed. And the king saw the snake also\nassume his own form. And the snake Karkotaka, comforting Nala, spake\nunto him, \"I have deprived thee of thy beauty, so that people may not\nrecognise thee. And, O Nala, he by whom thou hast been deceived and cast\ninto distress, shall dwell in thee tortured by my venom. And, O monarch,\nas long as he doth not leave thee, he will have to dwell in pain in thy\nbody with thine every limb filled with my venom. And, O ruler of men I\nhave saved from the hands of him who from anger and hate deceived thee,\nperfectly innocent though thou art and undeserving of wrong. And, O\ntiger among men, through my grace, thou shalt have (no longer) any fear\nfrom animals with fangs, from enemies, and from Brahmanas also versed in\nthe Vedas, O king! Nor shalt thou, O monarch, feel pain on account of my\npoison. And, O foremost of kings, thou shalt be ever victorious in\nbattle. This very day, O prince, O lord of Nishadhas, go to the\ndelightful city of Ayodhya, and present thyself before Rituparna skilled\nin gambling, saying, '_I am a charioteer, Vahuka by name_.' And that\nking will give thee his skill in dice for thy knowledge of horses.\nSprung from the line of Ikswaku, and possessed of prosperity, he will be\nthy friend. When thou wilt be an adept at dice, thou shalt then have\nprosperity. Thou wilt also meet with thy wife and thy children, and\nregain thy kingdom. I tell thee this truly. Therefore, let not thy mind\nbe occupied by sorrow. And, O lord of men, when thou shouldst desire to\nbehold thy proper form, thou shouldst remember me, and wear this\ngarment. Upon wearing this, thou shalt get back thy own form.\" And\nsaying this, that Naga then gave unto Nala two pieces of celestial\ncloth. And, O son of the Kuru race, having thus instructed Nala, and\npresented him with the attire, the king of snakes, O monarch, made\nhimself invisible there and then!'\"\n\n\nSECTION LXVII\n\n\"Vrihadaswa said, 'After the snake had vanished, Nala, the ruler of the\nNishadhas, proceeded, and on the tenth day entered the city of\nRituparna. And he approached the king, saying, \"My name is Vahuka. There\nis no one in this world equal to me in managing steeds. My counsel also\nshould be sought in matters of difficulty and in all affairs of skill. I\nalso surpass others in the art of cooking. In all those arts that exist\nin this world, and also in every thing difficult of accomplishment, I\nwill strive to attain success, O Rituparna, do thou maintain me.\" And\nRituparna replied, \"O Vahuka, stay with me! May good happen to thee.\nThou wilt even perform all this. I have always particularly desired to\nbe driven fast. Do thou concert such measures that my steeds may become\nfleet. I appoint thee the superintendent of my stables. Thy pay shall be\nten thousand (coins). Both Varshneya and Jivala shall always be under\nthy direction. Thou wilt live pleasantly in their company. Therefore, O\nVahuka, stay thou with me.\"'\n\n\"Vrihadaswa continued, 'Thus addressed by the king, Nala began to dwell\nin the city of Rituparna, treated with respect and with Varshneya and\nJivala as his companions. And residing there, the king (Nala),\nremembering the princess of Vidarbha, recited every evening the\nfollowing _sloka_: \"_Where lieth that helpless one afflicted with hunger\nand thirst and worn with toil, thinking of that wretch? And upon whom\nalso doth she now wait?_\" And once as the king was reciting this in the\nnight, Jivala asked him saying, \"O Vahuka, whom dost thou lament thus\ndaily? I am curious to hear it. O thou blest with length of days, whose\nspouse is she whom thus lamentest?\" Thus questioned, king Nala answered\nhim, saying, \"A certain person devoid of sense had a wife well-known to\nmany. That wretch was false in his promises. For some reason that wicked\nperson was separated from her. Separated from her, that wretch wandered\nabout oppressed with woe, and burning with grief he resteth not by day\nor night. And at night, remembering her, he singeth this _sloka_. Having\nwandered over the entire world, he hath at last found a refuge, and\nundeserving of the distress that hath befallen him, passeth his days,\nthus remembering his wife. When calamity had overtaken this man, his\nwife followed him into the woods. Deserted by that man of little virtue,\nher life itself is in danger. Alone, without knowledge of ways, ill able\nto bear distress, and fainting with hunger and thirst, the girl can\nhardly protect her life. And, O friend, she hath been deserted by that\nman of small fortune and having little sense, with the wide and terrible\nforest, ever abounding in beasts of prey.\"\n\n\"'Thus remembering Damayanti, the king of the Nishadhas continued to\nlive unknown in the abode of that monarch!'\"\n\n\nSECTION LXVIII\n\n\"Vrihadaswa said, 'After Nala, despoiled of his kingdom, had, with his\nwife, become a bondsman, Bhima with the desire of seeing Nala sent out\nBrahmanas to search for him. And giving them profuse wealth, Bhima\nenjoined on them, saying, \"Do ye search for Nala, and also for my\ndaughter Damayanti. He who achieveth this task, _viz_., ascertaining\nwhere the ruler of the Nishadhas is, bringeth him and my daughter\nhither, will obtain from me a thousand kine, and fields, and a village\nresembling a town. Even if failing to bring Damayanti and Nala here, he\nthat succeeds learning their whereabouts, will get from me the wealth\nrepresented by a thousand kine.\" Thus addressed, the Brahmanas\ncheerfully went out in all directions seeking Nala and his wife in\ncities and provinces. But Nala or his spouse they found not anywhere.\nUntil at length searching in the beautiful city of the Chedis, a\nBrahmana named Sudeva, during the time of the king's prayers, saw the\nprincess of Vidarbha in the palace of the king, seated with Sunanda. And\nher incomparable beauty was slightly perceptible, like the brightness of\na fire enveloped in curls of smoke. And beholding that lady of large\neyes, soiled and emaciated he decided her to be Damayanti, coming to\nthat conclusion from various reasons. And Sudeva said, \"As I saw her\nbefore, this damsel is even so at present. O, I am blest, by casting my\neyes on this fair one, like _Sree_ herself delighting the worlds!\nResembling the full moon, of unchanging youth, of well-rounded breasts,\nillumining all sides by her splendour, possessed of large eyes like\nbeautiful lotuses, like unto Kama's Rati herself the delight of all the\nworlds like the rays of the full moon, O, she looketh like a lotus-stalk\ntransplanted by adverse fortune from the Vidarbha lake and covered with\nmire in the process. And oppressed with grief on account of her husband,\nand melancholy, she looketh like the night of the full moon when Rahu\nhath swallowed that luminary, or like a stream whose current hath dried\nup. Her plight is very much like that of a ravaged lake with the leaves\nof its lotuses crushed by the trunks of elephants, and with its birds\nand fowls affrighted by the invasion. Indeed, this girl, of a delicate\nframe and of lovely limbs, and deserving to dwell in a mansion decked\nwith gems, is (now) like an uprooted lotus-stalk scorched by the sun.\nEndued with beauty and generosity of nature, and destitute of ornaments,\nthough deserving of them, she looketh like the moon 'new bent in heaven'\nbut covered with black clouds. Destitute of comforts and luxuries,\nseparated from loved ones and friends, she liveth in distress, supported\nby the hope of beholding her lord. Verily, the husband is the best\nornament of a woman, however destitute of ornaments. Without her husband\nbeside her, this lady, though beautiful, shineth not. It is a hard feat\nachieved by Nala in that he liveth without succumbing to grief, though\nseparated from such a wife. Beholding this damsel possessed of black\nhair and of eyes like lotus-leaves, in woe though deserving of bliss,\neven my heart is pained. Alas! when shall this girl graced with\nauspicious marks and devoted to her husband, crossing this ocean of woe,\nregain the company of her lord, like Rohini regaining the Moon's?\nSurely, the king of the Nishadhas will experience in regaining her the\ndelight that a king deprived of his kingdom experienceth in regaining\nhis kingdom. Equal to her in nature and age and extraction, Nala\ndeserveth the daughter of Vidarbha, and this damsel of black eyes also\ndeserveth him. It behoveth me to comfort the queen of that hero of\nimmeasurable prowess and endued with energy and might, (since) she is so\neager to meet her husband. I will console this afflicted girl of face\nlike the full moon, and suffering distress that she had never before\nendured, and ever meditating on her lord.\"'\n\n\"Vrihadaswa continued, 'Having thus reflected on these various\ncircumstances and signs, the Brahmana, Sudeva, approached Damayanti, and\naddressed her, saying, \"O princess of Vidarbha, I am Sudeva, the dear\nfriend of thy brother. I have come here, seeking thee, at the desire of\nking Bhima. Thy father is well, and also thy mother, and thy brothers.\nAnd thy son and daughter, blessed with length of days, are living in\npeace. Thy relatives, though alive, are almost dead on thy account, and\nhundreds of Brahmanas are ranging the world in search of thee.\"'\n\n\"Vrihadaswa continued, 'O Yudhishthira, Damayanti recognising Sudeva,\nasked him respecting all her relatives and kinsmen one after another.\nAnd, O monarch, oppressed with grief, the princess of Vidarbha began to\nweep bitterly, at the unexpected sight of Sudeva, that foremost of\nBrahmanas and the friend of her brother. And, O Bharata, beholding\nDamayanti weeping, and conversing in private with Sudeva, Sunanda was\ndistressed, and going to her mother informed her, saying, \"_Sairindhri_\nis weeping bitterly in the presence of a Brahmana. If thou likest,\nsatisfy thyself.\" And thereupon the mother of the king of the Chedis,\nissuing from the inner apartments of the palace, came to the place where\nthe girl (Damayanti) was with that Brahmana. Then calling Sudeva, O\nking, the queen-mother asked him, \"Whose wife is this fair one, and\nwhose daughter? How hath this lady of beautiful eyes been deprived of\nthe company of her relatives and of her husband as well? And how also\nhast thou come to know this lady fallen into such a plight? I wish to\nhear all this in detail from thee. Do truly relate unto me who am asking\nthee about this damsel of celestial beauty.\" Then, O king, thus\naddressed by the queen-mother, Sudeva, that best of Brahmanas, sat at\nhis ease, and began to relate the true history of Damayanti.'\"\n\n\nSECTION LXIX\n\n\"'Sudeva said, \"There is a virtuous and illustrious ruler of the\nVidarbhas, Bhima by name. This blessed lady is his daughter, and widely\nknown by the name of Damayanti. And there is a king ruling the\nNishadhas, named Nala, the son of Virasena. This blessed lady is the\nwife of that wise and righteous monarch. Defeated at dice by his\nbrother, and despoiled of his kingdom, that king, accompanied by\nDamayanti, went away without the knowledge of any one. We have been\nwandering over the whole earth in search of Damayanti. And that girl is\nat last found in the house of thy son. No woman existeth that is her\nrival in beauty. Between the eye-brows of this ever-youthful damsel,\nthere is an excellent mole from birth, resembling a lotus. Noticed by us\n(before) it seems to have disappeared, covered, (as her forehead is)\nwith (a coat of) dust even like the moon hid in clouds. Placed there by\nthe Creator himself as an indication of prosperity and wealth, that mole\nis visible faintly, like the cloud-covered lunar crescent of the first\nday of the lighted fortnight. And covered as her body is with dust, her\nbeauty hath not disappeared. Though careless of her person, it is still\nmanifest, and shineth like gold. And this girl--goddess-like--capable of\nbeing identified by this form of hers and that mole, hath been\ndiscovered by me as one discovereth a fire that is covered, by its\nheat!\"\n\n\"'O king, hearing these words of Sudeva, Sunanda washed the dust that\ncovered the mole between Damayanti's eye-brows. And thereupon it became\nvisible like the moon in the sky, just emerged from the clouds. And\nseeing that mole, O Bharata, Sunanda and the queen-mother began to weep,\nand embracing Damayanti stood silent for a while. And the queen-mother,\nshedding tears as she spoke, said in gentle accents, \"By this thy mole,\nI find that thou art the daughter of my sister. O beauteous girl, thy\nmother and I are both daughters of the high-souled Sudaman, the ruler of\nthe Dasarnas. She was bestowed upon king Bhima, and I on Viravahu. I\nwitnessed thy birth at our father's palace in the country of the\nDasarnas. O beautiful one, my house is to thee even as thy father's. And\nthis wealth, O Damayanti, is thine as much as mine.\" At this, O king,\nDamayanti bowing down to her mother's sister with a glad heart, spake\nunto her these words, \"Unrecognised, I have still lived happily with\nthee, every want of mine satisfied and myself cared for by thee. And\nhappy as my stay hath been, it would, without doubt, be happier still.\nBut, mother, I have long been an exile. It behoveth thee, therefore, to\ngrant me permission (to depart). My son and daughter, sent to my\nfather's palace, are living there. Deprived of their father, and of\ntheir mother also, how are they passing their days stricken with sorrow.\nIf thou wishest to do what is agreeable to me, do thou without loss of\ntime, order a vehicle, for I wish to go to the Vidarbhas.\" At this, O\nking, the sister to (Damayanti's) mother, with a glad heart, said, \"_So\nbe it._\" And the queen-mother with her son's permission, O chief of the\nBharatas, sent Damayanti in handsome litter carried by men, protected by\na large escort and provided with food and drink and garments of the\nfirst quality. And soon enough she reached the country of the Vidarbhas.\nAnd all her relatives, rejoicing (in her arrival) received her with\nrespect. And seeing her relatives, her children, both her parents, and\nall her maids, to be well, the illustrious Damayanti, O king, worshipped\nthe gods and Brahmanas according to the superior method. And the king\nrejoiced at beholding his daughter, and gave unto Sudeva a thousand kine\nand much wealth and a village. And, O king, having spent that night at\nher father's mansion and recovered from fatigue, Damayanti addressed her\nmother, saying, \"O mother, if thou wishest me to live, I tell thee\ntruly, do thou endeavour to bring Nala, that hero among men.\" Thus\naddressed by Damayanti, the venerable queen became filled with sorrow.\nAnd bathed in tears, she was unable to give any answer. And beholding\nher in that plight, all the inmates of the inner apartments broke out\ninto exclamation of \"_Oh!_\" and \"_Alas!_\" and began to cry bitterly. And\nthen the queen addressed the mighty monarch Bhima, saying, \"Thy daughter\nDamayanti mourneth on account of her husband. Nay, banishing away all\nbashfulness, she hath herself, O king, declared her mind to me. Let thy\nmen strive to find out (Nala) the righteous.\" Thus informed by her the\nking sent the Brahmanas under him in all directions, saying, \"Exert ye\nto discover Nala.\" And those Brahmanas, commanded by the ruler of the\nVidarbhas (to seek Nala) appeared before Damayanti and told her of the\njourney they were about to undertake. And Bhima's daughter spake unto\nthem saying, \"Do ye cry in every realm and in every assembly, 'O beloved\ngambler, where hast thou gone cutting off half of my garment, and\ndeserting the dear and devoted wife asleep in the forest? And that girl,\nas commanded by thee stayeth expecting thee, clad in half a piece of\ncloth and burning with grief! O king, O hero, relent towards, and\nanswer, her who incessantly weepeth for that grief.' This and more ye\nwill say, so that he may be inclined to pity me. Assisted by the wind,\nfire consumeth the forest. (Further, ye will say that) 'the wife is\nalways to be protected and maintained by the husband. Why then, good as\nthou art and acquainted with every duty, hast thou neglected both thy\nduties? Possessed of fame and wisdom, and lineage, and kindness, why\nhast thou be unkind? I fear, this is owing to the loss of my good luck!\nTherefore, O tiger among men, have pity on me. O bull among men! I have\nheard it from thee that kindness is the highest virtue.' Speaking so, if\nanybody answereth you, that person should by all means, be known, and ye\nshould learn who he is, and where he dwelleth. And ye foremost of\nregenerate ones, do ye bring me the words of him who hearing this your\nspeech will chance to answer. Ye should also act with such care that no\none may know the words ye utter to be at my command, nor that ye will\ncome back to me. And ye should also learn whether that answers is\nwealthy, or poor, or destitute of power, in fact all about him.\"\n\n\"'Thus instructed by Damayanti, O king, the Brahmanas set out in all\ndirections in search of Nala overtaken with such disaster. And the\nBrahmanas, O king, searched for him in cities and kingdoms and villages,\nand retreats of ascetics, and places inhabited by cow-herds. And, O\nmonarch, wherever they went they recited the speeches that Damayanti had\ndirected them to do.'\"\n\n\nSECTION LXX\n\n\"Vrihadaswa said, 'After a long time had passed away, a Brahmana named\nParnada returned to the city (of the Vidarbhas), and said unto the\ndaughter of Bhima, \"O Damayanti, seeking Nala, the king of Nishaidhas, I\ncame to the city of Ayodhya, and appeared before the son of Bhangasura.\nAnd, O best of women, I repeated those words of thine in the presence of\nthe blessed Rituparna. But hearing them neither that ruler of men, nor\nhis courtiers, answered anything, although I uttered them repeatedly.\nThen, after I had been dismissed by the monarch, I was accosted by a\nperson in the service of Rituparna, named Vahuka. And Vahuka is the\ncharioteer of that king, of unsightly appearance and possessed of short\narms. And he is skillful in driving with speed, and well acquainted with\nthe culinary art. And sighing frequently, and weeping again and again,\nhe inquired about my welfare and afterwards said these words, 'Chaste\nwomen, although fallen into distress, yet protect themselves and thus\ncertainly secure heaven. Although they may be deserted by their lords,\nthey do not yet become angry on that account, for women that are chaste\nlead their lives, encased in the armour of virtuous behaviour. It\nbehoveth her not to be angry, since he that deserted her was overwhelmed\nwith calamity, and deprived of every bliss. A beautious and virtuous\nwoman should not be angry with one that was deprived by birds of his\ngarment while striving to procure sustenance and who is being consumed\nwith grief. Whether treated well or ill, such a wife should never\nindulge in ire, beholding her husband in that plight, despoiled of\nkingdom and destitute of prosperity, oppressed with hunger and\noverwhelmed with calamity.' Hearing these words of his, I have speedily\ncome here. Thou hast now heard all. Do what thou thinkest proper, and\ninform the king of it.\"\n\n\"'O king, having heard these words of Parnada, Damayanti with tearful\neyes came to her mother, and spake unto her in private, \"O mother, king\nBhima should not, by any means, be made acquainted with my purpose. In\nthy presence will I employ that best of Brahmanas, Sudeva! If thou\ndesirest my welfare, act in such a way that king Bhima may not know my\npurpose. Let Sudeva without delay go hence to the city of Ayodhya, for\nthe purpose of bringing Nala, O mother, having performed the same\nauspicious rites by virtue of which he had speedily brought me into the\nmidst of friends.\" With these words, after Parnada had recovered from\nfatigue, the princess of Vidarbha worshipped him with profuse wealth and\nalso said, \"When Nala will come here, O Brahmana, I will bestow on thee\nwealth in abundance again. Thou hast done me the immense service which\nnone else, indeed, can do me, for, (owing to that service of thine), O\nthou best of the regenerate ones, I shall speedily regain my (lost)\nlord.\" And thus addressed by Damayanti, that high-minded Brahmana\ncomforted her, uttering benedictory words of auspicious import, and then\nwent home, regarding his mission to have been successful. And after he\nhad gone away, Damayanti oppressed with grief and distress, calling\nSudeva, addressed him, O Yudhishthira, in the presence of her mother,\nsaying, \"O Sudeva, go thou to the city of Ayodhya, straight as a bird,\nand tell king Rituparna living there, these words: 'Bhima's daughter,\nDamayanti will hold another _Swayamvara_. All the kings and princes are\ngoing thither. Calculating the time, I find that the ceremony will take\nplace tomorrow. O represser of foes, if it is possible for thee, go\nthither without delay. Tomorrow, after the sun hath risen, she will\nchoose a second husband, as she doth not know whether the heroic Nala\nliveth or not.'\" And addressed by her, O monarch thus, Sudeva set out.\nAnd he said unto Rituparna, all that he had been directed to say.'\"\n\n\nSECTION LXXI\n\n\"Vrihadaswa continued, 'Having heard the words of Sudeva king Rituparna,\nsoothing Vahuka with gentle words, said, \"O Vahuka, thou art\nwell-skilled in training and guiding horses. If it pleases thee, I\nintend to go to Damayanti's _Swayamvara_ in course of a single day.\"\nThus addressed, O son of Kunti, by that king, Nala felt his heart to be\nbursting in grief. And the high-souled king seemed to burn in sorrow.\nAnd he thought within himself, \"Perhaps Damayanti in doing this is\nblinded by sorrow. Or, perhaps, she hath conceived this magnificent\nscheme for my sake. Alas, cruel is the deed that the innocent princess\nof Vidarbha intends to do, having been deceived by my sinful and low\nself of little sense. It is seen in the world that the nature of woman\nis inconstant. My offence also hath been great; perhaps she is acting\nso, because she hath no longer any love for me owing to my separation\nfrom her. Indeed, that girl of slender waist, afflicted with grief on my\naccount and with despair, will not certainly do anything of the kind,\nwhen especially, she is the mother of offspring (by me). However whether\nthis is true or false, I shall ascertain with certitude by going\nthither. I will, therefore, accomplish Rituparna's and my own purpose\nalso.\" Having resolved thus in his mind, Vahuka, with his heart in\nsorrow, spake unto king Rituparna, with joined hands, saying, \"O\nmonarch, I bow to thy behest, and, O tiger among men, I will go to the\ncity of the Vidarbhas in a single day, O king!\" Then, O monarch, at the\ncommand of the royal son of Bhangasura, Vahuka went to the stables and\nbegan to examine the horses. And repeatedly urged by Rituparna to make\nhaste, Vahuka after much scrutiny and careful deliberation, selected\nsome steeds that were lean-fleshed, yet strong and capable of a long\njourney and endued with energy and strength of high breed and docility,\nfree from inauspicious marks, with wide nostrils and swelling cheeks,\nfree from faults as regards the ten hairy curls, born in (the country\nof) Sindhu, and fleet as the winds. And seeing those horses, the king\nsaid somewhat angrily, \"What is this, that thou wishest to do? Thou\nshouldst not jest with us. How can these horses of mine, weak in\nstrength and breath, carry us? And how shall we be able to go this long\nway by help of these?\" Vahuka replied, \"Each of these horses bears one\ncurl on his forehead, two on his temples, four on his sides, four on his\nchest, and one on his back. Without doubt, these steeds will be able to\ngo to the country of the Vidarbhas. If, O king, thou thinkest of\nchoosing others, point them out and I shall yoke them for thee.\"\nRituparna rejoined, \"O Vahuka, thou art versed in the science of horses\nand art also skillful (in guiding them). Do thou speedily yoke those\nthat thou thinkest to be able.\" Thereupon the skillful Nala yoked upon\nthe car four excellent steeds of good breed that were, besides, docile\nand fleet. And after the steeds had been yoked, the king without loss of\ntime mounted upon the car, when those best of horses fell down upon the\nground on their knees. Then, O king, that foremost of men, the blessed\nking Nala began to soothe horses endued with energy and strength. And\nraising them up with the reins and making the charioteer Varshneya sit\non the car, he prepared to set out with great speed. And those best of\nsteeds, duly urged by Vahuka, rose to the sky, confounding the occupant\nof the vehicle. And beholding those steeds gifted with the speed of the\nwind thus drawing the car, the blessed king of Ayodhaya was exceedingly\namazed. And noticing the rattle of the car and also the management of\nthe steeds, Varshneya reflected upon Vahuka's skill in guiding horses.\nAnd he thought, \"Is he Matali, the charioteer of the king of the\ncelestials? I find the same magnificent indications in the heroic\nVahuka. Or, hath Salihotra versed in the science of horses taken this\nhuman shape so beautiful? Or, is it king Nala the reducer of hostile\ntowns that hath come here? Or, it may be that this Vahuka knoweth the\nscience that Nala knoweth, for I perceive that the knowledge of Vahuka\nis equal to that of Nala. Further, Vahuka and Nala are of the same age.\nThis one, again, may not be Nala of high prowess, but somebody of equal\nknowledge. Illustrious persons, however, walk this earth in disguise in\nconsequence of misfortune, or agreeably to the ordinance of the\nscriptures. That this person is of unsightly appearance need not change\nmy opinion; for Nala, I think, may even be despoiled of his personal\nfeatures. In respect of age this one equals Nala. There is difference,\nhowever, in personal appearance. Vahuka, again is endued with every\naccomplishment. I think, therefore, he is Nala.\" Having thus reasoned\nlong in his mind, O mighty monarch, Varshneya, the (former) charioteer\nof the righteous Nala, became absorbed in thought. And that foremost of\nkings Rituparna, also, beholding the skill of Vahuka in equestrian\nscience experienced great delight, along with his charioteer Varshneya.\nAnd thinking of Vahuka's application and ardour and the manner of his\nholding the reins, the king felt exceedingly glad.'\"\n\n\nSECTION LXXII\n\n\"Vrihadaswa said, 'Like a bird coursing through the sky, Nala soon\ncrossed rivers and mountains, and woods and lakes. And while the car was\ncoursing thus, that conqueror of hostile cities, the royal son of\nBhangasura, saw his upper garment drop down on the ground. And at soon\nas his garment had dropped down the high-minded monarch, without loss of\ntime, told Nala, \"I intend to recover it. O thou of profound\nintelligence, retain these steeds endued with exceeding swiftness until\nVarshneya bringeth back my garment.\" Thereupon Nala replied unto him,\n\"The sheet is dropped down far away. We have travelled one _yojana_\nthence. Therefore, it is incapable of being recovered.\" After Nala had\naddressed him thus, O king, the royal son of Bhangasura came upon a\n_Vibhitaka_ tree with fruits in a forest. And seeing that tree, the king\nhastily said to Vahuka, \"O charioteer, do thou also behold my high\nproficiency in calculation. All men do not know everything. There is no\none that is versed in every science of art. Knowledge in its entirety is\nnot found in any one person. O Vahuka, the leaves and fruits of this\ntree that are lying on the ground respectively exceed those that are on\nit by one hundred and one. The two branches of the tree have fifty\nmillions of leaves, and two thousand and ninety five fruits. Do thou\nexamine these two branches and all their boughs.\" Thereupon staying the\ncar Vahuka addressed the king, saying, \"O crusher of foes, thou takest\ncredit to thyself in a matter which is beyond my perception. But, O\nmonarch, I will ascertain it by the direct evidence of my senses, by\ncutting down the _Vibhitaka_. O king, when I actually count, it will no\nlonger be matter of speculation. Therefore, in thy presence, O monarch,\nI will hew down this _Vibhitaka_. I do not know whether it be not (as\nthou hast said). In thy presence, O ruler of men, I will count the\nfruits and leaves. Let Varshneya hold the reins of the horses for a\nwhile.\" Unto the charioteer the king replied, \"There is no time to\nlose.\" But Vahuka answered with humility, \"Stay thou a short space, or,\nif thou art in a hurry, go then, making Varshneya thy charioteer. The\nroad lies direct and even.\" And at this, O son of the Kuru race,\nsoothing Vahuka, Rituparna said, \"O Vahuka, thou art the only\ncharioteer, there is none other in this world. And, O thou versed in\nhorse lore, it is through thy help that I expect to go to the Vidarbhas.\nI place myself in thy hands. It behoveth thee not to cause any obstacle.\nAnd, O Vahuka, whatever thy wish. I will grant it if taking me to the\ncountry of the Vidarbhas to-day, thou makest me see the sun rise.\" At\nthis, Vahuka answered him, saying, \"After having counted (the leaves and\nfruits of the) _Vibhitaka_, I shall proceed to Vidarbha, do thou agree\nto my words.\" Then the king reluctantly told him, \"Count. And on\ncounting the leaves and fruits of a portion of this branch, thou wilt be\nsatisfied of the truth of my assertion.\" And thereupon Vahuka speedily\nalighted from the car, and felled that tree. And struck with amazement\nupon finding the fruits, after calculation, to be what the king had\nsaid, he addressed the king, saying, \"O monarch, this thy power is\nwonderful. I desire, O prince, to know the art by which thou hast\nascertained all this.\" And at this the king, intent upon proceeding\nspeedily, said unto Vahuka, \"Know that I am proficient at dice besides\nbeing versed in numbers.\" And Vahuka said unto him, \"Impart unto me this\nknowledge and, O bull among men, take from me my knowledge of horses.\"\nAnd king Rituparna, having regard to the importance of the act that\ndepended upon Vahuka's good-will, and tempted also by the horse-lore\n(that his charioteer possessed), said, \"So be it. As solicited by thee,\nreceive this science of dice from me, and, O Vahuka, let my equine\nscience remain with thee in trust.\" And saying this, Rituparna imparted\nunto Nala the science (he desired). And Nala upon becoming acquainted\nwith the science of dice, Kali came out of his body, incessantly\nvomiting from his mouth the virulent poison of Karkotaka. And when Kali,\nafflicted (by Damayanti's curse) came out (of Nala's body), the fire of\nthat curse also left Kali. Indeed, long had been the time for which the\nking had been afflicted by Kali, as if he were of unregenerate soul. And\nNala the ruler of the Nishadhas, in wrath, was bent upon cursing Kali,\nwhen the latter, frightened, and trembling, said with joined hands,\n\"Control thy wrath, O king! I will render thee illustrious. Indrasena's\nmother had formerly cursed me in anger when she had been deserted by\nthee. Ever since that time undergoing sore affliction I resided in thee,\nO mighty monarch, O unconquered one, miserably and burning night and\nday with the venom of the prince of snakes. I seek thy protection. If\nthou dost not curse me who am affrighted and seek thy protection, then\nthose men that will attentively recite thy history, shall be even free\nfrom fear on my account.\" And thus addressed by Kali, king Nala\ncontrolled his wrath. And thereupon the frightened Kali speedily entered\ninto the _Vibhitaka_ tree. And while the Kali was conversing with\nNaishadha, he was invisible to others. And delivered from his\nafflictions, and having counted the fruits of that tree, the king,\nfilled with great joy and of high energy, mounted on the car and\nproceeded with energy, urging those fleet horses. And from the touch of\nKali the _Vibhitaka_ tree from that hour fell into disrepute. And Nala,\nwith a glad heart, began to urge those foremost of steeds which sprang\ninto the air once and again like creatures endued with wings. And the\nillustrious monarch drove (the car) in the direction of the Vidarbhas.\nAnd after Nala had gone far away, Kali also returned to his abode. And\nabandoned by Kali, O king, that lord of earth, the royal Nala, became\nfreed from calamity though he did not assume his native form.'\"\n\n\nSECTION LXXIII\n\n\"Vrihadaswa said, 'After Rituparna of prowess incapable of being baffled\nhad, in the evening, arrived at the city of the Vidarbhas, the people\nbrought unto king Bhima the tidings (of his arrival). And at the\ninvitation of Bhima, the king (of Ayodhya) entered the city of Kundina,\nfilling with the rattle of his car all the ten points, direct and\ntransverse, of the horizon. And the steeds of Nala that were in that\ncity heard that sound, and hearing it they became delighted as they used\nto be in the presence of Nala himself. And Damayanti also heard the\nsound of that car driven by Nala, like the deep roar of the clouds in\nthe rainy season. And Bhima and the steeds (of Nala) regarded the\nclatter of that car to be like that which they used to hear in days of\nyore when king Nala himself urged his own steeds. And the peacocks on\nthe terraces, and the elephants in the stables, and the horses also, all\nheard the rattle of Rituparna's car. And hearing the sound, so like the\nroar of the clouds, the elephants and the peacocks, O king, began to\nutter their cries, facing that direction, and filled with delight such\nas they experience when they hear the actual roar of the clouds. And\nDamayanti said, \"Because the rattle of his car filling the whole earth,\ngladdens my heart, it must be King Nala (that has come). If I do not see\nNala, of face bright as the moon, that hero with countless virtues, I\nshall certainly die. If I am not clasped today in that hero's thrilling\nembrace, I shall certainly cease to be. If Naishadha with voice deep as\nthat of the clouds doth not come to me today, I shall enter into a pyre\nof golden brilliance. If that foremost of kings, powerful as a lion and\ngifted with the strength of an infuriated elephant, doth not present\nhimself before me, I shall certainly cease to live. I do not remember a\nsingle untruth in him, or a single wrong done by him to others. Never\nhath he spoken an untruth even in jest. Oh, my Nala is exalted and\nforgiving and heroic and magnificent and superior to all other kings,\nand faithful to his marriage vow and like unto a eunuch in respect of\nother females. Night and day dwelling upon his perceptions, my heart, in\nabsence of that dear one, is about to burst in grief.\"\n\n\"'Thus bewailing as if devoid of sense, Damayanti, O Bharata, ascended\nthe terrace (of her mansion) with the desire of seeing the righteous\nNala. And in the yard of the central mansion she beheld king Rituparna\non the car with Varshneya and Vahuka. And Varshneya and Vahuka,\ndescending for that excellent vehicle, unyoked the steeds, and kept the\nvehicle itself in a proper place. And king Rituparna also, descending\nfrom the car, presented himself before king Bhima possessed of terrible\nprowess. And Bhima received him with great respect, for in the absence\nof a proper occasion, a great person cannot be had (as a guest). And\nhonoured by Bhima, king Rituparna looked about him again and again, but\nsaw no traces of the _Swayamvara_. And the ruler of the Vidarbhas, O\nBharata, approaching Rituparna, said, \"Welcome! What is the occasion of\nthis thy visit?\" And king Bhima asked this without knowing that\nRituparna had come to obtain the hand of his daughter. And king\nRituparna, of unbaffled prowess and gifted with intelligence, saw that\nthere were no other kings or princes. Nor did he hear any talk relating\nto the _Swayamvara_, nor saw any concourse of Brahmanas. And at this,\nthe king of Kosala reflected a while and at length said, \"I have come\nhere to pay my respects to thee.\" And the king Bhima was struck with\nastonishment, and reflected upon the (probable) cause of Rituparna's\ncoming, having passed over a hundred _yojanas_. And he reflected, \"That\npassing by other sovereigns, and leaving behind him innumerable\ncountries, he should come simply to pay his respect to me is scarcely\nthe reason of his arrival. What he assigneth to be the cause of his\ncoming appeareth to be a trifle. However, I shall learn the true reason\nin the future.\" And although king Bhima thought so, he did not dismiss\nRituparna summarily, but said unto him again and again, \"Rest, thou art\nweary.\" And honoured thus by the pleased Bhima, king Rituparna was\nsatisfied, and with a delighted heart, he went to his appointed quarters\nfollowed by the servants of the royal household.'\n\n\"Vrihadaswa continued, 'And, O king, after Rituparna had gone away with\nVarshneya, Vahuka took the car to the stables. And there freeing the\nsteeds, and tending them according to rule, and soothing them himself,\nsat down on a side of the car. Meanwhile, the princess of Vidharbha,\nDamayanti, afflicted with grief, having beheld the royal son of\nBhangasura, and Varshneya of the _Suta_ race, and also Vahuka in that\nguise, asked herself, \"Whose is this car-rattle? It was loud as that of\nNala, but I do not see the ruler of the Nishadhas. Certainly, Varshneya\nhath learnt the art from Nala, and it is for this the rattle of the car\ndriven by him hath been even like that of Nala. Or, is Rituparna equally\nskilled with Nala so that the rattle of his car seemeth to be like that\nof Nala?\" And reflecting thus, O monarch, the blessed and beauteous girl\nsent a female messenger in search of Nishada.'\"\n\n\nSECTION LXXIV\n\n\"'Damayanti said, \"O Kesini, go thou and learn who that charioteer is\nthat sitteth by the car, unsightly and possessed of short arms. O\nblessed one, O faultless one, approaching him, cautiously and with sweet\nwords, make thou the usual inquiries of courtesy and learn all\nparticulars truly. Having regard to the feeling of satisfaction my mind\nexperienceth, and the delight my heart feeleth, I am greatly afraid this\none is king Nala himself. And, O faultless one, having inquired after\nhis welfare, thou shalt speak unto him the words of Parnada. And, O\nbeauteous one, understand the reply he may make thereto.\" Thus\ninstructed, that female messenger, going cautiously, while the blessed\nDamayanti watched from the terrace, addressed Vahuka in these words, \"O\nforemost of men, thou art welcome. I wish thee happiness. O bull among\nmen, hear now the words of Damayanti. When did ye all set out, and with\nwhat object have ye come hither. Tell us truly, for the princess of\nVidarbha wisheth to hear it.\" Thus addressed, Vahuka answered, \"the\nillustrious king of Kosala had heard from a Brahmana that a second\n_Swayamvara_ of Damayanti would take place. And hearing it, he hath come\nhere, by the help of excellent steeds fleet as the wind and capable of\ngoing a hundred _yojanas_. I am his charioteer.\" Kesini then asked,\n\"Whence doth the third among you come, and whose (son) is he? And whose\nson art thou, and how hast thou come to do this work?\" Thus questioned,\nVahuka replied, \"He (of whom thou inquirest) was the charioteer of the\nvirtuous Nala, and known to all by the name of Varshneya. After Nala\nhad, O beauteous one, left his kingdom, he came to the son of\nBhangasura. I am skilled in horse-lore, and have, therefore, been\nappointed as charioteer. Indeed, king Rituparna hath himself chosen me\nas his charioteer and cook.\" At this Kesini rejoined, \"Perhaps Varshneya\nknoweth where king Nala hath gone, and O Vahuka, he may also have spoken\nto thee (about his master).\" Vahuka then said, \"Having brought hither\nthe children of Nala of excellent deeds, Varshneya went away whither he\nlisted: He doth not know where Naishadha is. Nor, O illustrious one,\ndoth anybody else know of Nala's whereabouts; for the king (in calamity)\nwandereth over the world in disguise and despoiled of (his native)\nbeauty. Nala's self only knoweth Nala. Nala never discovereth his marks\nof identity anywhere.\" Thus addressed, Kesini returned, \"The Brahmana\nthat had before this gone to Ayodhya, had repeatedly said these words\nsuitable to female lips, 'O beloved gambler, where hast thou gone\ncutting off half my piece of cloth, and deserting me, his dear and\ndevoted wife asleep in the woods? And she herself, as commanded by him,\nwaiteth expecting him clad in half a garment and burning day and night\nin grief. O king, O hero, do thou relent towards her that weepeth\nceaselessly for that calamity and do thou give her an answer. O\nillustrious one, do thou speak the words agreeable to her for the\nblameless one panteth to hear them.' Hearing these words of the Brahmana\nthou didst formerly give a reply! The princess of Vidarbha again wisheth\nto hear the words thou didst then say.\"'\n\n\"Vrihadaswa continued, 'O son of the Kuru race, hearing these words of\nKesini, Nala's heart was pained, and his eyes filled with tears. And\nrepressing his sorrow, the king who was burning in grief, said again\nthese words, in accents choked with tears: \"Chaste women, though\novertaken by calamity, yet protect themselves, and thereby secure\nheaven. Women that are chaste, deserted by their lords, never become\nangry, but continue to live, cased in virtue's mail. Deserted by one\nfallen into calamity, bereft of sense, and despoiled of bliss, it\nbehoveth her not to be angry. A virtuous lady should not be angry with\none that was deprived by birds of his garment while striving to procure\nsustenance and who is burning in misery. Whether treated well or ill she\nwould never be angry, seeing her husband in that plight, despoiled of\nhis kingdom, bereft of prosperity, oppressed with hunger, and\noverwhelmed with calamity.\" And, O Bharata, while speaking thus, Nala\noppressed with grief, could not restrain his tears, but began to weep.\nAnd thereupon Kesini went back to Damayanti, and acquainted her with\neverything about that conversation as well as that outburst of grief.'\"\n\n\nSECTION LXXV\n\n\"Vrihadaswa said, 'Hearing everything, Damayanti became oppressed with\ngrief, and suspecting the person to be Nala, said unto Kesini, \"O\nKesini, go thou again, and examine Vahuka, and staying in silence at his\nside mark thou his conduct. And, O beauteous one, whenever he happens to\ndo anything skilful, do thou observe well his act while accomplishing\nit. And, O Kesini, whenever he may ask water or fire, with the view of\noffering him obstruction, thou shalt be in no hurry to give it. And\nmarking everything about his behaviour, come thou and tell me. And\nwhatever human or super-human thou seest in Vahuka, together with\nanything else, should all be reported unto me.\" And thus addressed by\nDamayanti, Kesini went away, and having marked the conduct of that\nperson versed in horse-lore, she came back. And she related unto\nDamayanti all that had happened, indeed, everything of human and\nsuperhuman that she had witnessed in Vahuka. And Kesini said, \"O\nDamayanti, a person of such control over the elements I have never\nbefore seen or heard of. Whenever he cometh to low passage, he never\nstoopeth down, but seeing him, the passage itself groweth in height so\nthat he may pass through it easily. And at his approach, impassable\nnarrow holes open wide. King Bhima had sent various kinds of meat--of\ndiverse animals, for Rituparna's food. And many vessels had been placed\nthere for washing the meat. And as he looked upon them, those vessels\nbecame filled (with water). And having washed the meat, as he set\nhimself to cook, he took up a handful of grass and held it in the sun,\nwhen fire blazed up all on a sudden. Beholding this marvel, I have come\nhither amazed. Further, I have witnessed in him another great wonder. O\nbeauteous one, he touched fire and was not burnt. And at his will, water\nfalling floweth in a stream. And, I have witnessed another greater\nwonder still. He took up some flowers, began to press them slowly with\nhis hands. And pressed by his hand, the flowers did not lose their\noriginal forms, but, on the contrary, became gayer and more odorous than\nbefore. Having beheld wonderful things I have come hither with speed.\"'\n\n\"Vrihadaswa continued, 'Hearing of these acts of the virtuous Nala, and\ndiscovering him from his behaviour, Damayanti considered him as already\nrecovered. And from these indications suspecting that Vahuka was her\nhusband, Damayanti once more weepingly addressed Kesini in soft words,\nsaying, \"O beauteous one, go thou once more, and bring from the kitchen\nwithout Vahuka's knowledge some meat that hath been boiled and dressed\n(by him).\" Thus commanded, Kesini, ever bent on doing what was agreeable\nto Damayanti, went to Vahuka, and taking some hot meat came back without\nloss of time. And Kesini gave that meat, O son of the Kuru race, unto\nDamayanti. And Damayanti who had formerly often partaken of meat dressed\nby Nala, tasted the meat that was brought by her hand-maid. And she\nthereupon decided Vahuka to be Nala and wept aloud in grief of heart.\nAnd, O Bharata, overwhelmed with grief, and washing her face, she sent\nher two children with Kesini. And Vahuka, who was the king in disguise,\nrecognising Indrasena with her brother, advanced hastily, and embracing\nthem, took them up on his lap. And taking up his children like unto the\nchildren of the celestials, he began to weep aloud in sonorous accents,\nhis heart oppressed with great sorrow. And after having repeatedly\nbetrayed his agitation, Naishadha suddenly left children, and addressed\nKesini, saying, \"O fair damsel, these twins are very like my own\nchildren. Beholding them unexpectedly, I shed tears. If thou comest to\nme frequently people may think evil, for we are guests from another\nland. Therefore. O blessed one, go at thy ease.\"'\"\n\n\nSECTION LXXVI\n\n\"Vrihadaswa said, 'Beholding the agitation of the virtuous and wise\nNala, Kesini returned unto Damayanti and related everything unto her.\nAnd thereupon Damayanti with a sorrowful heart and eager to behold Nala,\nagain despatched Kesini to her mother, asking her to say on her behalf:\n\"Suspecting Vahuka to be Nala, I have tried him in various ways. My\ndoubt now only relates to his appearance. I intend to examine him\nmyself. O mother, either let him enter the palace, or give me permission\nto go to him. And arrange this with the knowledge of my father or\nwithout it.\" And thus addressed to Damayanti, that lady communicated\nunto Bhima the intention of his daughter, and upon learning it the king\ngave his consent. And, O bull of the Bharata race, having obtained the\nconsent both of her father and mother, Damayanti caused Nala to be\nbrought to her apartments. And as soon as he saw Damayanti unexpectedly,\nking Nala was overwhelmed with grief and sorrow, and bathed in tears.\nAnd that best of women, Damayanti, also, upon beholding king Nala in\nthat condition, was sorely afflicted with grief. And, O monarch, herself\nclad in a piece of red cloth, and wearing matted locks, and covered with\ndirt and dust, Damayanti then addressed Vahuka, saying, \"O Vahuka, hast\nthou ever seen any person acquainted with duty, who hath gone away,\ndeserting his sleeping wife in the forest? Who, except the virtuous\nNala, could go away, deserting in the woods, his dear and unoffending\nwife overcome with fatigue? Of what offence was I guilty in the eyes of\nthat monarch since my early youth that he should go away deserting me in\nthe woods while asleep overcome with fatigue? Why should he whom I\nformerly chose in preference to the gods themselves abandon his\never-devoted and loving wife who had become the mother also of his\nchildren? Before the fire, and in presence also of the celestials, he\nhad taken my hand, vowing, '_Verily I will be thine_.' Oh, where was\nthat vow when he deserted me, O represser of foes.\" While Damayanti was\nsaying all this, tears of sorrow began to flow plentifully from her\neyes. And beholding her thus afflicted with grief, Nala also, shedding\ntears, black of those of the gazelle with extremities of reddish hue,\nsaid, \"O timid one, neither the loss of my kingdom nor my desertion of\nthee was my act. Both were due to Kali. And, O foremost of virtuous\nwomen, lamenting for me day and night, and overcome with sorrow, thou\nhadst in the woods cursed Kali, and so he began to dwell in my body,\nburning in consequence of thy curse. Indeed burning with thy curse, he\nlived within me like fire within fire. O blessed girl, that our sorrows\nmight terminate, that wretch have I overcome by my observances and\nausterities. The sinful wretch hath already left me, and it is for this\nthat I have come hither. My presence here, O fair lady, is for thy sake.\nI have no other object. But, O timid one, can any other woman, forsaking\nher loving and devoted husband, ever choose a second lord like thee? At\nthe command of the king, messengers are ranging this entire earth,\nsaying, '_Bhima's daughter will, of her own accord, choose a second\nhusband worthy of her_.' Immediately on hearing this, the son of\nBhangasura hath arrived here.\" Hearing these lamentations of Nala,\nDamayanti, frightened and trembling, said with joined hand, \"It behoveth\nthee not, O blessed one, to suspect any fault in me. O ruler of the\nNishadhas, passing over the celestials themselves, I choose thee as my\nlord. It was to bring thee hither that the Brahmanas had gone out in all\ndirections, even to all the sides of the horizon, singing my words, in\nthe form of ballads. At last, O king, a learned Brahmana named Parnada\nhad found thee in Kosala in the palace of Rituparna. When thou hadst\nreturned a fit answer to those words of his, it was then, O Naishadha,\nthat I devised this scheme to recover thee. Except thee, O lord of\nearth, there is no one in this world, who in one day can clear, O King,\na hundred _yojanas_ with horses. O monarch, touching thy feet I can\nswear truly that I have not, even in thought, committed any sin. May the\nall-witnessing Air that courseth through this world, take my life, if I\nhave committed any sin. May the Sun that ever courseth through the sky\ntake my life, if I have committed any sin. May the Moon, that dwelleth\nwithin every creature as a witness, take my life, if I have committed\nany sin. Let the three gods that sustain the triple worlds in their\nentirety, declare truly, or let them forsake me today.\" And thus\naddressed by her, the Wind-god said from the sky, \"O Nala, I tell thee\ntruly that she hath done no wrong. O king, Damayanti, well guarding the\nhonour of thy family, hath enhanced it. Of this we are the witnesses, as\nwe have been her protectors for these three years. It is for thy good\nthat she hath devised this unrivalled scheme, for, except thee, none on\nearth is capable of travelling in a single day a hundred _yojanas_. O\nmonarch, thou hast obtained Bhima's daughter, and she hath also obtained\nthee. Thou needst not entertain any suspicion but be united with thy\npartner.\" And after the Wind-god had said this, a floral shower fell\nthere and the celestial kettle-drum began to play, and auspicious\nbreezes began to blow. And beholding those wonders, O Bharata, king\nNala, the represser of foes, cast away all his doubts in respect of\nDamayanti. And then that lord of earth, remembering the king of\nserpents, wore that pure garment and regained his native form. And\nbeholding her righteous lord in his own form, Bhima's daughter of\nfaultless limbs embraced him, and began to weep aloud. And king Nala\nalso embraced Bhima's daughter devoted to him, as before, and also his\nchildren, and experienced great delight. And burying her face in his\nbosom, the beauteous Damayanti of large eyes began to sigh heavily,\nremembering her griefs. And overwhelmed with sorrow, that tiger among\nmen stood for some time, clasping the dust-covered Damayanti of sweet\nsmiles. And, O king, the queen-mother then, with a glad heart, told\nBhima all that had passed between Nala and Damayanti. And the mighty\nmonarch answered, \"Let Nala pass this day in peace, to-morrow I shall\nsee him after his bath and prayers, with Damayanti by his side.\" And, O\nking, they passed that night pleasantly, in relating to each other the\npast incidents of their life in the forest. And with hearts filled with\njoy, the princess of Vidarbha and Nala began to pass their days in the\npalace of king Bhima, intent upon making each other happy. And it was in\nthe fourth year (after the loss of his kingdom) that Nala was re-united\nwith his wife, and all his desires gratified, once more experienced the\nhighest bliss. And Damayanti rejoiced exceedingly in having recovered\nher lord even as fields of tender plants on receiving a shower. And\nBhima's daughter, thus recovering her lord, obtained her wish, and\nblazed forth in beauty, her weariness gone, her anxieties dispelled and\nherself swelling with joy, ever like a night that is lit by the bright\ndisc of the moon!'\"\n\n\nSECTION LXXVII\n\n\"Vrihadaswa said, 'Having passed that night, king Nala decked in\nornaments and with Damayanti by his side, presented himself in due time\nbefore the king. And Nala saluted his father-in-law with becoming\nhumility and after him the fair Damayanti paid her respects to her\nfather. And the exalted Bhima, with great joy, received him as a son,\nand honouring him duly along with his devoted wife, comforted them in\nproper words. And duly accepting the homage rendered unto him, king Nala\noffered his father-in-law his services as became him. And seeing Nala\narrived, the citizens were in great joy. And there arose in the city a\nloud uproar of delight. And the citizens decorated the city with flags\nand standards and garlands of flowers. And the streets were watered and\ndecked in floral wreaths and other ornaments. And at their gates\ncitizens piled flowers, and their temples and shrines were all adorned\nwith flowers. And Rituparna heard that Vahuka had already been united\nwith Damayanti. And the king was glad to hear of all this. And calling\nunto him king Nala, he asked his forgiveness. And the intelligent Nala\nalso asked Rituparna's forgiveness, showing diverse reasons. And that\nforemost of speakers versed in the truth, king Rituparna, after being\nthus honoured by Nala, said, with a countenance expressive of wonder,\nthese words unto the ruler of the Nishadhas. \"By good fortune it is that\nregaining the company of thy own wife, thou hast obtained happiness. O\nNaishadha, while dwelling in disguise at my house, I hope I did not\nwrong thee in any way, O lord of the earth! If knowingly I have done\nthee any wrong, it behoveth thee to forgive me.\" Hearing this, Nala\nreplied, \"Thou hast not, O monarch, done me ever so little an injury.\nAnd if thou hast, it hath not awakened my ire, for surely thou shouldst\nbe forgiven by me. Thou wert formerly my friend, and, O ruler of men,\nthou art also related to me. Henceforth I shall find greater delight in\nthee. O king, with all my desires gratified, I lived happily in thy\nabode, in fact more happily there than in my own house. This thy\nhorse-lore is in my keeping. If thou wishest, O king, I will make it\nover to thee.\" Saying this, Naishadha gave unto Rituparna that science\nand the latter took it with the ordained rites. And, O monarch, the\nroyal son of Bhangasura, having obtained the mysteries of equestrian\nscience and having given unto the ruler of the Naishadhas the mysteries\nof dice, went to his own city, employing another person for his\ncharioteer. And, O king, after Rituparna had gone, king Nala did not\nstay long in the city of Kundina!'\"\n\n\nSECTION LXXVIII\n\n\"Vrihadaswa said, 'O son of Kunti, the ruler of the Nishadhas having\ndwelt there for a month, set out from that city with Bhima's permission\nand accompanied by only a few (followers) for the country of the\nNishadhas. With a single car white in hue, sixteen elephants, fifty\nhorses, and six hundred infantry, that illustrious king, causing the\nearth itself to tremble, entered (the country of the Nishadhas) without\nloss of a moment and swelling with rage. And the mighty son of Virasena,\napproaching his brother Pushkara said unto him, \"We will play again, for\nI have earned vast wealth. Let Damayanti and all else that I have be my\nstake, let, O Pushkara, thy kingdom be thy stake. Let the play begin\nagain. This is my certain determination. Blessed be thou, let us stake\nall we have along with our lives. Having won over and acquired another's\nwealth or kingdom, it is a high duty, says the ordinance, to stake it\nwhen the owner demands. Or, if thou dost not relish play with dice, let\nthe play with weapons begin. O king, let me or thyself have peace by a\nsingle combat. That this ancestral kingdom should, under all\ncircumstances and by any means, be recovered, there is the authority of\nsages for holding. And, O Pushkara, choose thou one of these two\nthings--gambling with dice or bending the bow in battle!\" Thus addressed\nby Nishadha, Pushkara, sure of his own success, laughingly answered that\nmonarch, saying, \"O Naishadha, it is by good fortune that thou hast\nearned wealth again to stake. It is by good fortune also that\nDamayanti's ill-luck hath at last come to an end. And O king, it is by\ngood fortune that thou art still alive with thy wife, O thou of mighty\narms! It is evident that Damayanti, adorned with this wealth of thine\nthat I will win, will wait upon me like an Apsara in heaven upon Indra.\nO Naishadha, I daily recollect thee and am even waiting for thee, since\nI derive no pleasure from gambling with those that are not connected\nwith me by blood. Winning over to-day the beauteous Damayanti of\nfaultless features, I shall regard myself fortunate, indeed, since she\nit is that hath ever dwelt in my heart.\" Hearing these words of that\nincoherent braggart, Nala in anger desired to cut off his head with a\nscimitar. With a smile, however, though his eyes were red in anger, king\nNala said, \"Let us play. Why do you speak so now? Having vanquished me,\nyou can say anything you like.\" Then the play commenced between Pushkara\nand Nala. And blessed be Nala who at a single throw won his wealth and\ntreasures back along with the life of his brother that also had been\nstaked. And the king, having won, smilingly said unto Pushkara, \"This\nwhole kingdom without a thorn in its side is now undisturbedly mine.\nAnd, O worst of kings, thou canst not now even look at the princess of\nVidarbha. With all thy family, thou art now, O fool, reduced to the\nposition of her slave. But my former defeat at thy hands was not due to\nany act of thine. Thou knowest it not, O fool, that it was Kali who did\nit all. I shall not, therefore, impute to thee the faults of others.\nLive happily as thou choosest, I grant thee thy life. I also grant thee\nthy portion (in the paternal kingdom) along with all necessaries. And, O\nhero, without doubt, my affection towards thee is now the same as\nbefore. My fraternal love also for thee will never know any diminution.\nO Pushkara, thou art my brother, live thou for a hundred years!\"\n\n\"'And Nala of unbaffled prowess, having comforted his brother thus gave\nhim permission to go to his own town, having embraced him repeatedly.\nAnd Pushkara himself, thus comforted by the ruler of the Nishadhas\nsaluted that righteous king, and addressed him, O monarch, saying these\nwords with joined hands, \"Let thy fame be immortal and live thou happily\nfor ten thousand years, thou who grantest me, O king, both life and\nrefuge.\" And entertained by the king, Pushkara dwelt there for a month\nand then went to his own town accompanied by large force and many\nobedient servants and his own kindred, his heart filled with joy. And\nthat bull among men all the while blazed forth in beauty of person like\na second Sun. And the blessed ruler of the Nishadhas, having established\nPushkara and made him wealthy and freed him from troubles, entered his\nrichly decorated palace. And the ruler of the Nishadhas, having entered\nhis palace, comforted the citizens. And all the citizens and the\nsubjects from the country horripilated in joy. And the people headed by\nthe officers of state said with joined hands, \"O king, we are truly glad\nto-day throughout the city and the country. We have obtained to-day our\nruler, like the gods their chief of a hundred sacrifice!\"'\"\n\n\nSECTION LXXIX\n\n\"Vrihadaswa said, 'After the festivities had commenced in the city that\nwas full of joy and without anxiety of any kind, the king with a large\nforce brought Damayanti (from her father's home). And her father, too,\nthat slayer of hostile heroes, Bhima of terrible prowess and\nimmeasurable soul, sent his daughter, having honoured her duly. And upon\nthe arrival of the princess of Vidarbha accompanied by her son and\ndaughter, king Nala began to pass his days in joy like the chief of the\ncelestials in the gardens of Nandana. And the king of undying fame,\nhaving regained his kingdom and becoming illustrious among monarchs of\nthe island of Jamvu, began once more to rule it. And he duly performed\nnumerous sacrifices with abundant gifts to Brahmanas. O great king, thou\nalso wilt with thy kindred and relatives, so blaze forth in effulgence\nsoon. For, O foremost of men, it was thus that subjugator of hostile\ncities, king Nala, had fallen into distress along with his wife, in\nconsequence, O bull of Bharata race, of dice. And, O lord of the earth,\nNala suffered such dire woe all alone and recovered his prosperity,\nwhereas thou, O son of Pandu, with heart fixed on virtue, art sporting\nin joy in this great forest, accompanied by thy brothers and Krishna.\nWhen thou art also, O monarch, mixing daily with blessed Brahmanas\nversed in the Vedas and their branches, thou hast little cause for\nsorrow. This history, besides, of the Naga Karkotaka, of Damayanti, of\nNala and of that royal sage Rituparna, is destructive of evil. And, O\nthou of unfading glory, this history, destructive of the influence of\nKali, is capable, O king, of comforting persons like thee when they\nlisten to it. And reflecting upon the uncertainty (of success) of human\nexertion, it behoveth thee not to joy or grieve at prosperity or\nadversity. Having listened to this history, be comforted, O king, and\nyield not to grief. It behoveth thee not, O great king, to pine under\ncalamity. Indeed, men of self-possession, reflecting upon the caprice of\ndestiny and the fruitlessness of exertion, never suffer themselves to be\ndepressed. They that will repeatedly recite this noble history of Nala,\nand that will hear it recited, will never be touched by adversity. He\nthat listeneth to this old and excellent history hath all his purposes\ncrowned with success and, without doubt, obtaineth fame, besides sons\nand grandsons and animals, a high position among men, and health, and\njoy. And, O king, the fear also that thou entertainest, _viz_., (_Some\none skilled in dice will summon me_), I will for once dispel. O thou of\ninvincible prowess, I know the science of dice in its entirety. I am\ngratified with thee; take this lore, O son of Kunti, I will tell unto\nthee.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"King Yudhishthira then, with a glad heart, said\nunto Vrihadaswa, 'O illustrious one, I desire to learn the science of\ndice from thee.' The Rishi then gave his dice-lore unto the high-souled\nson of Pandu, and having given it unto him, that great ascetic went to\nthe sacred waters of Hayasirsha for a bath.\n\n\"And after Vrihadaswa had gone away, Yudhishthira of firm vows heard\nfrom Brahmanas and ascetics that came to him from various directions and\nfrom places of pilgrimage and mountains and forests that Arjuna of high\nintelligence and capable of drawing the bow with his left hand, was\nstill engaged in the austerest of ascetic penances, living upon air\nalone. And he heard that the mighty-armed Partha was engaged in such\nfierce asceticism that none else before him had ever been engaged in\nsuch penances. And Dhananjaya, the son of Pritha, engaged in ascetic\nausterities with regulated vows and fixed mind and observing the vow of\nperfect silence, was, he heard, like the blazing god of justice himself\nin his embodied form. And, O king, (Yudhishthira) the son of Pandu\nhearing that his dear brother Jaya, the son of Kunti, was engaged in\nsuch asceticism in the great forest, began to grieve for him. And with a\nheart burning in grief, the eldest son of Pandu, seeking consolation in\nthat mighty forest held converse with the Brahmanas possessed of various\nknowledge who were living with him there.\"\n\n\nSECTION LXXX\n\n(Tirtha-yatra Parva)\n\nJanamejaya said, \"O holy one, after my great-grandfather Partha had gone\naway from the woods of Kamyaka, what did the sons of Pandu do in the\nabsence of that hero capable of drawing the bow with his left hand? It\nseemeth to me that mighty bowman and vanquisher of armies was their\nrefuge, as Vishnu of the celestials. How did my heroic grandsires pass\ntheir time in the forest, deprived of the company of that hero, who\nresembled Indra himself in prowess and never turned his back in battle?\"\n\nVaisampayana said, \"After Arjuna of unbaffled prowess had gone away from\nKamyaka, the sons of Pandu, O son, were filled with sorrow and grief.\nAnd the Pandavas with cheerless hearts very much resembled pearls\nunstrung from a wreath, or birds shorn of their wings. And without that\nhero of white steeds that forest looked like the _Chaitraratha_ woods\nwhen deprived of the presence of Kuvera. And, O Janamejaya, those tigers\namong men--the sons of Pandu--deprived of the company of Arjuna,\ncontinued to live in Kamyaka in perfect cheerlessness. And, O chief of\nthe Bharata race, those mighty warriors endowed with great prowess slew\nwith pure arrows various kinds of sacrificial animals for the Brahmanas.\nAnd those tigers among men and repressers of foes, daily slaying those\nwild animals and sanctifying them properly, offered them unto the\nBrahmanas. And it was thus, O king, that those bulls among men afflicted\nwith sorrow lived there with cheerless hearts after Dhananjaya's\ndeparture. The princess of Panchala in particular, remembering her third\nlord, addressed the anxious Yudhishthira and said, 'That Arjuna who with\ntwo hands rivals the thousand-armed Arjuna (of old), alas, without that\nforemost of the sons of Pandu, this forest doth not seem at all\nbeautiful in my eyes. Without him, whenever I cast my eyes, this earth\nseems to be forlorn. Even this forest with its blossoming trees and so\nfull of wonders, without Arjuna seems not so delightful as before.\nWithout him who is like a mass of blue clouds (in hue), who hath the\nprowess of an infuriated elephant, and whose eyes are like the leaves of\nthe lotus, this Kamyaka forest doth not seem beautiful to me.\nRemembering that hero capable of drawing the bow with his left hand, and\nthe twang of whose bow sounds like the roar of thunder, I cannot feel\nany happiness, O king!' And, O monarch, hearing her lament in this\nstrain, that slayer of hostile heroes, Bhimasena, addressed Draupadi in\nthese words, 'O blessed lady of slender waist, the agreeable words thou\nutterest delight my heart like the quaffing of nectar. Without him whose\narms are long and symmetrical, and stout and like unto a couple of iron\nmaces and round and marked by the scars of the bow-strings and graced\nwith the bow and sword and other weapons and encircled with golden\nbracelets and like unto a couple of five-headed snakes, without that\ntiger among men the sky itself seemeth to be without the sun. Without\nthat mighty-armed one relying upon whom the Panchalas and the Kauravas\nfear not the sternly-exerting ranks of the celestials themselves,\nwithout that illustrious hero relying upon whose arms we all regard our\nfoes as already vanquished and the earth itself as already conquered,\nwithout that Phalguna I cannot obtain any peace in the woods of Kamyaka.\nThe different directions also, wherever I cast my eyes, appear to be\nempty!'\n\n\"After Bhima had concluded, Nakula the son of Pandu, with voice choked\nwith tears, said, 'Without him whose extraordinary deeds on the field of\nbattle constitute the talk of even the gods, without that foremost of\nwarriors, what pleasure can we have in the woods? Without him who having\ngone towards the north had vanquished mighty Gandharva chiefs by\nhundreds, and who having obtained numberless handsome horses of the\nTittiri and Kalmasha species all endowed with the speed of the wind,\npresented them from affection unto his brother the king, on the occasion\nof the great Rajasuya sacrifice, without that dear and illustrious one,\nwithout that terrible warrior born after Bhima, without that hero equal\nunto a god I do not desire to live in the Kamyaka woods any longer.'\n\n\"After Nakula's lamentations, Sahadeva said, 'He who having vanquished\nmighty warriors in battle won wealth and virgins and brought them unto\nthe king on the occasion of the great _Rajasuya_ sacrifice, that hero of\nimmeasurable splendour who having vanquished single-handed the assembled\nYadavas in battle, ravished Subhadra with the consent of Vasudeva, he,\nwho having invaded the dominion of the illustrious Drupada gave, O\nBharata, unto the preceptor Drona his tuition fee--beholding, O king,\nthat Jishnu's bed of grass empty in our asylum, my heart refuses\nconsolation. A migration from this forest is what, O represser of foes,\nI would prefer for without that hero this forest cannot be delightful.'\"\n\n\nSECTION LXXXI\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Hearing these words of his brothers as also of\nKrishna, all of whom were anxious on account of Dhananjaya, king\nYudhishthira, the just, became melancholy. And at that time he saw\n(before him) the celestial Rishi Narada blazing with _Brahmi_ beauty and\nlike unto a fire flaming up in consequence of sacrificial libation. And\nbeholding him come, king Yudhishthira with his brothers stood up and\nduly worshipped the illustrious one. And endued with blazing energy, the\nhandsome chief of the Kuru race, surrounded by his brothers, shone like\nthe god of a hundred sacrifices encircled by the celestials. And\nYajnaseni in obedience to the dictates of morality adhered to her lords,\nthe sons of Pritha, like Savitri to the Vedas or the rays of the Sun to\nthe peak of Meru. And the illustrious Rishi Narada, accepting that\nworship, comforted the son of Dharma in proper terms. And, O sinless\none, addressing the high-souled king Yudhishthira, the just, the Rishi\nsaid, 'Tell me, O foremost of virtuous men, what it is that thou seekest\nand what I can do for thee.' At this, the royal son of Dharma bowing\nwith his brothers unto Narada, who was the revered of the celestials,\ntold him with joined hands, 'O thou that art highly blessed and\nworshipped by all the worlds when thou art gratified with me, I regard\nall my wishes in consequence of thy grace, as already fulfilled, O thou\nof excellent vows! If, O sinless one, I with my brothers deserve thy\nfavour, it behoveth thee, O best of Munis, to dispel the doubt that is\nin my mind. It behoveth thee to tell me in detail what merit is his that\ngoeth round the worlds, desirous of beholding the sacred waters and\nshrines that are on it.'\n\n\"Narada said, 'Listen, O king, with attention, to what the intelligent\nBhishma had heard before from Pulastya! Once, O blessed one, that\nforemost of virtuous men, Bhishma, while in the observance of the\n_Pitrya_ vow, lived, O king, in the company of Munis in a delightful and\nsacred region, near the source of the Ganga, that is resorted to by the\ncelestial Rishis and Gandharvas and the celestials themselves. And while\nliving there, the resplendent one gratified with his oblations the\n_Pitris_, the gods and the Rishis, according to the rites inculcated in\nthe scriptures. And once on a time while the illustrious one was engaged\nin his silent recitations, he beheld Pulastya--that best of Rishis, of\nwonderful appearance. And beholding that austere ascetic blazing with\nbeauty, he was filled with great delight and exceeding wonder. And, O\nBharata, that foremost of virtuous men, Bhishma, then worshipped that\nblessed Rishi according to the rites of the ordinance. And purifying\nhimself and with rapt attention, he approached that best of Brahmarshis,\nwith the _Arghya_ on his head. And uttering aloud his name, he said, \"O\nthou of excellent vow, blessed be thou, I am Bhishma, thy slave. At\nsight of thee, I am freed from all my sins.\" And saying this, that\nforemost of virtuous men, Bhishma, restraining speeches stood, O\nYudhishthira, in silence and with joined hands. And beholding Bhishma\nthat foremost of the Kurus, reduced and emaciated by the observance of\nvows and the study of the Vedas, the Muni became filled with joy.'\"\n\n\nSECTION LXXXII\n\n\"'Pulastya said, \"O thou of excellent vows, I have been much gratified\nwith thy humility, thy self-control, and thy truth, thou blessed one\nversed in morality! O sinless one, it is for this virtue of thine which\nthou hast acquired from regard to thy ancestors, that I have been\ngratified with thee and thou hast, O son, obtained a sight of my person.\nO Bhishma, my eyes can penetrate into everything. Tell me what I may do\nfor thee. O sinless one, O thou foremost of the Kuru race, I will grant\nthee whatever thou mayst ask me.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"O highly blessed one, when thou who art worshipped by\nthe three worlds hast been gratified with me and when I have obtained a\nsight of thy exalted self, I regard myself as already crowned with\nsuccess. But, O thou foremost of virtuous persons, if I have deserved\nthy favour, I will tell thee my doubts and it behoveth thee to dispel\nthem. O holy one, I have some religious doubts in respect of _tirthas_.\nSpeak of those to me in detail, I desire to hear thee. O thou that\nresemblest a celestial himself, what is his merit, O regenerate Rishi,\nwho goeth round the whole earth (visiting shrines). O tell me this with\ncertainty.\"\n\n\"'Pulastya said, \"O son, listen with attention. I will tell thee of the\nmerit which attacheth to _tirthas_ and which constituteth the refuge of\nthe Rishis. He whose hands and feet and mind and knowledge and\nasceticism and acts are under wholesome control, enjoyeth the fruits of\n_tirthas_. He who has ceased to accept gifts, he that is contented, he\nthat is free from pride enjoys the fruits of _tirthas_. He that is\nwithout sin, he that acts without purpose, he that eats light, he that\nhas his senses under control, he that is free from every sin, enjoys the\nfruits of _tirthas_. O king, he that is free from anger, he that\nadhereth to truth, he that is firm in vows, he that regardeth all\ncreatures as his own self, enjoyeth the fruits of _tirthas_. In the\nVedas the Rishis have declared in due order the sacrifices and also\ntheir fruits here and hereafter truly. O lord of earth, those sacrifices\ncannot be accomplished by him that is poor, for those sacrifices require\nvarious materials and diverse things in large measures. These, therefore\ncan be performed by kings or sometimes by other men of prosperity and\nwealth. O lord of men, that rite, however, which men without wealth,\nwithout allies, singly, without wife and children, and destitute of\nmeans, are capable of accomplishing and the merit of which is equal unto\nthe sacred fruits of sacrifices, I will now declare unto thee, thou best\nof warriors! O thou best of the Bharata race, sojourns in _tirthas_\nwhich are meritorious and which constitute one of the high mysteries of\nthe Rishis, are even superior to sacrifices. He is a poor man who having\ngone to a _tirtha_ hath not fasted for three nights, who hath not given\naway gold, and who hath not distributed kine. Indeed, one acquireth not,\nby the performance of the _Agnishtoma_ and other sacrifices\ndistinguished by large gifts, that merit which one requireth by a\nsojourn to a _tirtha_. In the world of men, there is that _tirtha_ of\nthe God of gods, celebrated over the three worlds by the name of\n_Pushkara_. One that sojourneth there becometh equal unto that deity. O\nhigh-souled son of the Kuru race, during the two twilights and mid-day\nthere is the presence of hundred thousand millions of _tirthas_ in\n_Pushkara_. The Adityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, the Sadhyas, the Maruts,\nthe Gandharvas, and the Apsaras are ever present, O exalted one, in\n_Pushkara_. It was there, O king, that the gods, the Daityas and\n_Brahmarshis_, having performed ascetic devotions there, obtained great\nmerit and finally attained to god-hood.\n\n\"'\"Men of self-control, by even thinking mentally of Pushkara, are\ncleansed from their sins, and regarded in heaven. O king, the\nillustrious grand-sire having the lotus for his seat, had dwelt with\ngreat pleasure in this _tirtha_. O blessed one, it was in Pushkara that\nthe gods with the Rishis having acquired of old great merit, finally\nobtained the highest success. The person who, devoted to the worship of\nthe gods and the _Pitris_, batheth in this _tirtha_, obtaineth, it hath\nbeen said by the wise, merit that is equal to ten times that of the\nhorse-sacrifice. Having gone to the Pushkara woods, he that feedeth even\none Brahmana, becometh happy here and hereafter, O Bhishma, for that\nact. He that supporteth himself on vegetables and roots and fruits, may\nwith pious regard and without disrespect, give even such fare to a\nBrahmana. And, O best of kings, the man of wisdom, even by such a gift,\nwill acquire the merit of a horse-sacrifice. Those illustrious persons\namong Brahmanas or Kshatriyas or Vaisyas or Sudras that bathe in\nPushkara are freed from the obligation of rebirth. That man in special\nwho visits Pushkara on the full moon of the month of _Karttika_,\nacquireth ever-lasting regions in the abode of Brahma. He that thinketh\nwith joined hands morning and evening, of the Pushkara, practically\nbatheth, O Bharata, in every _tirtha_. Whether a male or a female,\nwhatever sins one may commit since birth, are all destroyed as soon as\none batheth in Pushkara. As the slayer of Madhu is the foremost of all\nthe celestials, so is Pushkara, O king, the foremost of all _tirthas_. A\nman by residing with purity and regulated vows for twelve years in\nPushkara, acquireth the merit of all the sacrifices, and goeth to the\nabode of Brahma. The merit of one who performeth the _Agnihotra_ for\nfull one hundred years, is equal to that of him who resideth for the\nsingle month of _Karttika_ in Pushkara. There are three white hillocks\nand three springs known from the remotest times, we do not know why, by\nthe name of the Pushkara. It is difficult to go to Pushkara; it is\ndifficult to undergo ascetic austerities at Pushkara; it is difficult to\ngive away at Pushkara; and it is difficult to live at Pushkara.\n\n\"'\"Having dwelt for twelve nights at Pushkara with regulated diet and\nvows, and having walked round (the place), one must go to _Jamvu-marga_.\nOne that goeth to _Jamvu-marga_ which is resorted to by the celestials,\nthe Rishis, and the _Pitris_, acquireth the merit of the horse-sacrifice\nand the fruition of all his wishes. The man that resideth there for five\nnights, hath his soul cleansed from all sins. He never sinketh into\nhell, but acquireth high success. Leaving Jamvu-marga one must go to\n_Tandulikasrama_. He that goeth there never sinketh into hell but\nascendeth to the abode of Brahma. He that goeth to the lake of Agastya\nand occupieth himself with the worship of the _Pitris_ and celestials,\nfasting for three nights, acquireth, O king, the fruit of the\n_Agnishtoma_. Going thither, he that liveth on vegetables or fruits\nacquireth the status called _Kaumara_. One should next proceed to the\nbeautiful asylum of Kanwa, which is worshipped by the whole world. That\nsacred wood characterised by holiness, existeth, O bull of the Bharata\nrace, from very remote times. As soon as one entereth it, he is freed\nfrom all his sins. He who with regulated diet and vows worshippeth the\n_Pitris_ and the gods there, obtaineth the fruit of a sacrifice that is\ncapable of bestowing the fruition of all one's desires. Having walked\nround this asylum one must then go to the spot where Yayati fell (from\nheaven). He that goeth thither, acquireth the merit of a\nhorse-sacrifice. One must then go to _Mahakala_ with regulated diet and\nsenses subdued. And having bathed in the _tirtha_ called _Koti_, one\nobtaineth the merit of a horse-sacrifice. A virtuous man should next\nproceed to the _tirtha_ of Sthanu, the husband of Uma, known over the\nthree worlds by the name of _Bhadravata_. That best of men who goeth to\n_Bhadravata_, beholdeth Isana and obtaineth the fruit of a gift of a\nthousand kine. And through the grace of Mahadeva, he acquireth the\nstatus of _Ganapatya_ blessed with prosperity and peace and high grace.\nHaving arrived then at the _Narmada_, that river celebrated over the\nthree worlds, and given oblations of water to the _Pitris_ and the gods,\none acquireth the fruit of the horse-sacrifice. He that goeth into the\nSouthern ocean, practising the Brahmacharya mode of life, and with\nsenses subdued, acquireth the fruit of the _Agnishtoma_ sacrifice and\nascendeth to heaven. Having arrived at _Charmanwati_, with regulated\ndiet and senses subdued, one acquireth, at the command of Ramideva, the\nmerit of the _Agnishtoma_ sacrifice. One must then go, O virtuous chief\nof warriors, to _Arauda_, the son of Himavat, where there was a hole\nthrough the earth in days of yore. There is the asylum of Vasistha,\ncelebrated over the three worlds. Having resided for one night, one\nobtaineth the merit of the gift of a thousand kine. He that, leading a\nBrahmacharya mode of life batheth in the _tirtha_ called _Pinga_,\nobtaineth, O tiger among kings, the merit of the gift of a hundred\n_Kapila_ kine. One must next go, O king, to that excellent _tirtha_\ncalled _Prabhasa_. There Hutasana is always present in his own person.\nHe, the friend of Pavana, O hero, is the mouth of all the gods. The man\nthat with subdued and sanctified soul batheth in that _tirtha_,\nobtaineth merit greater than that of the _Agnishtoma_ or _Atimtra_\nsacrifices. Proceeding next to the spot where the Saraswati mingleth\nwith the sea, one obtaineth the fruit of the gift of a thousand kine and\nheaven also besides, O bull of the Bharata race, blazing forth for all\ntime like Agni himself. He that with subdued soul batheth in the\n_tirtha_ of the king of waters, and giveth oblations of water unto the\n_Pitris_ and the gods, living there for three nights, blazeth forth like\nthe Moon, and obtaineth also the fruit of the horse-sacrifice. One\nshould next proceed, O best of the Bharata, unto the _tirtha_ known by\nthe name of _Varadana_, where (the Rishi) Durvasa had given a boon unto\nVishnu. A man by bathing in Varadana obtaineth the fruit of the gift of\na thousand kine. One should next proceed with subdued senses and\nregulated diet to _Dwaravati_, where by bathing in _Pindaraka_, one\nobtaineth the fruit of the gift of gold in abundance. O blessed one, it\nis wonderful to relate that in that _tirtha_, to this day, coins with\nthe mark of the lotus and lotuses also with the mark of the trident, are\nseen, O represser of heroes! And O bull among men, the presence of\nMahadeva is there. Arriving then, O Bharata, at the spot where the\n_Sindhu_ mingleth with the sea, one should with subdued soul bathe in\nthat _tirtha_ of Varuna. And bathing there and giving oblations of water\nto the _Pitris_, the Rishis, and the gods one acquireth, O bull of the\nBharata race, the region of Varuna, and blazeth forth in effulgence of\nhis own. Men of wisdom say that, by worshipping the god known by the\nname of _Shankukarneswara_, one acquireth ten times the merit of the\nhorse-sacrifice. O bull of the Bharata race, having walked round that\n_tirtha_, one should, O thou foremost of the Kurus, go to that _tirtha_\ncelebrated over the three worlds and known by the name of _Drimi_. That\n_tirtha_ cleanseth from every sin, and it is there that the gods\nincluding Brahma worship Maheswara. Having bathed there and worshipped\nRudra surrounded by the other gods, one is freed from all sins since\nbirth. It was there, O best of men, that _Drimi_ was adored by all the\ngods. Bathing there, O best of men, one obtaineth the fruit of the\nhorse-sacrifice. O thou of great intelligence, Vishnu the creator of the\nuniverse, after slaying the Daityas and Danavas, went thither to purify\nhimself. O virtuous one, one should next proceed to _Vasudhara_ adored\nby all. The moment one arrives at that _tirtha_, one acquireth the fruit\nof the horse-sacrifice. And, O thou best of the Kurus, by bathing there\nwith subdued soul and rapt attention, and giving oblations of water unto\nthe gods and the _Pitris_ one ascendeth unto the region of Vishnu and is\nadored there. In that _tirtha_, O bull of the Bharata race, there is a\nsacred lake of the Vasus. By bathing there and drinking of its water,\none becometh regarded of the Vasus. There is a celebrated _tirtha_ of\nthe name of _Sindhuttama_, which destroyeth every sin. O best of men, by\nbathing there, one acquireth the fruit of the gift of gold in abundance.\nBy arriving at _Bhadratunga_ with sanctified soul and purity of conduct,\none acquireth the region of Brahma and a high state of blessedness.\nThere is then the _tirtha_ of the _Kumarikas_ of Indra, that is much\nresorted to by the _Siddhas_. O best of men, by bathing there, one\nobtaineth the region of Indra. In _Kumarika_ there is another _tirtha_\ncalled _Renuka_, which is also resorted to by the _Siddhas_. A Brahmana\nby bathing there would become as bright as the Moon. Proceeding next to\nthe tirtha called the _Panchananda_, with subdued sense and regulated\ndiet, one obtaineth the fruit of the five sacrifices that have been\nmentioned one after another in the scriptures. Then, O king, one should\ngo to the excellent region of Bhima. O best of the Bharatas by bathing\nin the _tirtha_ there, that is called _Yoni_, a man (in his next birth)\nbecometh, O king, the son of a goddess, bearing ear-rings decked with\npearls, and obtaineth also the merit of the gift of a hundred thousand\nkine. Proceeding next to _Srikunda_, celebrated over the three worlds\nand worshipping the grandsire, one obtaineth the fruit of the gift of a\nthousand kine. O virtuous one, one should then go to the excellent\ntirtha called _Vimala_, where to this day may be seen fishes of golden\nand silver hues. By bathing there, one soon acquireth the region of\nVasava, and his soul being cleansed from every sin, he attaineth to a\nhigh state of blessedness. Proceeding next to _Vitasta_ and giving\noblations of water unto the _Pitris_ and the gods, a man, O Bharata,\nobtaineth the fruit of the _Vajapeya_ sacrifice. That sin-destroying\ntirtha known by the name of _Vitasta_, is situate in the country of the\n_Kasmiras_ and is the abode of the Naga Takshaka. Bathing there, a man\ncertainly obtaineth the fruit of the _Vajapeya_ sacrifice, and his soul\ncleansed from every sin, he attaineth to a high state of blessedness.\nOne should next proceed to _Vadava_ celebrated over the three worlds.\nBathing there with due rites in the evening, one should offer rice\nboiled in butter and milk, according to the best of his might, unto the\ndeity of seven flames. Men of wisdom say that a gift made here in honour\nof the _Pitris_, becometh inexhaustible. The Rishis, the _Pitris_, the\ngods, the Gandharvas, several tribes of Apsaras, the Guhyakas, the\nKinnaras, the Yakshas, the _Siddhas_, the Vidhyadharas, the Rakshasas,\nDaityas, Rudras, and Brahma himself, O king, having with subdued senses,\naccepted a course of austerities for a thousand years in order to move\nVishnu to grace, cooked rice in milk and butter and gratified Kesava\nwith oblations, each offered with seven Riks. And, O king, the gratified\nKesava thereupon conferred on them the eight-fold attributes called\n_Aiswarya_ and other objects that they desired. And having bestowed upon\nthem these, that god disappeared in their sight like lightning in the\nclouds. And it is for this, O Bharata, that that _tirtha_ became known\nby the name of _Saptacharu_, and if one offereth _Charu_ there to the\nseven flamed deity, he obtaineth merit superior to that of the gift of a\nhundred thousand kine, to that of a hundred Rajasuya sacrifices, as also\nof a hundred horse-sacrifices. Leaving _Vadava_, O king, one should then\nproceed to Raudrapada, and beholding Mahadeva there one obtaineth the\nmerit of the horse-sacrifice. Proceeding then, with subdued soul and\nleading a Brahmacharya mode of life, to _Manirnat_, and residing there\nfor one night, one acquireth, O king, the merit of the _Agnishtoma_\nsacrifice. One should then go, O king, to _Devika_ celebrated over the\nwhole world. It was there, O bull of Bharata race, that, as heard by us,\nthe Brahmanas first sprang into existence. There also is the region of\nthe holder of the trident--a region that is celebrated over the world.\nHaving bathed in _Devika_ and worshipped Maheswara by offering him, to\nthe best of one's might, rice boiled in milk and butter, a man\nobtaineth, O bull of the Bharata race, the merit of a sacrifice that is\ncapable of filling every desire. There also is another _tirtha_ of Rudra\ncalled _Kamakhya_, which is much resorted to by the gods. Bathing there,\na man speedily obtaineth success. By touching also the water of\n_Yajana_, _Brahmavaluka_, and _Pushpamva_, one becometh free from sorrow\nin after life. The learned have said that the sacred _tirtha_ of\n_Devika_, the resort of the gods and the Rishis, is five _Yojanas_ in\nlength and half a _Yojana_ in breadth. One should then, in due order,\nproceed, O king, to _Dirghasatra_. There the gods with Brahma at their\nhead, the _Siddhas_, and the greatest Rishis, with regulated vows and\nthe recitation and acceptance of the preliminary pledge, perform the\nlong-extending sacrifice. O king, by going only to _Dirghasatra_, O\nrepresser of foes, one obtaineth merit that is superior, O Bharata, to\nthat of the Rajasuya or the horse-sacrifice. One should next proceed\nwith subdued senses and regulated diet to _Vinasana_, where _Saraswati_\ndisappearing on the breast of Meru, re-appeareth at _Chamasa_,\n_Shivodbheda_ and _Nagadbheda_. Bathing in _Chamasadbheda_, one\nobtaineth the merit of the _Agnishtoma_ sacrifice. Bathing in\n_Shivodbheda_, one acquireth the merit of the gift of a thousand kine.\nAnd bathing in _Nagodbheda_, one obtaineth the region of the Nagas. One\nshould proceed, next, to the inaccessible _tirtha_ of _Shasayana_, where\nthe cranes, O Bharata, disappearing in the form of _sasas_, re-appear\nevery year in the month of _Kavttika_, and bathe, O blessed chief of the\nBharata race, in the Sarasawati. Bathing there, O tiger among men, one\nblazeth forth like the Moon, and obtaineth, O bull of the Bharata race,\nthe merit of the gift of a thousand kine. One should next proceed, O\nthou of the Kuru race, to _Kumarakoti_, with subdued senses, and bathing\nthere, worship the gods and the _Puris_. By doing this, one obtaineth\nthe merit of the gift of ten thousand kine, and raiseth all his\nancestors to higher regions. One should next, O virtuous one, proceed\nwith subdued soul to _Rudrakoti_, where in olden days, O king, ten\nmillions of Munis had assembled. And, O king, filled with great joy at\nthe prospect of beholding Mahadeva, the Rishis assembled there, each\nsaying, '_I will first behold the god! I will first behold the god!_'\nAnd, O king, in order to prevent disputes amongst those Rishis of\nsubdued souls, the Lord of _Yoga_, by the help of his _Yoga_ power,\nmultiplied himself into ten million forms, and stood before every one of\nthem. And every one of these Rishis said, '_I have seen him first!_' And\ngratified, O king, with the deep devotion of those Munis of subdued\nsouls, Mahadeva granted them a boon, saying, '_From this day your\nrighteousness shall grow!_' And, O tiger among men, one that bathes,\nwith a pure mind, in _Rudrakoti_ obtaineth the merit of the\nhorse-sacrifice and delivereth his ancestors. One should next proceed, O\nking, to that highly sacred and celebrated region where the Saraswati\nmingles with the sea. Thither, O king, the gods with Brahma at their\nhead and Rishis with wealth of asceticism repair for adoring Kesava on\nthe fourteenth day of the lighted fortnight of the month of Chaitra.\nBathing there, O tiger among men, one obtaineth the merit of giving away\ngold in abundance, and his soul being cleansed from every sin, he\nascendeth to the region of Brahma. It is there, O king, that the Rishis\nhave completed many a sacrifice. By a trip to that spot one obtaineth\nthe merit of the gifts of a thousand kine.\"'\"\n\n\nSECTION LXXXIII\n\n\"'Pulastya said, \"One should next proceed, O king, to the adored\nKurukshetra at sight of which all creatures are freed from their sins.\nHe is freed from all sins who constantly sayeth, '_I will live in\nKurukshetra_.' The very dust of Kurukshetra, conveyed by the wind,\nleadeth a sinful man to a blessed course (in after-life). They that\ndwell in Kurukshetra which lieth to the south of the Saraswati and the\nnorth of the Drishadwati, are said to dwell in heaven. O hero, one\nshould reside there, O thou foremost of warriors, for a month. There, O\nlord of earth, the gods with Brahma at their head, the Rishis, the\nSiddhas, the Charanas, the Gandharvas, the Apsaras, the Yakshas and the\nNagas, often repair, O Bharata, to the highly sacred Brahmakshetra. O\nforemost of warriors, the sins of one that desireth to repair to\nKurukshetra even mentally are all destroyed, and he finally goeth into\nthe region of Brahma. O son of the Kuru race, by repairing to\nKurukshetra in a pious frame of mind, one obtaineth the fruit of the\nRajasuya and horse sacrifices. By saluting next the Yaksha called\nMankanaka, that mighty gate-keeper (of Kuvera), he obtaineth the fruit\nof giving away a thousand kine. O virtuous king, one should next repair\nto the excellent region of Vishnu, where Hari is always present. Bathing\nthere and bowing down unto Hari, the Creator of the three worlds, one\nobtaineth the fruit of the horse-sacrifice and repaireth to the abode of\nVishnu. One should next repair to Pariplava, that _tirtha_ celebrated\nover the three worlds, and (bathing there), O Bharata, one obtaineth\nmerit that is greater than that of the _Agnishtoma_ and the _Atiratra_\nsacrifices. Repairing next to the _tirtha_ called Prithivi, one\nobtaineth the fruit of the gift of a thousand kine. The pilgrim should\nnext, O king, proceed to Shalukini and bathing there in the Dasaswamedha\none obtaineth the merit of ten horse-sacrifices. Proceeding next to\n_Sarpadevi_, that excellent _tirtha_ of the Nagas, one obtaineth the\nmerit of the _Agnishtoma_ sacrifice and attaineth to the region of the\nNagas. O virtuous one, one should next proceed to _Tarantuka_, the\ngatekeeper, and residing there for one night one obtaineth the merit of\ngiving away a thousand kine. Proceeding next with subdued senses and\nregulated diet to _Panchananda_ and bathing in the _tirtha_ there,\ncalled _Koti_, one obtaineth the fruit of the horse-sacrifice.\nProceeding then to the _tirtha_ of the twin _Aswins_ one obtaineth\npersonal beauty. O virtuous one, one should next proceed to the\nexcellent _tirtha_ called _Varaha_, where Vishnu formerly stood in the\nform of a boar. Bathing there one obtaineth, O foremost of men, the\nmerit of the horse-sacrifice. One should next, O king, repair to the\n_tirtha_ called _Sama_ in Jayanti. Bathing there one obtaineth the merit\nof Rajasuya sacrifice. By bathing in _Ekahansa_, a man obtaineth the\nmerit of giving away a thousand kine. O king, a pilgrim repairing to\n_Kritasaucha_ obtaineth the lotus-eyed deity (Vishnu) and perfect purity\nof soul. One should next proceed to _Munjavata_, that spot sacred to the\nillustrious _Sthanu_. Residing there without food for one night, one\nobtaineth the status called _Ganapatya_. There, O king, is the\ncelebrated _tirtha_ called _Yakshini_. O king, repairing to that\n_tirtha_ and bathing there, one obtaineth fruition of all his desires. O\nbull of the Bharata race, that _tirtha_ is regarded as the gate of\n_Kurukshetra_. The pilgrim should with concentrated soul, walk round it.\nEqual unto the Pushkaras, it was created by the high-souled Rama, the\nson of Jamadagni. Bathing there and worshipping the _Pitris_ and the\ngods, one obtaineth, O king, the merit of the horse-sacrifice and\nbecometh successful in everything. The pilgrim should next repair with\nconcentrated soul to the _Rama-hrada_. There, O king, the heroic Rama of\nresplendent energy, exterminating the Kshatriyas by his might, dug five\nlakes and filled them, O tiger among men, with the blood of his victims,\nas heard by us. And having filled those lakes with Kshatriya blood, Rama\noffered oblations of blood to his sires and grandsires. Gratified (with\nthe oblations) those Rishis then addressed Rama and said, 'O Rama, O\nRama, O thou of great good fortune, we have been gratified with thee, O\nthou of the Bhrigu race, for this thy regard for the Pitris, and thy\nprowess, O exalted one! Blessed be thou and ask thou the boon thou\nchoosest. What is that thou desirest, O thou of great splendour!' Thus\naddressed (by them), Rama, that foremost of smiters, said with joined\nhands these words unto the _Pitris_, stationed in the firmament, 'If ye\nhave been gratified with me, if I have deserved your favour, I desire\nthis favour of the Pitris, _viz_., that I may have pleasure again in\nascetic austerities. Let me also, through your power, be freed from the\nsin I have committed by exterminating, from wrath, the Kshatriya race.\nLet also my lakes become _tirthas_ celebrated over the world.' The\nPitris, hearing these blessed words of Rama, were highly gratified, and\nfilled with joy they answered him saying, 'Let thy asceticism increase\nin consequence of thy regard for the Pitris. Thou hast exterminated the\nKshatriyas from wrath. Freed art thou already from that sin, for they\nhave perished as a consequence of their own misdeeds. Without doubt,\nthese lakes of thine will become _tirthas_. And if one, bathing in these\nlakes, offereth oblations of the water thereof to the _Pitris_, the\nlatter gratified with him will grant him desire, difficult of fulfilment\nin the world as also eternal heaven.' O king, having granted him these\nboons, the Pitris joyfully saluted Rama of the Bhrigu race and\ndisappeared there and then. It was thus that the lakes of the\nillustrious Rama of the Bhrigu race became sacred. Leading a\nBrahmacharya mode of life and observing sacred vows, one should bathe in\nthe lakes of Rama. Bathing therein and worshipping Rama, one obtaineth,\nO king, the merit of gift of gold in abundance. Proceeding next, O son\nof the Kuru race, to _Vansamulaka_, a pilgrim by bathing there, raiseth,\nO king, his own race. O best of the Bharatas, arriving next at the\n_tirtha_ called _Kayasodhana_, and bathing there, one purifieth, without\ndoubt, his body, and proceeded with purified body to the blessed region\nof unrivalled excellence. One should next repair, O virtuous one, to\nthat _tirtha_, celebrated over the three worlds, called _Lokoddara_,\nwhere formerly Vishnu of great prowess had created the worlds. Arriving\nat that _tirtha_ which is adored by the three worlds one earneth, O\nking, by bathing there, numerous worlds for himself. Repairing next with\nsubdued soul to the _tirtha_ called _Sree_, one acquires, by bathing\nthere and worshipping the Pitris and the gods, high prosperity. Leading\na Brahmacharya mode of life and with concentrated soul, one should\nproceed next to the _tirtha_ called _Kapila_. Bathing there and\nworshipping one's own Pitris and the gods, a man earneth the fruit of\nthe gift of a thousand Kapila kine. Repairing next to the _tirtha_\ncalled _Surya_ and bathing there with subdued soul and worshipping the\nPitris and the gods, fasting all the while, one obtaineth the fruit of\nthe _Agnishtoma_ sacrifice and goeth (finally) to the region of the Sun.\nThe pilgrim by proceeding next to Gobhavana and bathing there obtaineth\nthe merit of the gift of a thousand kine. O son of the Kuru race, a\npilgrim by repairing then to the _tirtha_ called _Shankhini_ and bathing\nin the _Devi-tirtha_ that is there, obtaineth high prowess. O king, one\nshould then proceed to the _tirtha_ called _Tarandaka_ situated in the\nSaraswati and belonging to the illustrious chief of the Yakshas who is\none of the gate-keepers (of Kuvera). O king, bathing there one obtaineth\nthe fruit of the _Agnishtoma_ sacrifice. O virtuous king, one should\nnext repair to the _tirtha_ called _Brahmavarta_. Bathing in\n_Brahmavarta_, one ascendeth to the abode of Brahma. O king, one should\nthen repair to the excellent _tirtha_ called _Sutirtha_. There the\nPitris are ever present along with the gods. One should bathe there and\nworship the Pitris and the gods. By so doing, one obtaineth the merit of\nthe horse-sacrifice and goeth (finally) into the region of the Pitris.\nIt is for this, O virtuous one, that _Sutirtha_ situate in _Amvumati_ is\nregarded as so excellent. And, O thou best of the Bharata race, having\nbathed in the _tirtha_ of _Kasiswara_, one becometh freed from all\ndiseases and is adored in the abode of Brahma. There in that _tirtha_,\nis another called _Matri_. One that bathes in _Matri tirtha_ hath a\nlarge progeny and obtaineth, O king, great prosperity. One should next\nproceed with subdued sense and regulated diet to the _tirtha_ called\n_Shitavana_. And, O great king, it hath been seen that one merit of that\n_tirtha_ which rarely belongs to any other, is that one only going\nthither obtaineth holiness. By casting off his hair in that _tirtha_ one\nacquireth, O Bharata, great sanctity. There, in that _tirtha_, is\nanother called _Shwavillomapaha_, where, O tiger among men, and chief of\nthe Bharata race, learned Brahmanas that go to _tirthas_ obtain great\nsatisfaction by a dip into its waters. Good Brahmanas, O king, by\ncasting off their hair in that _tirtha_ acquire holiness by _Pranayama_\nand finally attain to a high state. There, O king, in that _tirtha_ is\nalso another called _Dasaswamedhika_. Bathing there, O tiger among men,\none attains to a high state. One should next proceed, O king, to the\ncelebrated _tirtha_ called _Manusha_ where, O king, a number of black\nantelopes afflicted by the hunter's arrows, plunging into its waters,\nwere transformed into human beings. Bathing in that _tirtha_, leading a\n_Brahmacharya_ mode of life and with concentrated soul, a man becomes\nfreed from all his sins and is adored in heaven. Distant by a _krosa_, O\nking, to the east of _Manusha_ there is a river celebrated by the name\nof _Apaga_ that is resorted to by the _Siddhas_. The man that offereth\nthere the _syamaka_ grain in honour of the gods and the Pitris acquireth\ngreat religious merit. And if one Brahmana is fed there, it becomes\nequivalent to feeding ten millions of Brahmanas. Having bathed in that\n_tirtha_ and worshipped the gods and the Pitris and resided there for\none night, a man obtaineth the merit of the _Agnishtoma_ sacrifice. One\nshould then repair, O king, to that excellent region of Brahma which, O\nBharata, is known on earth by the name of _Brahmodumvara_. Bathing in\nthe tank of the seven Rishis that is there, O bull among men, with pure\nmind and subdued soul, as also in the _tirtha_ called _Kedara_ of the\nhigh-souled _Kapila_, and beholding Brahma who is there, one's soul\nbeing purified from all sins, one goeth to the abode of Brahma.\nProceeding next to the inaccessible _tirtha_ called _Kedara of Kapila_,\nand burning one's sins there by ascetic penances, one acquireth the\npower of disappearance at will. One should next proceed, O king, to the\ncelebrated _tirtha_ called _Saraka_, and beholding Mahadeva there on the\nfourteenth day of the dark fortnight, one obtaineth all his wishes and\ngoeth also into heaven. O son of the Kuru race, in _Saraka_ and\n_Rudrakoti_ as also in the well and the lakes that are there, thirty\nmillions of _tirthas_ are present. There in that _tirtha_, O chief of\nthe Bharatas, is another called _Ilaspada_. Bathing there and\nworshipping the gods and the Pitris, one never sinketh into hell but\nobtaineth the fruit of the _Vajapeya_ sacrifice. Repairing next to\n_Kindana_ and _Kinjapya_, one acquireth, O Bharata, the merit of giving\naway in measureless abundance and the infinite recitation of prayers.\nRepairing next to the _tirtha_ called _Kalasi_ and bathing there\ndevoutly and with the senses under control, a man obtaineth the fruit of\nthe _Agnishtoma_ sacrifice. To the east of _Saraka_, O chief of the\nKurus, there is an auspicious _tirtha_ known by the name of _Anajanma_,\nof the high-souled Narada. He that bathes there, O Bharata, obtaineth,\nafter death, at the command of Narada various unrivalled regions. One\nshould next proceed, on the tenth day of the lighted fortnight, to the\n_tirtha_ called _Pundarika_. Bathing there, O king, one obtaineth the\nmerit of the _Pundarika_ sacrifice. One should next proceed to the\n_tirtha_ called _Tripishtapa_ that is known over the three worlds. There\nin that _tirtha_ is the sacred and sin-destroying river called\n_Vaitarani_. Bathing there and adoring the god known by the mark of the\nbull and holding the trident in his hand, one's soul being purified from\nevery sin one attaineth to the highest state. One should next proceed, O\nking, to the excellent _tirtha_ called _Phalakivana_. There in that\n_tirtha_ the gods, O monarch, having been present, performed their\nascetic austerities extending for many thousand years. One should then\nproceed to the _Dhrishadwati_. Bathing there and worshipping the gods,\none obtaineth, O Bharata, merit that is superior to that of both the\n_Agnishtoma_ and the _Atiratra_ sacrifices. O chief of the Bharatas,\nbathing in that _tirtha_ called _Sarvadeva_, a man obtaineth, O king,\nthe merit of giving away a thousand kine. Bathing next in the _tirtha_\ncalled _Panikhata_ and worshipping all the gods, a man obtaineth merit\nthat is superior to that of both the _Agnishtoma_ and the _Atiratra_\nsacrifices, besides acquiring that of the _Rajasuya_ sacrifice and\nfinally going into the region of the Rishis. One should next proceed, O\nvirtuous one, to that excellent _tirtha_ called _Misraka_. There, O\ntiger among kings, it hath been heard by us that the high-souled Vyasa,\nfor the sake of the Brahmanas, hath mixed all the _tirthas_. He,\ntherefore, that bathes in _Misraka_ really bathes in all the _tirtha_.\nOne should next proceed with subdued senses and regulated diet, to the\n_tirtha_ called _Vyasavana_. Bathing in the _tirtha_ called _Manojava_\nthat is there, one obtaineth the merit of the gift of a thousand kine.\nProceeding next to the _Devi tirtha_ that is in _Madhuvati_, one that\nbathes there and worships the gods and the Pitris obtains at the command\nof the Goddess the merit of the gift of a thousand kine. Proceeding with\nregulated diet, he that bathes in the confluence of the _Kausiki_ and\nthe _Drishadwati_, becometh free from all his sins. One should next\nproceed to _Vyasasthali_ where Vyasa of great intelligence, burning with\ngrief for his son had resolved to cast off his body but was cheered\nagain by the gods. Proceeding to that spot of Vyasa, one obtaineth the\nmerit of a thousand kine. O son of the Kuru race, proceeding next to the\nwell called _Kindatta_, he that throweth into it a measure of sesame, is\nfreed from all his debts and obtaineth his success. Bathing in the\n_tirtha_ called _Vedi_, one obtaineth the merit of the gift of a\nthousand kine. There are two other celebrated tirthas called _Ahas_ and\n_Sudina_. Bathing there, O tiger among men, one goeth to the region of\nthe Sun. One should next proceed to the _tirtha_ called _Mrigadhuma_\nthat is celebrated throughout the three worlds. One should bathe there,\nO king, in Ganga. Bathing there and worshipping Mahadeva, one obtaineth\nthe merit of the horse-sacrifice. Bathing next in the _Devi tirtha_ one\nobtaineth the merit of the gift of a thousand kine. One should then\nproceed to _Vamanaka_ celebrated over the three worlds. Bathing there in\n_Vishnupada_ and worshipping Vamana one's soul being purified from every\nsin, one goeth to the abode of Vishnu. Bathing next in Kulampuna, one\nsanctifieth his own race. Proceeding then to the _Pavana-hrada_, that\nexcellent _tirtha_ of the _Marutas_, and bathing there, O king and tiger\namong men, one becometh adored in the region of the Wind-god. Bathing in\nthe _Amara-hrada_ and worshipping with devotion the chief of the\ncelestials, one becometh adored in heaven and courseth, seated on an\nexcellent car, in the company of the immortals. O best of great men,\nbathing next with due rites in the _tirtha_ called _Salisurya_, of\n_Salihotra_, one obtaineth the merit of the gift of a thousand kine. O\nbest of the Bharatas, there is a tirtha called _Sreekunja_ in the\nSaraswati. Bathing there, O best of men, one obtaineth the merit of the\n_Agnishtoma_ sacrifice. O son of the Kuru race, one should next repair\nto _Naimishakunja_. O king, the Rishis engaged in ascetic austerities in\nthe woods of _Naimisha_ had, in days of old, taking the vow of\npilgrimage, gone to Kurukshetra. There, on the banks of the Saraswati, O\nchief of the Bharatas, a grove was made, which might serve for a resting\nspot for themselves, and which was highly gratifying to them. Bathing in\nthe _Saraswati_ there, one obtaineth the merit of the _Agnishtoma_\nsacrifice. One should next proceed, O virtuous one, to the excellent\n_tirtha_ called _Kanya_. Bathing there one obtaineth the merit of the\ngift of a thousand kine. One should next proceed to the excellent\n_tirtha_ of _Brahma_. Bathing there, a person, of the (three) inferior\norders, obtaineth the status of a Brahmana, and if one be a Brahmana,\nhis soul being purified from every sin, he attaineth to the highest\nstate. One should then, O best of men, proceed to the excellent _tirtha_\ncalled _Soma_. Bathing there, O king, one obtaineth the region of\n_Soma_. One should next proceed, O king, to the _tirtha_ called\n_Saptasaraswata_, where the celebrated Rishi, Mankanaka, had obtained\nascetic success. O king, it hath been heard by us that in days of old\nMankanaka having cut his hand with the pointed blade of the Kusa grass,\nthere flowed from his wound vegetable juice (instead of blood). And\nbeholding vegetable juice flow from his wound, the Rishi began to dance\nwith wonder-expanded eyes. And as the Rishi danced, all the mobile and\nimmobile creatures also, overwhelmed with his prowess, began to dance\nwith him. Then, O king, the gods with Brahma at their head and Rishis\nendued with the wealth of asceticism moved by the act of Mankanaka,\nrepresented the matter to Mahadeva, saying, 'It behoveth thee, O god, to\nact in such a way that this Rishi may not dance.' Thus addressed,\nMahadeva, with heart filled with joy, approached the dancing Rishi, and\nmoved by the desire of doing good to the gods, said, 'O great Rishi, O\nvirtuous one, why dost thou dance? O bull among Munis, what can be the\nreason of this thy present joy?' The Rishi answered, 'O best of\nBrahmanas, I am an ascetic that tread the path of virtue. Dost thou not\nbehold, O Brahmana, that vegetable juice floweth from the wound in my\nhand? Filled with great joy at sight of this, I am dancing.' Addressing\nthe Rishi blinded by emotion, the god laughingly said, 'O Brahmana, I do\nnot wonder at this. Behold me.' Having said this, O best of men,\nMahadeva, O sinless king, pressed his thumb by the tip of his own\nfinger. And, lo, from the wound thus inflicted, there came out ashes\nwhite as snow. And beholding this, O king, that Muni became ashamed and\nfell at the feet of the god. And believing that there was nothing better\nand greater than the god Rudra, he began to adore him in these words: 'O\nholder of the trident, thou art the refuge of the celestials and the\nAsuras, of, indeed, the universe. By thee have been created the three\nworlds with their mobile and immobile beings. It is thou again that\nswallowest everything at the end of the Yuga. Thou art incapable of\nbeing known by the gods themselves, far less by me. O sinless one, the\ngods with Brahma at their head are all displayed in thee. Thou art all,\nthe Creator himself and the Ordainer of the worlds. It is by thy grace\nthat all the gods sport without anxiety or fear.' And adoring Mahadeva\nthus the Rishi also said, 'O god of gods, grant me thy grace, so that my\nasceticism may not diminish.' Then that god of cheerful soul answered\nthe regenerate Rishi,--saying, 'Let thy asceticism, O Brahmana, increase\na thousandfold through my grace. And, O great Muni, I shall dwell with\nthee in this thy asylum. Bathing in _Saptasaraswata_, they that will\nworship me, shall be able to attain everything here and hereafter. And,\nwithout doubt, they shall all attain to the _Saraswata_ region in the\nend.' Having said this, Mahadeva disappeared then and there. After\nvisiting _Saraswata_, one should proceed to _Ausanasa_ celebrated over\nthe three worlds. There, O Bharata, the gods with Brahma at their head,\nand Rishis endued with wealth of asceticism, and the illustrious\nKartikeya, were ever present during two twilights and the mid-day,\nimpelled by the desire of doing good to Bhargava. There in that _tirtha_\nis another called _Kapalamochana_, which cleanseth from every sin. O\ntiger among men, bathing there one is cleansed from every sin. One\nshould then proceed to the _tirtha_ called _Agni_. Bathing there, O bull\namong men, one obtaineth the regions of _agni_ and raiseth his own race\n(from lower regions). There in that _tirtha_ is another, O chief of the\nBharatas, that belongeth to Viswamitra. Bathing there, O best of men,\none obtaineth the status of a Brahmana. Proceeding next to Brahmayoni in\npurity of body and with subdued soul, one obtaineth, O tiger among men,\nby bathing there, the abode of Brahma, and sanctifieth, without doubt,\nhis own race to the seventh generation up and down. One should next\nproceed, O king, to the _tirtha_ celebrated over the three worlds, which\nis called _Prithudaka_, belonging to Kartikeya. One should bathe there\nand occupy oneself in the worship of the Pitris and the gods. Whatever\nevil hath been committed, knowingly or unknowingly, by man or woman,\nimpelled by human motives, is all destroyed, O Bharata, by a bath in\nthat _tirtha_. Bathing there one obtaineth, too, the merit of the\nhorse-sacrifice and heaven also. The learned have said that\n_Kurukshetra_ is holy; that holier than _Kurukshetra_ is the\n_Saraswati_; that holier than the Saraswati are all the _tirthas_\ntogether, and that holier than all the _tirthas_ together is\n_Prithudaka_. He that engaged in the recitation of prayers casteth off\nhis body at Prithudaka, which is the best of all _tirthas_, becometh an\nimmortal. It hath been sung by Sanatkumara and by the high-souled Vyasa,\nand it is in the Vedas also, that one should, O king, go to Prithudaka,\nwith subdued soul. O son of Kuru race, there is no _tirtha_ which is\nsuperior to Prithudaka. Without doubt, that _tirtha_ is purifying, holy\nand sin-destroying. O best of men, it hath been said by learned persons\nthat men, however sinful, by bathing in Prithudaka, go to heaven. O best\nof the Bharatas, there in that _tirtha_ is another called _Madhusrava_.\nBathing there, O king, one obtaineth the merit of giving away a thousand\nkine. One should then proceed, O king, to that celebrated and sacred\n_tirtha_ where the Saraswati uniteth with the Aruna. One that batheth\nthere, having fasted for three nights, is cleansed of even the sin of\nslaying a Brahmana, and obtaineth also merit that is superior to that of\neither the _Agnishtoma_ or _Atiratra_ sacrifice, and rescueth his race\nto the seventh generation up and down. There in that _tirtha_ is\nanother, O perpetuator of the Kuru race, that is called Ardhakila. From\ncompassion for the Brahmanas, that _tirtha_ was made by Darbhi in days\nof old. Without doubt, by vows, by investiture of the sacred, by fasts,\nby rites and by _Mantras_, one becometh a Brahmana. O bull among men, it\nhath been seen, however, by learned persons of old that even one\ndestitute of rites and _Mantras_, by only bathing in that _tirtha_\nbecometh learned and endued with the merit of vows. Darbhi had also\nbrought hither the four oceans. O best of men, one that batheth here,\nnever meeteth with distress hereafter and obtaineth also the merit of\ngiving away four thousand kine. One should next repair, O virtuous one,\nto the _tirtha_ called _Satasahasraka_. Near to this is another called\n_Sahasraka_. Both are celebrated, and one that batheth in them,\nobtaineth the merit of giving away a thousand kine. Fasts and gifts\nthere multiply a thousandfold. One should next proceed, O king, to the\nexcellent _tirtha_ called _Renuka_. One should bathe there and worship\nthe _Pitris_ and the gods. By this, cleansed from every sin, he\nobtaineth the merit of the _Agnishtoma_ sacrifice. Bathing next in the\n_tirtha_ called _Vimochana_ with passions and senses under control, one\nis cleansed from all the sins generated by the acceptance of gifts. With\nsenses under control and practising the Brahmacharya mode of life, one\nshould next repair to the woods of Panchavati. By a sojourn thither, one\nearneth much virtue and becometh adored in the regions of the virtuous.\nOne should next go to the _tirtha_ of _Varuna_ called _Taijasa_, blazing\nin effulgence of its own. There in that _tirtha_ is the lord of Yoga,\nSthanu himself, having for his vehicle the bull. He that sojourneth\nthere, obtaineth success by worshipping the god of gods. It was there\nthat the gods with Brahma at their head and Rishis endued with wealth of\nasceticism, installed Guha as the generalissimo of the celestials. To\nthe east of that _tirtha_ is another, O perpetuator of Kuru race, that\nis called Kuru _tirtha_. With senses under control and leading a\nBrahmacharya mode of life, he that bathes in _Kuru-tirtha_, becometh\ncleansed of all his sins and obtaineth the region of Brahma. With\nsubdued senses and regulated diet one should next proceed to\n_Svargadwara_. Sojourning thither, one obtaineth the merit of the\n_Agnishtoma_ sacrifice and goeth to the abode of Brahma. The pilgrim\nshould then, O king, proceed to the _tirtha_ called _Anaraka_. Bathing\nthere, O king, one never meeteth with distress hereafter. There, O king,\nBrahma himself with the other gods having Narayana at their head, is\never present, O tiger among men! And, O royal son of the Kuru race, the\nwife also of Rudra is present there. Beholding the goddess, one never\nmeeteth with distress hereafter. There in that _tirtha_ O king, is also\n(an image of) _Visweswara_, the lord of Uma. Beholding the god of gods\nthere, one is cleansed of all his sins. Beholding also (the image of)\n_Narayana_ from whose navel had sprung the lotus, one blazeth forth, O\nroyal represser of all foes, and goeth to the abode of Vishnu. O bull\namong men, he that batheth in the _tirthas_ of all the gods, is exempted\nfrom every sorrow and blazeth forth like the Moon. The pilgrim should\nnext proceed, O king, to _Swastipura_. By walking around that place, one\nobtaineth the merit of giving away a thousand kine. Arriving next at the\n_tirtha_ called _Pavana_, one should offer oblations to the _Pitris_ and\nthe gods. By this, he obtaineth, O Bharata, the merit of the\n_Agnishtoma_ sacrifice. Near to that is _Ganga-hrada_, and another, O\nBharata, called _Kupa_. Thirty millions of _tirthas_, O king, are\npresent in that Kupa. Bathing there, O king, a person obtaineth heaven.\nBathing also in the _Ganga-hrada_ and adoring Maheswara, one obtaineth\nthe status of _Ganapatya_ and rescueth his own race. One should next\nproceed to _Sthanuvata_, celebrated over the three worlds. Bathing\nthere, O king, one obtaineth heaven. One should then proceed to\n_Vadanpachana_, the asylum of _Vasishtha_. Having fasted there for three\nnights, one should eat jujubes. He that liveth on jujubes for twelve\nyears, and he that fasteth at the _tirtha_ for three nights, acquireth\nmerit that is eternal. Arriving then at _Indramarga_, O king, and\nfasting there for a day and night the pilgrim becometh adored in the\nabode of Indra. Arriving next at the _tirtha_ called _Ekaratra_, a\nperson that stayeth there for one night, with regulated vows and\nrefraining from untruth, becometh adored in the abode of Brahma. One\nshould next go, O king, to the asylum of _Aditya_--that illustrious god\nwho is a mass of effulgence. Bathing in that tirtha celebrated over\nthree worlds, and worshipping the god of light, one goeth to the region\nof Aditya and rescueth his own race. The pilgrim then, O king, bathing\nin the _tirtha_ of _Soma_, obtaineth, without doubt, the region of Soma.\nOne should next proceed, O virtuous one, to the most sacred _tirtha_ of\nthe illustrious _Dadhicha_, that sanctifying _tirtha_ which is\ncelebrated over the whole world. It was here that Angiras, that ocean of\nascetic austerities belonging to the Saraswata race, was born. Bathing\nin that _tirtha_, one obtaineth the merit of the horse-sacrifice, and\nwithout doubt, gaineth also residence in the region of Saraswati. With\nsubdued senses and leading a Brahmacharya mode of life, one should next\nproceed to _Kanyasrama_. Residing there for three nights, O king, with\nsubdued senses and regulated diet, one obtaineth a hundred celestial\ndamsels and goeth also to the abode of Brahma. One should next, O\nvirtuous one, proceed to the _tirtha_ called _Sannihati_. Sojourning\nthither the gods with Brahma at their head and Rishis endued with wealth\nof asceticism earn much virtue. Bathing in the Saraswati during a solar\neclipse, one obtaineth the merit of a hundred horse-sacrifices, and any\nsacrifice that one may perform there produceth merit that is eternal.\nWhatever _tirthas_ exist on earth or in the firmament, all the rivers,\nlakes, smaller lakes, springs, tanks, large and small, and spots sacred\nto particular gods, without doubt, all come, O tiger among men, month\nafter month, and mingle with _Sannihati_, O king of men! And it is\nbecause that all other _tirthas_ are united together here, that this\n_tirtha_ is so called. Bathing there and drinking of its water, one\nbecometh adored in heaven. Listen now, O king, to the merit acquired by\nthat mortal who performeth a _Sraddha_ on the day of the new moon during\na solar eclipse. The person that performeth a _Sraddha_ there, after\nhaving bathed in that _tirtha_, obtaineth the merit that one earneth by\nproperly celebrating a thousand horse-sacrifices. Whatever sins a man or\nwoman committeth, are, without doubt, all destroyed as soon as one\nbatheth in that _tirtha_. Bathing there one also ascendeth to the abode\nof Brahma on the lotus-coloured car. Bathing next in _Koti-tirtha_,\nafter having worshipped the Yaksha doorkeeper, Machakruka, one obtaineth\nthe merit of giving away gold in abundance. Near to this, O best of the\nBharatas, is a _tirtha_ called _Ganga-hrada_. One should bathe there, O\nvirtuous one, with subdued soul and leading a Brahmacharya mode of life.\nBy this, one obtaineth merit that is greater than that of a Rajasuya and\nhorse-sacrifices. The _tirtha_ called _Naimisha_ is productive of good\non earth. _Pushkara_ is productive of good in the regions of the\nfirmament; _Kurukshetra_, however, is productive of good in respect of\nall the three worlds. Even the dust of Kurukshetra, carried by the wind,\nleadeth sinful men to a highly blessed state. They that reside in\nKurukshetra, which lieth to the north of the Drishadwati and the south\nof the Saraswati, really reside in heaven. '_I will go to Kurukshetra,'\n'I will dwell in Kurukshetra_,' he that uttereth those words even once,\nbecometh cleansed of all sins. The sacred _Kurukshetra_ which is\nworshipped by Brahmarshis, is regarded as the sacrificial altar of the\ncelestials. Those mortals that dwell there, have nothing to grieve for\nat any time. That which lieth between Tarantuka and Arantuka and the\nlakes of Rama and Machakruka is Kurukshetra. It is also called\n_Samantapanchaka_ and is said to be the northern sacrificial altar of\nthe Grandsire.\"'\"\n\n\nSECTION LXXXIV\n\n\"'Pulastya said, \"Then, O great king, one should proceed to the\nexcellent _tirtha_ of _Dharma_, where the illustrious god of justice had\npractised highly meritorious austerities. And it is for this that he\nmade the spot a sacred _tirtha_ and rendered it celebrated by his own\nname. Bathing there, O king, a virtuous man with concentrated soul\ncertainly sanctifieth his family to the seventh generation. One should\nthen repair, O king, to the excellent _Jnanapavana_. Sojourning thither,\none obtaineth the merit of the _Agnishtoma_ sacrifice, and goeth to the\nregion of the Munis. Then, O monarch, a man should repair to the\n_Saugandhika-vana_. There dwell the celestials with Brahma at their\nhead, Rishis endued with wealth of asceticism, the Siddhas, the\nCharanas, the Gandharvas, the Kinnaras and the serpents. As soon as one\nentereth these woods, he is cleansed of all his sins. Then, O king,\nshould one repair to the sacred goddess Saraswati, known there as the\ngoddess Plaksha, that best of streams and foremost of rivers. There\nshould one bathe in the water issuing from an ant-hill. (Bathing there\nand) worshipping the Pitris and the gods, one obtaineth the merit of the\nhorse-sacrifice. There existeth a rare _tirtha_ called _Isanadhyushita_,\nlying from the ant-hill at the distance of six throws of a heavy stick.\nAs seen in the Puranas, O tiger among men, bathing there a man obtaineth\nthe merit of giving away a thousand Kapila kine and of the\nhorse-sacrifice. Journeying next, O foremost of men, to _Sugandha_, and\n_Satakumbha_ and _Pancha-yaksha_, a man becometh adored in heaven.\nRepairing to another _tirtha_ there called _Trisulakhata_, one should\nbathe and set himself to worship the Pitris and the gods. Doing so,\nwithout doubt, one obtaineth, after death, the status of _Ganapatya_.\nOne should next proceed, O king, to the excellent spot of the Goddess\ncelebrated over the three worlds by the name of _Sakamvari_. There, for\nthe space of a thousand celestial years, she of excellent vows, month\nafter month, had subsisted upon herbs, O king of men! And attracted by\ntheir reverence for the Goddess, many Rishis with wealth of asceticism,\ncame thither, O Bharata, and were entertained by her with herbs. And it\nis for this that they bestowed on her the name of _Sakamvari_. O\nBharata, the man who arriveth at _Sakamvari_, with rapt attention and\nleading a Brahmacharya mode of life and passeth three nights there in\npurity and subsisting on herbs alone, obtaineth, at the will of the\ngoddess, the merit of him that liveth upon herbs for twelve years. Then\nshould one proceed to the _tirtha_ called _Suvarna_, famed through the\nthree worlds. There in days of old, Vishnu had paid his adorations to\nRudra, for his grace, and obtaineth also many boons difficult of\nacquisition even by the gods. And, O Bharata, the gratified destroyer of\nTripura said, 'O Krishna, thou shalt, without doubt, be much beloved in\nthe world, and the foremost of everything in the universe.' Repairing\nthither, O king, and worshipping the deity having the bull for his mark,\none obtaineth the merit of the horse-sacrifice as also the status of\n_Ganapatya_. One should next proceed to the _tirtha_ of _Dhumavati_.\nFasting there for three nights, one obtaineth, without doubt, all the\nwishes cherished by him. To the southern half of this spot of the\nGoddess, there is, O king, a _tirtha_ called _Rathavarta_. One should, O\nvirtuous one, go up to that place, with devout heart, and having his\nsenses under control. By this, through the grace of Mahadeva, one\nattaineth to an exalted state. After walking round the place, one\nshould, O bull of the Bharata race, proceed to the _tirtha_ named\n_Dhara_, which, O thou of great wisdom, washeth off all sins. Bathing\nthere, O tiger among men, a man is freed from every sorrow. One should\nthen repair, O virtuous one, after bowing to the great mountain\n(Himavat), to the source of the Ganges, which is, without doubt, like\nthe gate of heaven. There should one, with concentrated soul, bathe in\nthe _tirtha_ called _Koti_. By this, one obtaineth the merit of the\nPundarika sacrifice, and delivereth his race. Residing one night there,\none acquireth the merit of giving away a thousand kine. By offering\noblations of water duly to the gods and the Pitris, at _Saptaganga_,\n_Triganga_ and _Sakravarta_, (which are all there), becometh adored in\nthe regions of the virtuous. Bathing next at _Kanakhala_, and fasting\nthere for three nights, a person reapeth the merit of the\nhorse-sacrifice and goeth to heaven. Then O lord of men, the pilgrim\nshould repair to _Kapilavata_. Fasting for one night there, he obtaineth\nthe merit of giving away a thousand kine. O king, there is a _tirtha_ of\nthe illustrious Kapila, king of the Nagas, that is celebrated, O thou\nbest of Kurus, over all the worlds. Bathing there at the _Nagatirtha_\none obtaineth, O king, the merit of giving away a thousand Kapila kine.\nOne should next repair to the excellent _tirtha_ of _Santanu_, called\n_Lalitika_. Bathing there, O king, one never sinketh into distress\n(hereafter). The man that bathes at the confluence of the Ganga and the\nYamuna, obtains the merit of ten horse-sacrifices, and also rescues his\nrace. One should next, O king, go to _Sugandha_, celebrated over the\nworld. By this, cleansed of every sin, he becometh adored in the abode\nof Brahma. Then, O lord of men, the pilgrim should repair to\n_Rudravarta_. Bathing there, one ascendeth to heaven. Bathing at the\nconfluence of the Ganga and the Saraswati, a person obtaineth the merit\nof the horse-sacrifice and also ascendeth to heaven. Proceeding next to\n_Bhadrakarneswara_ and worshipping the gods duly, one, without sinking\ninto distress, becometh adored in heaven. Then, O lord of men, the\npilgrim should proceed to the _tirtha_ called _Kuvjamraka_. By this he\nobtaineth the merit of giving away a thousand kine, and heaven also.\nThen, O king, the pilgrim should go to the _Arundhativata_. Proceeding\nthither with concentrated soul and practising the Brahmacharya vows, one\nthat batheth in _Samudraka_ and fasteth for three nights, obtaineth the\nmerit of the horse-sacrifice and of giving away a thousand kine, and\nalso rescueth his race. One should next proceed to _Brahmavarta_, with\nconcentrated soul and practising the Brahmacharya vows. By this, one\nobtaineth the merit of the horse-sacrifice, and goeth to the region of\nSoma. The man that proceedeth to the _Yamuna-prabhava_, (the source of\nthe Yamuna) and batheth there, obtaineth the merit of the\nhorse-sacrifice and is worshipped in heaven. Arriving at\n_Darvisankramana_, that _tirtha_ which is worshipped of the three\nworlds, a person obtaineth the merit of the horse-sacrifice and goeth to\nheaven. Repairing next to _Sindhu-prabhava_ (the source of the Indus)\nwhich is worshipped by Siddhas and Gandharvas, and staying there for\nfive nights, one obtaineth the merit of giving away gold in abundance.\nProceeding next to the inaccessible _tirtha_ called _Vedi_, one\nobtaineth the merit of the horse-sacrifice and ascendeth to heaven.\nThen, O Bharata, should one proceed to _Rishikulya_ and _Vasishtha_. By\nvisiting the latter, all orders attain to Brahmanhood. Repairing to\n_Rishikulya_ and bathing there, and living a month upon herbs, and\nworshipping the gods and Pitris, one is cleansed of all his sins, and\nobtaineth the region of the Rishis. Proceeding next to _Bhrigutunga_ a\nperson acquireth the merit of the horse-sacrifice. Repairing then to\n_Vipramoksha_, one is freed from every sin. Proceeding then to the\n_tirtha_ of _Krittika_ and _Magha_, one, O Bharata, obtaineth the merit\nsuperior to that of the _Agnishtoma_ and _Atiratha_ sacrifices. The man\nwho, repairing to the excellent _tirtha_ called _Vidya_, batheth there\nin the evening, obtaineth proficiency in every kind of knowledge. One\nshould next reside for one night at _Mahasrama_ capable of destroying\nevery sin, taking a single meal. By this, one obtains many auspicious\nregions, and delivers ten preceding and ten succeeding generations of\nhis race. Dwelling next for a month of Mahalaya, and fasting there for\nthree nights, one's soul is cleansed of all sins and one acquires the\nmerit of giving away gold in abundance. Proceeding next to _Vetasika_\nworshipped by the Grandsire, one obtaineth the merit of the\nhorse-sacrifice and the state of Usanas. Going next to the _tirtha_\ncalled _Sundarika_, worshipped by the Siddhas, one obtaineth personal\nbeauty as witnessed by the ancients. Proceeding next to Brahmani with\nsubdued senses and observing the Brahmacharya vow, a person ascendeth to\nthe region of Brahma on a lotus-hued car. One should repair next to the\nsacred Naimisha, worshipped by the Siddhas. There dwelleth for aye\nBrahma with the gods. By only purposing to go to Naimisha, half one's\nsins are destroyed; by entering it, one is cleansed of all his sins. The\npilgrim of subdued senses should stay at Naimisha for a month; for, O\nBharata, all the _tirthas_ of the earth are at Naimisha. Bathing there,\nwith restrained senses and regulated fare, one obtains, O Bharata, the\nmerit of the cow-sacrifice, and also sanctifies, O best of the Bharatas,\nhis race for seven generations both upwards and downwards. He who\nrenounceth his life at Naimisha by fasting, enjoyeth happiness in the\nheavenly regions. Even this is the opinion of the wise. O foremost of\nkings, Naimisha is ever sacred and holy. Proceeding next to\n_Gangod-bheda_ and fasting there for three nights, a man obtaineth the\nmerit of the _Vajapeya_ sacrifice, and becometh like unto Brahma\nhimself. Journeying to the Saraswati, one should offer oblations unto\nthe gods and the Pitris. By this, one certainly enjoyeth bliss in the\nregions called Saraswata. Then should one wend to _Vahuda_, with subdued\nsoul and observing the Brahmacharya vow. Residing there for one night,\none becometh adored in heaven, and obtaineth also, O Kaurava, the merit\nof the _Devasatra_ sacrifice. Then should one repair to the holy\n_Kshiravati_, frequented by holier men. By worshipping the gods and the\nPitris there, one obtains the merit of the _Vajapeya sacrifice_.\nProceeding next to _Vimalasoka_, with subdued soul and observing the\nBrahmacharya vow, and residing there for one night, one is adored in\nheaven. One should next proceed to the excellent _Gopratra_ in the\nSarayu, whence Rama, O king, with all his attendants and animals,\nrenouncing his body, ascended to heaven in consequence of the efficacy\nof the _tirtha_ alone. Bathing in that _tirtha_, O Bharata, one's soul,\nthrough Rama's grace, and by virtue of his own deeds, being cleansed of\nall sins, one becometh adored in heaven. O Bharata! Proceeding next, O\nson of the Kuru race, to the _Rama-tirtha_ on the Gomati, and bathing\nthere, one obtaineth the merit of the horse-sacrifice, and sanctifieth\nalso his own race. There, O bull of the Bharata race, is another\n_tirtha_ called _Satasahasrika_. Bathing there, with restrained senses\nand regulated diet, a person reapeth, O bull of Bharata race, the merit\nof giving away a thousand kine. Then should one, O king, go to the\nunrivalled _tirtha_ called _Bhartristhana_. By this, a person obtaineth\nthe merit of the horse-sacrifice. Bathing next in the _tirtha_ called\n_Koti_, and worshipping Kartikeya, a man reapeth, O king, the merit of\ngiving away a thousand kine, and acquireth great energy. Proceeding next\nto _Varanasi_, and worshipping the god having the bull for his mark,\nafter a bath in the _Kapilahrada_, one obtaineth the merit of the\nRajasuya sacrifice. Repairing then, O perpetuator of the Kuru race, to\nthe _tirtha_ called _Avimukta_, and beholding there the god of gods, the\npilgrim, from such sight alone, is immediately cleansed of even the sin\nof slaying a Brahmana. By renouncing one's life there, one obtaineth\ndeliverance. Arriving next, O king, at the rare _tirtha_ called\n_Markandeya_ celebrated over the world and situated at the confluence of\nthe Ganges, a person obtaineth the merit of _Agnishtoma_ sacrifice, and\ndelivereth his race. Sojourning next to _Gaya_, with subdued senses and\nobserving the Brahmacharya vow, one obtaineth the merit of the\nhorse-sacrifice and also rescueth his race. There in that _tirtha_ is\nthe _Akshaya-vata_, celebrated over the three worlds. Whatever is\noffered there to the Pitris is said to become inexhaustible. Bathing\nthere at the _Mahanadi_, and offering oblations to the gods and the\nPitris, a man acquireth eternal regions, and also rescueth his race.\nProceeding then to _Brahma-sara_ that is adorned by the woods of Dharma,\nand passing one night there, a man attaineth to the region of Brahma. In\nthat lake, Brahma had raised a sacrificial pillar. By walking round this\npillar, a person acquireth the merit of the _Vajapeya_ sacrifice. One\nshould next, O mighty monarch, go to _Denuka_ celebrated over the world.\nStaying there for one night and giving away sesame and kine, one's soul\nbeing cleansed from every sin, one ascendeth, without doubt to the\nregion of Soma. There, O king, on the mountains, the cow called Kapila\nused to range with her calf. There is little doubt of this, O Bharata,\nthe hoof-marks of that cow and her calf are seen there to this day. By\nbathing in those hoof-prints, O foremost of monarchs, whatever sin a man\nmay have incurred is, O Bharata, washed away. Then should one go to\n_Gridhravata_, the spot consecrated to the trident-bearing god.\nApproaching the deity having the bull for his mark one should rub\nhimself with ashes. If a Brahmana, he obtains the merit of observing the\ntwelve year's vow and if belonging to any of the other orders, he is\nfreed from all his sins. One should next proceed to the _Udyanta_\nmountains, resounding with melodious notes. There, O bull of the Bharata\nrace, is still seen the foot-print of Savitri. The Brahmana of rigid\nvows, who sayeth his morning, noon and evening prayers there, obtaineth\nthe merit of performing that service for twelve years. There, O bull of\nthe Bharata race, is the famous _Yonidwara_. Repairing thither, a person\nbecometh exempted from the pain of rebirth. The person that stayeth at\nGaya during both the dark and lighted fortnights, certainly sanctifieth,\nO king, his own race up and down to the seventh generation. One should\nwish for many sons so that even one may go to Gaya, or celebrate the\nhorse-sacrifice, or offer a _nila_ bull. Then, O king, the pilgrim\nshould proceed to _Phalgu_. By this, he obtains the merit of\nhorse-sacrifice, and acquires great success. O king, one should repair\nthen, with subdued soul, to _Dharmaprishta_. There, O foremost of\nwarriors, dwelleth Dharma for aye. Drinking of the water of a well which\nis there, and purifying one's self by a bath, he that offereth oblations\nto the gods and the Pitris is cleansed of all his sins and ascendeth to\nheaven. There in that _tirtha_ is the hermitage of the great Rishi\nMatanga of soul under complete control. By entering that beautiful\nasylum capable of soothing fatigue and sorrow, one earneth the merit of\nthe _Gacayana_ sacrifice, and by touching (the image of) Dharma which is\nthere, one obtaineth the fruit of the horse-sacrifice. One should next\ngo, O king, to the excellent _tirtha_ called _Brahmasthana_. Approaching\nBrahma, that bull among male beings, who is there, one acquireth, O\nmighty monarch, the merit of the Rajasuya and horse-sacrifices. The\npilgrim should then repair to _Rajasuya_, O king of men! Bathing there,\none liveth (in heaven) as happily as (the Rishi) Kakshiyan. After\npurifying himself, one should partake there of the offerings daily made\nunto the Yakshini. By this, one is freed from the sin of even slaying a\nBrahmana, through the Yakshini's grace. Proceeding next to _Maninaga_,\none obtains the merit of giving away a thousand kine. O Bharata, he that\neateth anything relating to the _tirtha_ of _Maninaga_, if bitten by a\nvenomous snake, doth not succumb to its poison. Residing there for one\nnight, one is cleansed of one's sins. Then should one proceed to the\nfavourite wood of the Brahmarshi Gautama. There bathing in the lake of\n_Ahalya_, one attaineth to an exalted state. Beholding next the image of\nSree, one acquireth great prosperity. There in that _tirtha_ is a well\ncelebrated over the three worlds. Bathing in it, one obtaineth the merit\nof the horse-sacrifice. There also existeth a well sacred to the royal\nRishi Janaka, which is worshipped by the gods. Bathing in the well, one\nascendeth to the region of Vishnu. Then should one repair to Vinasana\nthat destroys every sin. By a sojourn thither, one obtaineth the merit\nof the _Vajapeya_ sacrifice, and goeth also to the region of Soma.\nProceeding next to _Gandaki_ which is produced by the waters of every\n_tirtha_, a person acquireth the merit of the Vajapeya sacrifice, and\nascendeth also to the solar region. Proceeding next to the _Visala_,\nthat river celebrated over the three worlds, one obtaineth the merit of\nthe _Agnishtoma_ sacrifice and ascendeth also to heaven. Repairing then,\nO virtuous one, to the woody seat of ascetics that is called\n_Adhivanga_, one obtains, without doubt, great happiness amongst the\nGuhyakas. Proceeding next to the river _Kampana_, visited by the\nSiddhas, one obtaineth the merit of the _Pundarika_ sacrifice, and\nascendeth also to heaven. Arriving then, O lord of earth, at the stream\ncalled _Maheswari_, one obtaineth the merit of the horse-sacrifice and\nalso rescueth his own race. Repairing next to the tank of the\ncelestials, one earneth immunity from misfortune, and also the merit of\nthe horse-sacrifice. One should next go to _Somapada_, with subdued soul\nand leading a Brahmacharya mode of life. Bathing in _Maheswarapada_ that\nis there, one reapeth the merit of the horse-sacrifice. There in that\n_tirtha_, O bull of the Bharata race, it is well known that ten millions\nof _tirthas_ exist together. A wicked Asura in the shape of a tortoise\nhad, O foremost of monarchs, been carrying it away when the powerful\nVishnu recovered it from him. There in that _tirtha_ should one perform\nhis ablutions, for by this he acquireth the merit of the _Pundarika_\nsacrifice and ascendeth also to the region of Vishnu. Then, O best of\nkings, should one proceed to the place of Narayana, where, O Bharata,\nNarayana is ever present and dwelleth for aye. There the gods with\nBrahma at their head, Rishis endued with wealth of asceticism, the\nAdityas, the Vasus, and the Rudras, all adore Janardana, in that\n_tirtha_, and Vishnu of wonderful deeds hath become known as\n_Salagrama_. Approaching the eternal Vishnu, that lord of the three\nworlds, that giver of boons, one obtaineth the merit of the\nhorse-sacrifice, and goeth to the region of Vishnu. There in that place,\nO virtuous one, is a well, capable of destroying every sin. The four\nseas are ever present in that well. He that bathes in it, O king, will\nhave immunity from misfortune. Beholding (the image of) the boon-giving,\neternal, and fierce Mahadeva who is there, one shineth, O king, like the\nmoon emerged from the cloud. Bathing then in _Jatismara_, with pure mind\nand subdued senses, one acquireth, without doubt, the recollections of\nhis former life. Proceeding then to _Maheswarapura_, and worshipping the\ngod having the bull for his mark, fasting the while, one obtaineth,\nwithout doubt, the fruition of all his desires. Repairing then to\n_Vamana_ that destroys every sin, and beholding the god Hari, one\nacquireth exemption from every misfortune. One should next go to the\nasylum of _Kusika_ that is capable of removing every sin. Repairing then\nto the river _Kausika_ that cleanseth from even great sins, one should\nbathe in it. By this one obtaineth the merit of Rajasuya sacrifice. One\nshould next, O foremost of kings, proceed to the excellent woods of\n_Champaka_. By spending there one night, one acquireth the merit of\ngiving away a thousand kine. Arriving next at _Jyeshthila_, that\n_tirtha_ of rare worth, and passing one night there, one reapeth the\nfruit of the gift of a thousand kine. Beholding there (the image of)\nVisweswara of great splendour, with his consort the goddess, a person\nobtaineth, O bull among men, the region of Mitra-Varuna. By fasting\nthere for three nights, a man acquireth the merit of the _Agnishtoma_\nsacrifice. By visiting _Kanya-samvedya_, with senses restrained and\nregulated fare, one acquireth, O bull among men, the region of Manu, the\nlord of creation. Rishis of rigid vows have said that he that giveth\naway rice or maketh any gift at the _tirtha_ called _Kanya_, rendereth\nsuch gift eternal. Arriving next at _Nischira_ celebrated over the three\nworlds, one obtaineth the merit of the horse-sacrifice and goeth to the\nregion of Vishnu. O king, those that give away at the confluence of the\nNischira, ascend to the blessed region of Brahma. There in that _tirtha_\nis the asylum of Vasishtha that is known over the three worlds. Bathing\nthere, one obtaineth the merit of the Vajapeya sacrifice. Proceeding\nnext to _Devakuta_ that is resorted to by celestial Rishis, one\nacquireth the merit of the horse-sacrifice, and also delivereth his\nrace. Then should one, O king, go to the lake of the _Muni Kausika_,\nwhere Kusika's son, Viswamitra, obtained high success. Bathing there, a\nperson acquireth the merit of the Vajapeya sacrifice. There, O hero, at\nKausika, should one reside for a month, O bull of the Bharata race! By a\nmonth's residence there, one reapeth the merit of the horse-sacrifice.\nHe that resideth at the best of tirthas called _Maha-hrada_, enjoys\nimmunity from misfortune, and also obtains the merit of giving away gold\nin abundance. Beholding next Kartikeya who dwelleth at _Virasrama_, a\nman certainly reapeth the fruit of the horse-sacrifice. Proceeding then\nto _Agnidhara_ celebrated over the three worlds, and beholding there\nafter a bath the eternal and boon-giving Vishnu, that god of gods, one\nobtaineth the merit of the _Agnishtoma_ sacrifice. Proceeding next to\nthe Grandsire's tank near the snowcapped of mountains, and bathing in\nit, a man obtains the merit of the _Agnishtoma_ sacrifice. Falling from\nthe Grandsire's tank, is that world-sanctifying (stream), celebrated\nover the three worlds, called _Kumara-Dhara_. Bathing there, one\nregardeth himself as having all his purposes fulfilled. Fasting in that\ntirtha for three days, one is even cleansed from the sin of slaying a\nBrahmana. The pilgrim should next, O virtuous one, proceed to the peak\nof the great goddess Gauri, famed over the three worlds. Ascending it, O\nbest of men, one should approach _Stana-Kunda_. By touching the waters\nof _Stana-Kunda_, a person obtaineth the merit of the _Vajapeya_\nsacrifice. Bathing in that _tirtha_ and worshipping the gods and Pitris,\none acquireth the merit of the horse-sacrifice and also ascendeth to the\nregion of Indra. Arriving next at the well of _Tamraruna_, that is\nfrequented by the gods, one acquireth, O lord of men, the merit that\nattaches to human sacrifice. Bathing next at the confluence of the\nKirtika with the Kausiki and the Aruna, and fasting there for three\nnights a man of learning is cleansed of all his sins. Proceeding next to\nthe _tirtha_ called _Urvasi_, and then to _Somasrama_, a wise man by\nbathing next at _Kumbhakarnasrama_ becometh adored in the world. The\nancients knew that by touching the waters of _Kokamukha_, with steady\nvows and leading Brahmacharya mode of life, the memory of one's former\nlife is revived. Arriving next with speed to the river called _Nanda_ a\nregenerate one becometh freed from all his sins and ascendeth with soul\nunder control to Indra's region. Proceeding next to the island called\n_Rishabha_, that is destructive of cranes, and bathing in the Saraswati,\nan individual blazeth forth in heaven. Proceeding next to the _tirtha_\ncalled _Auddalaka_ frequented by _Munis_, and bathing there one is\ncleansed of all his sins. Repairing next to the sacred _tirtha_ called\n_Dharma_ that is visited by Brahmarshis, one acquireth the merit of the\n_Vajapeya_ sacrifice and becometh respected in heaven. Proceeding next\nto _Champa_ and bathing in the _Bhagirathi_ he that sojourneth to\n_Dandaparna_, acquireth the merit of giving away a thousand kine. Then\nshould one proceed to the sacred _Lalitika_ that is graced by the\npresence of the virtuous. By this one acquireth the merit of the\nRajasuya sacrifice and is regarded in heaven.\"'\"\n\n\nSECTION LXXXV\n\n\"'Pulastya said, \"Arriving next at the excellent _tirtha_ called\n_Samvedya_ in the evening, and touching its waters, one surely obtaineth\nknowledge. Created a _tirtha_ in days of yore by Rama's energy, he that\nproceedeth to _Lauhitya_ obtaineth the merit of giving away gold in\nabundance. Proceeding next to the river _Karatoya_, and fasting there\nfor three nights, a man acquireth the merit of the horse-sacrifice. Even\nthis is the injunction of the Creator himself. It hath been said by the\nwise, O king, that if a person goeth to the spot where the Ganga\nmingleth with the sea, he reapeth merit which is ten times that of the\nhorse-sacrifice. Crossing over to the opposite bank of the Ganga, he\nthat batheth there having resided for three nights is, O king, cleansed\nfrom all his sins. One should next proceed to the _Vaitarani_ capable of\ndestroying every sin. Arriving next at the _tirtha_ named _Viraja_ one\nshineth like the moon, and sanctifying his race rescueth it and is\nhimself cleansed of all his sins. He that bathes in _Viraja_ further\nreapeth the merit of giving away a thousand kine besides sanctifying his\nline. Residing with purity at the confluence of the _Sona_ and the\n_Jyotirathi_, and offering oblations of water to the gods and the\nPitris, a man reapeth the merit of the _Agnishtoma_ sacrifice. Touching\nnext the waters of the _Vansagulma_ constituting the sources of both the\nSona and the Narmada, one obtaineth the merit of the horse-sacrifice.\nSojourning next to the _tirtha_ called _Rishabha_ in Kosala, O lord of\nmen, and fasting there for three nights one earneth the merit of the\n_Vajapeya_ sacrifice, and of the gift of a thousand kine, and also\ndelivereth his race. Arriving at Kosala, a man should bathe in the\n_tirtha_ named _Kala_. By this one surely obtaineth the merit of giving\naway one and ten bulls. By bathing in _Pushpavati_ and fasting there, O\nking, for three nights one sanctifieth his own race, besides earning the\nmerit of the gift of a thousand kine. Then, O foremost of the Bharata\nrace, by bathing in the _tirtha_ called _Vadarika_, one obtaineth long\nlife, and also goeth to heaven. Arriving next at _Champa_, and bathing\nin the _Bhagirathi_, and seeing _Danda_ one earneth the merit of giving\naway a thousand kine. Then should one go to the sacred _Lapetika_,\ngraced by the presence of the pious. By so doing one reapeth the merit\nof the _Vajapeya_ sacrifice and also becometh regarded by the gods.\nProceeding next to the mountain called _Mahendra_, inhabited (of yore)\nby Jamadagnya, and bathing in Rama's _tirtha_, a person acquireth the\nmerit of the horse-sacrifice. Here is Matanga's _tirtha_ called\n_Kedara_, O son of the Kuru race! Bathing in it, O foremost of the\nKurus, a man obtaineth the merit of giving away a thousand kine. Going\nto the mountain _Sree_, one who toucheth the waters of the stream that\nis there by worshipping there the god having the bull for his mark\nobtaineth the merit of the horse-sacrifice. On the mountain Sree\ndwelleth happily, the effulgent Mahadeva with the goddess, as also\nBrahma with the other gods. By bathing in the lake of _Deva_, with\npurity and restrained mind, one obtaineth the merit of the\nhorse-sacrifice, and also attaineth to the highest success.\n\n\"'\"Proceeding next to the mountain _Rishabha_ in Pandya, worshipped by\nthe gods, one obtains the merit of the _Vajapeya_ sacrifice and rejoices\nin heaven. One should next proceed to the river Kaveri, frequented by\nApsaras. Bathing there, O monarch, one obtaineth the merit of giving\naway a thousand kine. Touching next the waters of the _tirtha_ called\n_Kanya_ on the shores of the sea one is cleansed from every sin.\nProceeding next to _Gokarna_ celebrated over the three worlds, and which\nis situate, O best of kings, in the midst of the deep, and is reverenced\nby all the worlds, and where the gods headed by Brahma, and Rishis\nendued with wealth of asceticism, and spirits and Yakshas and Pisachas,\nand Kinnaras and the great Nagas, and Siddhas and Charanas and\nGandharvas, and men and Pannagas, and rivers, Seas and Mountains,\nworship the lord of Uma, one should worship _Isana_, fasting there for\nthree nights. By this, one acquireth the merit of the horse-sacrifice,\nand the status of _Ganapatya_. By staying there for twelve nights, one's\nsoul is cleansed of all sins. One should next proceed to the _tirtha_\nknown as _Gayatri_ celebrated over the three worlds. Staying there for\nthree nights, one acquireth the merit of giving away a thousand kine. A\nstrange phenomenon is seen to occur there in respect to Brahmanas, O\nLord of men! If a Brahmana, whether born of a Brahmani or any other\nwoman, reciteth the _Gayatri_ there, the recitation becomes rhythmic and\nmusical, while, O king, a person who is not a Brahmana cannot adequately\nhymn it at all. Proceeding next to the inaccessible tank of the Brahmana\nRishi Samvarta, one acquireth personal beauty and prosperity. Repairing\nnext to _Vena_, he that offers oblations of water to the gods and the\nPitris, obtains a car drawn by peacocks and cranes. Going next to the\n_Godavari_, ever frequented by the Siddhas, one earneth the merit of the\ncow-sacrifice, and goeth to the excellent region of _Vasuki_. Bathing\nnext at the confluence of the _Venna_, one obtains the merit of the\n_Vajapeya_ sacrifice. By a dip next at the confluence of _Varada_, one\nacquireth the merit of giving away a thousand kine. Arriving next at\n_Brahmasthuna_, one that stayeth there for three nights acquireth the\nmerit of giving away a thousand kine, and also ascendeth to heaven.\nComing next to _Kusaplavana_, with subdued soul and leading a\nBrahmacharya mode of life, and staying there for three nights he that\nbathes in it obtains the merit of the horse-sacrifice. Bathing next at\nthe romantic _Deva-hrada_ that is supplied by the waters of the\nKrishna-Venna, and also in the _Jatismara-hrada_, one acquireth the\nmemory of one's former life. It was there that the chief of the\ncelestials celebrated a hundred sacrifices and ascended to heaven. By a\nvisit only to that spot, one acquireth the merit of the _Agnishtoma_\nsacrifice. Bathing next in the _Sarvadeva-hrada_, a person obtaineth the\nmerit of giving away a thousand kine. Proceeding next to the highly\nsacred tank called _Payoshni_, that best of waters, he that offers\noblations of water to the gods and the Pitris acquires the merit of the\ngift of a thousand kine. Arriving next at the sacred forest of\n_Dandaka_, a person should bathe (in the waters) there. By this, O king,\none at once obtains, O Bharata, the merit of giving away a thousand\nkine. Proceeding next to the asylum of _Sarabhanga_ and that of the\nillustrious Suka, one acquireth immunity from misfortune, besides\nsanctifying his race. Then should one proceed to _Surparaka_, where\nJamadagni's son had formerly dwelt. Bathing in that _tirtha_ of Rama,\none acquireth the merit of giving away gold in abundance. Bathing next\nin the _Saptagadavara_, with the subdued sense and regulated diet, one\nearneth great merit, and goeth also to the region of the celestials.\nProceeding next to _Deva-hrada_, with subdued sense and regulated diet,\na man obtaineth the merit of the _Devasatra_ sacrifice. One should\nproceed next to the forest of _Tungaka_, with subdued senses and leading\na Brahmacharya mode of life. It was here that in olden days Muni\nSaraswata taught the Vedas to the ascetics. When the Vedas had been lost\n(in consequence of the Munis having forgotten them), Angirasa's son,\nseated at ease on the upper garments of the Munis (duly spread out),\npronounced distinctly and with emphasis the syllable _Om_. And at this,\nthe ascetics again recollected all that they had learnt before. It was\nthere that the Rishis and the gods Varuna, Agni, Prajapati, Narayana\nalso called Hari, Mahadeva and the illustrious Grandsire of great\nsplendour, appointed the resplendent Bhrigu to officiate at a sacrifice.\nGratifying Agni by libations of clarified butter poured according to the\nordinance, the illustrious Bhrigu once performed the _Agnyadhana_\nsacrifice for all those Rishis, after which both they and the gods went\naway to their respective homes one after another. One who enters the\nforest of _Tungaka_, is, O best of kings, male or female, cleansed of\nevery sin. There in that _tirtha_, O hero, one should reside for a\nmonth, with subdued senses and regulated diet. By this, O king, one\nascendeth to the region of Brahma, and delivereth also his race.\nArriving next at _Medhavika_, one should offer oblations of water to the\ngods and the Pitris. By this, one acquires the merit of the _Agnishtoma_\nsacrifice, and also memory and intellect. There in that _tirtha_ is the\nmountain known over the whole world and called _Kalanjara_. Bathing in\nthe celestial lake that is there, one acquires the merit of giving away\na thousand kine. He that, O king, after a bath, offereth oblations (to\nthe gods and the Pitris) on the Kalanjara mountain, is, without doubt,\nregarded in heaven. Proceeding next, O monarch, to the river _Mandakini_\ncapable of destroying all sins and which is on that best of mountains\ncalled _Chitrakuta_, he that bathes there and worships the gods and the\nPitris, obtains the merit of the horse-sacrifice and attains to an\nexalted state. One should next, O virtuous one, proceed to the excellent\n_tirtha_ called _Bhartristhana_, where, O king, ever dwells the\ncelestial generalissimo Kartikeya. By a journey only to that spot, a\nperson, O foremost of kings, attaineth to success. Bathing next at the\n_tirtha_ called _Koti_, one earneth the merit of giving away a thousand\nkine. Having walked round Koti, one should proceed next to\n_Jyeshthasthana_. Beholding Mahadeva who is there, one shineth like the\nmoon. There, O mighty monarch, is a celebrated well, O bull of the\nBharata race! There in that well, O foremost of warriors, are the four\nseas. He that bathes there, O foremost of kings, and with subdued soul\nworships the gods and the Pitris, is cleansed of all his sins and\nattaineth to an exalted state. Then, O mighty king, should one proceed\nto the great _Sringaverapura_, where, O foremost of kings, formerly\nRama, Dasaratha's son, had crossed (the Ganga). Bathing in that\n_tirtha_, one, O mighty-armed one, is cleansed of all his sins. Bathing\nwith subdued senses and leading a Brahmacharya mode of life, in the\nGanga, one is cleansed of every sin, and obtains also the merit of the\n_Vajapeya_ sacrifice. One should next proceed to the place called\n_Mayuravala_, consecrated to Mahadeva of high intelligence. Beholding\nthere the god, bowing down to him and walking round the spot, one\nacquireth, O Bharata, the _Ganapatya_ status. Bathing in Ganga at that\n_tirtha_, one is cleansed of all his sins. Then, O king, should one\nproceed to _Prayaga_, whose praises have been sung by Rishis and where\ndwell the gods with Brahma at their head, the directions with their\npresiding deities, the Lokapalas, the Siddhas, the Pitris adored by the\nworlds, the great Rishis--Sanatkumara and others, stainless\nBrahmarshis--Angiras and others,--the Nagas, the Suparnas, the Siddhas,\nthe Snakes, the Rivers, the Seas, the Gandharvas, the Apsaras, and the\nLord Hari with Prajapati. There in that _tirtha_ are three fiery caverns\nbetween which the Ganga, that foremost of _tirthas_, rolleth rapidly.\nThere in that region also the world-purifying daughter of the sun,\nYamuna, celebrated over the three worlds, uniteth with the Ganga. The\ncountry between the Ganga and the Yamuna is regarded as the _mons\nveneris_ of the world, and Prayaga as the foremost point of that region.\nThe _tirthas Prayaga, Pratisthana, Kamvala, Aswatara_ and _Bhogavati_\nare the sacrificial platforms of the Creator. There in those places, O\nforemost of warriors, the Vedas and the Sacrifices, in embodied forms,\nand the Rishis endued with wealth of asceticism, adore Brahma, and there\nthe gods and rulers of territories also celebrate their sacrifices. The\nlearned, however, say that of all these _tirthas_, O exalted one,\nPrayaga is the most sacred, in fact, the foremost of all _tirthas_ in\nthe three worlds. By going to that _tirtha_, by singing its praises, or\nby taking a little earth from it, one is cleansed from every sin. He\nthat bathes in that confluence celebrated over the world, acquires all\nthe merits of the Rajasuya and the horse-sacrifices. This sacrificial\nplace is worshipped by the gods themselves. If a man giveth there ever\nso little, it increaseth, O Bharata, a thousandfold. O child, let not\nthe texts of the Veda, nor the opinions of men dissuade thy mind from\nthe desire of dying at Prayaga. O son of the Kuru race, the wise say\nthat six hundred million and ten thousand _tirthas_ exist at Prayaga.\nBathing in the confluence of Ganga and Yamuna, one obtains the merit\nthat attaches to the four kinds of knowledge and the merits also of\nthose that are truthful. There at Prayaga is the excellent _tirtha_ of\n_Vasuki_ called _Bhogavati_. He that batheth in it, obtaineth the merit\nof the horse-sacrifice. There also in the Ganga is the _tirtha_ famed\nover the three worlds, called _Ramaprapatana_, which conferreth the\nmerit of ten horse-sacrifices, O son of the Kuru race! Wherever may a\nperson bathe in the Ganga, he earneth merit equal to that of a trip to\nKurukshetra. An exception, however, is made in favour of _Kanakhala_,\nwhile the merit attaching to _Prayaga_ is the greatest. Having committed\na hundred sins, he that bathes in the Ganga, hath all his sins washed\noff by the waters thereof, even as fuel is consumed by fire. It hath\nbeen said that in the _Satyayuga_ all the _tirthas_ were sacred; in the\n_Treta_, Pushkara alone was such; in _Dwapara_, Kurukshetra; and in the\n_Kali-yuga_, the Ganga alone is sacred. In Pushkara, one should practise\nausterities; in Mahalaya, one should give away; in the Malaya mountains,\none should ascend the funeral pyre; and in Bhrigutunga, one should\nrenounce one's body by forgoing food. Bathing in Pushkara, in\nKurukshetra, in the Ganga and in the confluence (of the Ganga and the\nYamuna), one sanctifieth seven generations of one's race up and down. He\nthat reciteth the name of the Ganga is purified; while he that beholdeth\nher, receiveth prosperity; while he that bathes in her and drinks of her\nwaters sanctifieth seven generations of his race up and down. As long, O\nking, as one's bones lie in contact with the waters of the Ganga, so\nlong doth he live regarded in heaven, even as one liveth in heaven in\nconsequence of the merit he earneth by pious pilgrimages to sacred\n_tirthas_ and holy spots. There is no _tirtha_ that is like unto the\nGanga, there is no god like unto Kesava, and there is none superior to\nBrahmanas,--this hath been said even by the Grandsire. O great king, the\nregion through which the Ganga flows should be regarded as a sacred\nasylum, and a spot of land that is on the Ganga's banks, should be\nregarded as one favourable to the attainment of ascetic success.\n\n\"'\"This truthful description (of the _tirthas_) one should recite only\nunto the regenerate ones, unto those that are pious, unto one's son and\nfriends and disciples and dependents. This narrative, without a rival,\nis blessed and holy and leadeth to heaven. Holy and entertaining and\nsanctifying, it is productive of merit and high worth. Destructive of\nevery sin, it is a mystery that the great Rishis cherish with care. By\nreciting it in the midst of Brahmanas, one is cleansed of every sin, and\nascends to heaven. This description of _tirthas_ is auspicious and\nheaven-giving and sacred; ever blessed as it is, it destroys one's\nenemies; foremost of all accounts, it sharpens the intellect. By reading\nthis narrative the sonless obtains sons, the destitute obtains riches, a\nperson of the royal order conquereth the whole earth, the Vaisya cometh\nby wealth, the Sudra obtaineth all his desires, and the Brahmana\ncrosseth the ocean (of the world). Purifying himself, he that listens\ndaily to the merits of the different _tirthas_, recollects the incidents\nof many previous births and rejoices in heaven. Of the _tirthas_ that\nhave been recited here, some are easily accessible, while others are\ndifficult of access. But he that is inspired with the desire of\nbeholding all _tirthas_, should visit them even in imagination. Desirous\nof obtaining merit, the Vasus, and the Sadhyas, the Adityas, the Maruts,\nthe Aswins, and the Rishis equal unto celestials, all bathed in these\n_tirthas_. Do thou also, O thou of the Kuru race, observing the\nordinance as explained by me, visit, with subdued senses, these\n_tirthas_, increasing thy merit, O thou of excellent vows. Men of piety\nand learning are able to visit these _tirthas_, by reason of their\npurified senses, their belief in Godhead, and their acquaintance with\nthe Vedas. He that doth not observe vows, he that hath not his soul\nunder control, he that is impure, he that is a thief, and he that is of\ncrooked mind, doth not, O Kauravya, bathe in _tirthas_. Thou art ever\nobservant of virtue, and art of pure character. By thy virtue, O\nvirtuous one, thou hast always gratified thy father and thy\ngrand-father, and great-grand-fathers, and the gods with Brahma at their\nhead, and the _Rishis_ also, O thou versed in virtue! Thou who\nresemblest Vasava, thou wilt, O Bhishma, attain to the region of the\nVasus, and also eternal fame on earth!\"'\n\n\"Narada continued, 'Having cheerfully spoken thus, the illustrious Rishi\nPulastya, well-pleased, bidding Bhishma farewell, disappeared there and\nthen. And Bhishma also, O tiger among men, well understanding the true\nimport of the _Shastras_, wandered over the world at the command of\nPulastya. Thus, O thou blessed one, did Bhishma end at Prayaga his\nhighly meritorious journey to the _tirthas_ capable of destroying all\nsins. The man that ranges the earth in accordance with these\ninjunctions, obtains the highest fruit of a hundred horse-sacrifices and\nearns salvation hereafter. Thou wilt, O son of Pritha, obtain merit\nconsisting of the eight attributes, even like that which Bhishma, the\nforemost of the Kurus, had obtained of yore. And as thou wilt lead these\nascetics to those _tirthas_, thy merit will be much greater. Those\n_tirthas_ are infested by Rakshasas, and no one, save thyself, O son of\nKuru race, can go there. Rising early he that reciteth this narrative by\nthe celestial Rishis on the subject of the _tirthas_, becometh free from\nall sins. Those foremost of Rishis, Valmiki, and Kasyapa, and Atreya,\nand Kundajathara, and Viswamitra, and Gautama, and Asita, and Devala,\nand Markandeya, and Galava, and Bharadwaja, and Vasishtha, and the\n_Muni_ Uddalaka, and Saunaka with his son, and Vyasa, that best of\nascetics, and Durvasas, that foremost of _Munis_, and Javali of great\nausterities--all these illustrious _Rishis_ endued with wealth of\nasceticism, are staying in expectation of thee. With these, O mighty\nking, do thou meet by visiting these _tirthas_. And, O illustrious\nmonarch, a great Rishi of immeasurable energy, Lomasa by name, will come\nto thee. Do thou follow him, and me, and by turns visit these _tirthas_,\nO thou virtuous one! By this, thou wilt acquire great fame, like king\nMahabhisha! O tiger among kings, even as the virtuous Yayati and king\nPururavas, dost thou blaze forth with thy own virtue. Like king\nBhagiratha and the illustrious Rama, dost thou shine among kings even as\nthe Sun himself. And thou art, O great king, celebrated (in the world)\neven as Muni or Ikshwaku, or the highly famous Puru or Vainya! And as in\ndays of yore the slayer of Vritra, after burning all his foes, ruled the\nthree worlds, his mind freed from anxiety, so wilt thou rule thy\nsubjects, after slaying all thy enemies. And, O thou of eyes like lotus\nleaves, having conquered the earth according to the customs of thy\norder, thou wilt obtain renown by thy virtue, even like\nKartaviryaryuna.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"O great king, having comforted the monarch\nthus, the illustrious Rishi Narada, bidding farewell to the king,\ndisappeared there and then. And the virtuous Yudhishthira, reflecting\nupon the subject, began to recite unto the ascetics the merit attaching\nto _tirthas_!\"\n\n\nSECTION LXXXVI\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Having ascertained the opinion of his brothers,\nand of the intelligent Narada, king Yudhishthira, addressing Dhaumya,\nwho was like unto the Grandsire himself, said, 'I have for the\nacquisition of arms, sent away that tiger among men, Jishnu, whose\nprowess is incapable of being baffled, and who is possessed of long arms\nand immeasurable intelligence. O thou of ascetic wealth, that hero is\ndevoted to me, endued with ability, and well-skilled in weapons, and\nlike unto the exalted Vasudeva himself. I know them both, Krishna and\nArjuna, those destroyers of enemies, O Brahmana, endued with prowess,\neven as the puissant Vyasa knoweth them. I know Vasudeva and Dhananjaya\nto be none else than Vishnu himself, possessed of the six attributes.\nAnd this is also what Narada knoweth, for he hath always spoken so unto\nme. I also know them to be _Rishis_, Nara and Narayana. Knowing him to\npossess the ability, I have sent him (on the mission). Not inferior unto\nIndra and fully competent (for the task), I have sent that son of a god\nto see the lord of the celestials and obtain weapons from him. Bhishma\nand Drona are _Atirathas_. Kripa and the son of Drona are invincible;\nthese mighty warriors have been installed by Dhritarashtra's son in the\ncommand of his army. All these are versed in the Vedas, are heroic, and\npossessed of the knowledge of every weapon. Endued with great strength,\nthese always desire to encounter Arjuna in fight. And Karna also of the\n_Suta_ caste is a mighty warrior versed in celestial weapons. In respect\nof the impetus of his weapons, he is endued with the strength of the\nWind-god. Himself like a flame of fire, the arrows (proceeding from him)\nconstitute its tongues. The slaps of his left hand cased in leathern\nfence constitute the crackling of that flame. The dust of the\nbattle-field is its smoke. Urged by the sons of Dhritarashtra even as\nthe wind urgeth the fire, Karna like unto the all-consuming fire at the\nend of the _Yuga_ that is sent by Death himself, will, without doubt,\nconsume my troops like unto a heap of straw. Only that mighty mass of\nclouds called Arjuna, aided by Krishna like unto a powerful wind, with\ncelestial weapon representing its fierce lightning, the white steeds,\nthe rows of white cranes coursing underneath and the unbearable Gandiva,\nthe rainbow ahead, is capable of extinguishing the blazing flame\nrepresented by Karna by means of its arrowy showers let off with\nunflagging steadiness. That conqueror of hostile cities, Vibhatsu, will,\nwithout doubt, succeed in obtaining from Indra himself all the celestial\nweapons with their fullness and life. Alone he is equal, I think, unto\nthem all. Otherwise it is impossible (for us) to vanquish in fight all\nthose foes, who have attained to eminent success in all their purposes.\nWe shall behold Arjuna, that repressor of foes, fully equipped with\ncelestial weapons, for Vibhatsu having once undertaken a task, never\ndroopeth under its weight. Without that hero, however, that best of men,\nourselves, with Krishna, cannot be at rest in Kamyaka. Therefore, do\nthou mention some other wood that is sacred and delightful, and abounds\nin food and fruits, and that is inhabited by men of pious\npractices:--where we may pass some time, expecting the warlike Arjuna of\nunbaffled prowess, like the _Chataka_ in expectation of gathering\nclouds. Do thou tell us of some asylums open to the regenerate ones, and\nlakes and streams and beautiful mountains. O Brahmana, deprived of\nArjuna, I do not like to stay in this wood of Kamyaka. We wish to go\nsomewhere else.'\"\n\n\nSECTION LXXXVII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Beholding the Pandavas afflicted with anxiety and\ndepressed in spirits, Dhaumya, who resembled Vrihaspati, spake thus,\ncomforting them, 'O bull of the Bharata race, O sinless one, listen to\nme as I mention certain sacred asylums and regions and _tirthas_ and\nmountains that are approved of by Brahmanas. O king, listen to me as I\nspeak, thyself with the daughter of Drupada and thy brothers, wilt, O\nlord of men, be relieved from grief. And, O son of Pandu, by hearing\nonly of these places, thou wilt acquire merit. And by visiting them thou\nwilt obtain merit a hundred times greater, O best of men! First, O king,\nI will, so far as I recollect, speak of the beautiful eastern country,\nmuch regarded, O Yudhishthira, by royal Rishis. In that direction, O\nBharata is a place called Naimisha which is regarded by the celestials.\nThere in that region are several sacred tirthas belonging to the gods.\nThere also is the sacred and beautiful Gomati which is adored by\ncelestial Rishis and there also is the sacrificial region of the gods\nand the sacrificial stake of Surya. In that quarter also is that best of\nhills called Gaya, which is sacred and much regarded by royal ascetics.\nThere on that hill, is the auspicious lake called Brahmasara which is\nadored by celestial Rishis. It is for this that the ancients say that\none should wish for many sons, so that even one among them may visit\nGaya, celebrate the horse-sacrifice or give away a _nila_ bull, and\nthereby deliver ten generations of his race up and down. There, O\nmonarch, is a great river, and spot called Gayasira. In Gayasira is a\nbanian, which is called by the Brahmanas the _Eternal_ banian, for the\nfood that is offered there to the Pitris becometh eternal, O exalted\none! The great river that floweth by the place is known by the name of\nPhalgu, and its waters are all sacred. And, O bull among the Bharatas,\nthere also, in that place, is the Kausiki, whose basin abounds in\nvarious fruit and roots, and where Viswamitra endued with wealth of\nasceticism acquired Brahmanahood. Towards that direction also is the\nsacred Ganga, on whose banks Bhagiratha celebrated many sacrifices with\nprofuse gifts (to Brahmanas). They say that in the country of Panchala,\nthere is a wood called Utpala, where Viswamitra of Kusika's race had\nperformed sacrifices with his son, and where beholding the relics of\nViswamitra's superhuman power, Rama, the son of Jamadagni, recited the\npraises of his ancestry. At Kamyaka, Kusika's son had quaffed the _Soma_\njuice with Indra. Then abandoning the Kshatriya order, he began to say,\n_I am a Brahmana_. In that quarter, O hero is the sacred confluence of\nGanga and Yamuna which is celebrated over the world. Holy and\nsin-destroying, that _tirtha_ is much regarded by the Rishis. It is\nthere that the soul of all things, the Grandsire, had, in olden days,\nperformed his sacrifice, and it is for this, O chief of the Bharata\nrace, that the place hath come to be called Prayaga. In this direction,\nO foremost of kings, lieth the excellent asylum of Agastya, O monarch,\nand the forest called Tapasa, decked by many ascetics. And there also is\nthe great _tirtha_ called Hiranyavinda on the Kalanjara hills, and that\nbest of mountains called Agastya, which is beautiful, sacred and\nauspicious. In that quarter, O descendant of the Kuru race, is the\nmountain called Mahendra, sacred to the illustrious Rama of the Bhrigu\nrace. There, O son of Kunti, the Grandsire performed sacrifices of yore.\nThere, O Yudhishthira, the sacred Bhagiratha entereth a lake and there\nalso, O king, is that sacred river known by the name of the\nmerit-bestowing Brahmasara, whose banks are inhabited by persons whose\nsins have been washed away, and whose sight alone produceth merit. In\nthat direction also lieth the high-souled Matanga's excellent asylum,\ncalled Kedara which is sacred and auspicious and celebrated over the\nworld. And there also is the mountain called Kundoda, which is so\ndelightful and abounding in fruits and roots and waters, and where the\nking of the Nishadhas (Nala) had slaked his thirst and rested for a\nwhile. In that quarter also is the delightful Deva-vana which is graced\nby ascetics. There also are the rivers Vahuda and Nanda on the\nmountain's crest. O mighty king, I have described unto thee all the\n_tirthas_ and sacred spots in the Eastern quarter. Do thou now hear of\nthe sacred _tirthas_, and rivers and mountains and holy spots in the\nother three quarters!'\"\n\n\nSECTION LXXXVIII\n\n\"Dhaumya continued, 'Listen, O Bharata, I shall now narrate to thee in\ndetail according to my knowledge, the sacred _tirthas_ of the south. In\nthat quarter lieth the sacred and auspicious river Godavari, full of\nwater abounding in groves and frequented by ascetics. In that direction\nalso are the rivers Venna and Bhimarathi, both capable of destroying sin\nand fear, and abounding in birds and deer, and graced with abodes of\nascetics. In that region also, O bull of the Bharata race, is the\n_tirtha_ of the royal ascetic, Nriga _viz_., the river Payoshni, which\nis delightful and full of waters and visited by Brahmanas. There the\nillustrious Markandeya, of high ascetic merit sang the praises in verse\nof king Nriga's line. We have heard respecting the sacrificing king\nNriga that which really took place while he was performing a sacrifice\nin the excellent _tirtha_ called Varaha on the Payoshni. In that\nsacrifice Indra became intoxicated with quaffing the _Soma_, and the\nBrahmanas, with the gifts they received. The water of the Payoshni,\ntaken up (in vessel), or flowing along the ground, or conveyed by the\nwind, can cleanse a person from whatever sins he may commit till the day\nof his death. Higher than heaven itself, and pure, and created and\nbestowed by the trident-bearing god, there in that _tirtha_ is an image\nof Mahadeva beholding which a mortal goeth to the region of Siva.\nPlacing on one scale Ganga and the other rivers with their waters, and\non the other, the Payoshni, the latter, in my opinion would be superior\nto all the _tirthas_, together, in point of merit! Then, O foremost of\nthe Bharata race, on the mountain called Varunasrotasa is the sacred and\nauspicious wood of Mathara abounding in fruits and roots, and containing\na sacrificial stake. Then, O king, it is said that in the region on the\nnorth of the Praveni, and about the sacred asylum of Kanwa, are many\nwoody retreats of ascetics. And, O child, in the _tirtha_ called\nSurparaka are two sacrificial platforms of the illustrious Jamadagni,\ncalled Pashana and Punaschandra, O Bharata! And, O son of Kunti, in that\nspot is the _tirtha_ called Asoka abounding in woody retreats of\nascetics. And, O Yudhishthira, in the country of the Pandyas are the\n_tirthas_ named Agastya and Varuna! And, O bull among men, there,\namongst the Pandavas, is the _tirtha_ called the Kumaris. Listen, O son\nof Kunti, I shall now describe Tamraparni. In that asylum the gods had\nundergone penances impelled by the desire of obtaining salvation. In\nthat region also is the lake of Gokarna which is celebrated over the\nthree worlds, hath an abundance of cool waters, and is sacred,\nauspicious, and capable, O child, of producing great merit. That lake is\nextremely difficult of access to men of unpurified souls. Near to that\n_tirtha_ is the sacred asylum of Agastya's disciple, the mountain\nDevasabha, which abounds in trees and grass, and fruits and roots. And\nthere also is the Vaiduryya mountain, which is delightful abounding in\ngems and capable of bestowing great merit. There on that mountain is the\nasylum of Agastya abounding in fruits and roots and water.\n\n\"'I shall now, O lord of men, describe the sacred spots, and asylums,\nand rivers and lakes belonging to the Surashtra country! O Yudhishthira,\nthe Brahmanas say that on the sea-coast is the Chamasodbheda, and also\nPrabhasa, that _tirtha_ which is much regarded by the gods. There also\nis the _tirtha_ called Pindaraka, frequented by ascetics and capable of\nproducing great merit. In that region is a mighty hill named Ujjayanta\nwhich conduceth to speedy success. Regarding it the celestial _Rishi_\nNarada of great intelligence hath recited an ancient _sloka_. Do thou\nlisten to it, O Yudhishthira! By performing austerities on the sacred\nhill of Ujjayanta in Surashtra, that abounds in birds and animals, a\nperson becometh regarded in heaven. There also is Dwaravati, producing\ngreat merit, where dwelleth the slayer of Madhu, who is the Ancient one\nin embodied form, and eternal virtue. Brahmanas versed in the Vedas, and\npersons acquainted with the philosophy of the soul say that the\nillustrious Krishna is eternal Virtue. Govinda is said to be the purest\nof all pure things, the righteous of the righteous and the auspicious of\nthe auspicious. In all the three worlds, He of eyes like lotus-leaves is\nthe God of gods, and is eternal. He is the pure soul and the active\nprinciple of life, is the Supreme _Brahma_ and is the lord of all. That\nslayer of Madhu, Hari of inconceivable soul, dwelleth there!'\"\n\n\nSECTION LXXXIX\n\n\"Dhaumya continued, 'I shall describe to thee those sacred spots capable\nof producing merit that lie on the west. In the country of the Anarttas,\nO Bharata, there flows in a westward course the sacred river Narmada,\ngraced by _Priyangu_ and mango trees, and engarlanded with thickest of\ncanes. All the _tirthas_ and sacred spots, and rivers and woods and\nforemost of mountains that are in the three worlds, all the gods with\nthe Grandsire, along with the Siddhas, the Rishis and the Charanas, O\nbest of the Kurus, always come, O Bharata, to bathe in the sacred waters\nof the Narmada. And it hath been heard by us that the sacred asylum of\nthe Muni Visravas, had stood there, and that there was born the lord of\ntreasures, Kuvera, having men for his vehicles. There also is that\nforemost of hills, the sacred and auspicious Vaidurya peak abounding\nwith trees that are green and which are always graced with fruit and\nflowers. O lord of the earth, on the top of that mountain is a sacred\ntank decked with full-blown lotus and resorted to by the gods and the\nGandharvas. Many are the wonders, O mighty monarch, that may be seen on\nthat sacred mountain which is like unto heaven itself and which is\nvisited by celestial Rishis. There, O subjugator of hostile cities, is\nthe sacred river called Viswamitra belonging to the royal sage of that\nname and which abounds, O king, in many sacred _tirthas_. It was on the\nbanks of this river, that Yayati, the son of Nahusha, (fell from heaven)\namong the virtuous, and obtained once more the eternal regions of the\nrighteous. Here also are the well-known lake called _Punya_, the\nmountain called Mainaka, and that other mountain called Asita abounding\nin fruits and roots. And here also is the sacred asylum of Kakshasena,\nand O Yudhishthira, the asylum of Chyavana also, which is famed over\nevery country, O son of Pandu! In that spot, O exalted one, men attain\nto (ascetic) success without severe austerities. Here also, O mighty\nking, is the region called Jamvumarga, inhabited by birds and deer, and\nwhich constitutes the retreat of ascetics with souls under control, O\nthou foremost of those that have subdued their senses! Next lie the\nexceedingly sacred Ketumala, and Medhya ever graced with ascetics, and,\nO lord of earth, Gangadwara, and the well-known woods of Saindhava which\nare sacred and inhabited by the regenerate ones. There also is the\ncelebrated tank of the Grandsire, called Pushkara, the favourite abode\nof the Vaikanasas, and Siddhas and Rishis. Moved by the desire of\nobtaining its protection, the Creator sang this verse at Pushkara, O\nchief of the Kurus and foremost of virtuous men! If a person of pure\nsoul purposes a pilgrimage to the Pushkaras in imagination even, he\nbecometh purged from all his sins and rejoiceth in heaven!'\"\n\n\nSECTION XC\n\n\"Dhaumya continued, 'O tiger among kings, I shall now describe those\n_tirthas_ and sacred spots that lie to the north. Do thou, O exalted\none, listen to me attentively. By hearing this narration, O hero, one\nacquireth a reverential frame of mind, which conduceth to much good. In\nthat region is the highly sacred Saraswati abounding in _tirthas_ and\nwith banks easy of descent. There also, O son of Pandu, is the\nocean-going and impetuous Yamuna, and the _tirtha_ called\nPlakshavatarana, productive of high merit and prosperity. It was there\nthat the regenerate ones having performed the _Saraswata_ sacrifice,\nbathed on the completion thereof, O sinless one, in the well-known\ncelestial _tirtha_ called Agnisiras, which is productive of great merit.\nThere king Sahadeva had celebrated a sacrifice measuring out the ground\nby a throw of the _Samya_. It is for this reason, O Yudhishthira, that\nIndra sang the praises of Sahadeva in verse. Those verses are still\ncurrent in this world, being recited by the regenerate ones, e.g., _on\nthe Yamuna Sahadeva worshipped the sacrificial fire, with gifts in a\nhundred thousands to Brahmanas_. There the illustrious king, the\nimperial Bharata, performed five and thirty horse-sacrifices. O child,\nwe have heard that Sarabhanga of yore used to fully gratify the desires\nof the regenerate ones. There in this region is his celebrated asylum\nproductive of great merit. In that region also, O son of Pritha, is the\nriver Saraswati, which is ever worshipped by the god, where, in days of\nyore, the Valikhilyas, O great king, performed sacrifices. In that\nregion also, O Yudhishthira, is the well-known river Drisadwati, which\nis productive of great merit. Then, O chief of men, are Nyagrodhakhya,\nand Panchalya, and Punyaka and Dalbhyaghosha, and Dalbhya, which are, O\nson of Kunti, the sacred asylum in the world of illustrious Anandayasas\nof excellent vows and great energy, and which are celebrated over the\nthree worlds. Here also, O lord of men, the illustrious Etavarna and\nAvavarana versed in the Vedas, learned in Vedic lore, and proficient in\nthe knowledge of Vedic rites, performed meritorious sacrifices, O chief\nof the Bharata race! There also is Visakhayupa to which, in days of\nyore, came the gods with Varuna and Indra, and practised ascetic\nausterities. And therefore is that spot so eminently sacred. Here also\nis Palasaka, where the great and illustrious and highly blessed Rishi\nJamadagni performed sacrifices. There all the principal rivers in their\nembodied forms taking their respective waters stood surrounding that\nbest of sages. And there also, O monarch, Vibhavasu (fire) himself,\nbeholding that high-souled one's initiation, sang the following _sloka:\n\"The river coming to the illustrious Jamadagni while sacrificing unto\nthe gods gratified the Brahmanas with offerings of honey.\"_ O\nYudhishthira, the spot where Ganga rusheth past, cleaving the foremost\nof mountains which is frequented by Gandharvas and Yakshas and Rakshasas\nand Apsaras, and inhabited by hunters, and Kinnaras, is called\nGangadwara. O king, Sanatkumara regardeth that spot visited by\nBrahmarshis, as also the _tirtha_ Kanakhala (that is near to it), as\nsacred. There also is the mountain named Puru which is resorted to by\ngreat Rishis and where Pururavas was born, and Bhrigu practised ascetic\nausterities. For this it is, O king, that asylum hath become known as\nthe great peak of Bhrigutunga. Near that peak is the sacred and\nextensive Vadari, that highly meritorious asylum, famed over the three\nworlds, of him, O bull of the Bharata race, who is the Present, the Past\nand the Future, who is called Narayana and the lord Vishnu, who is\neternal and the best of male beings, and who is pre-eminently\nillustrious. Near Vadari, the cool current of Ganga was formerly warm,\nand the banks there were overspread with golden sands. There the gods\nand Rishis of high fortune and exceeding effulgence, approaching the\ndivine lord Narayana, always worship him. The entire universe with all\nits _tirthas_ and holy spots is there where dwelleth the divine and\neternal Narayana, the Supreme soul, for he is Merit, he is the Supreme\n_Brahma_, he is _tirtha_, he is the ascetic retreat, he is the First, he\nis the foremost of gods, and he is the great Lord of all creatures. He\nis eternal, he is the great Creator, and he is the highest state of\nblessedness. Learned persons versed in the scriptures attain to great\nhappiness by knowing him. In that spot are the celestial Rishis, the\nSiddhas, and, indeed, all the Rishis,--where dwelleth the slayer of\nMadhu, that primeval Deity and mighty Yogin! Let no doubt enter thy\nheart that that spot is the foremost of all holy spots. These, O lord of\nearth, are the _tirthas_ and sacred spots on earth, that I have recited,\nO best of men! These all are visited by the Vasus, the Sadhyas, the\nAdityas, the Marutas, the Aswins and the illustrious Rishis resembling\nthe celestials themselves. By journeying, O son of Kunti, to those\nplaces, with the Brahmanas and ascetics that are with thee and with thy\nblessed brothers, thou wilt be freed from anxiety!'\"\n\n\nSECTION XCI\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"O son of the Kuru race, while Dhaumya was\nspeaking thus, there arrived at the spot the Rishi Lomasa of great\nenergy. And the king, who was the eldest of Pandu's sons, with his\nfollowers and those Brahmanas sat round the highly righteous one, like\ncelestials in heaven sitting round Sakra. And having received him duly,\nYudhishthira the just enquired after the reason of his arrival, and the\nobject also of his wanderings. Thus asked by Pandu's son, the\nillustrious ascetic, well-pleased, replied in sweet words delighting the\nPandayas, 'Travelling at will, O Kaunteya, over all the regions, I came\nto Sakra's abode, and saw there the lord of the celestials. There, I saw\nthy heroic brother capable of wielding the bow with his left hand,\nseated on the same seat with Sakra. And beholding Partha on that seat I\nwas greatly astonished, O tiger among men! And the lord of the\ncelestials then said unto me, \"_Go thou unto the sons of Pandu_.\" At the\nrequest, therefore, of Indra as also of the high-souled son of Pritha\nhave I come hither with speed, desiring to see thee with thy younger\nbrothers. O child, I will relate what will please thee highly, O son of\nPandu! Do thou listen to it, O king, with Krishna and the Rishis that\nare with thee. O bull of the Bharata race, Partha hath obtained from\nRudra that incomparable weapon for the acquisition of which thou hadst\nsent him to heaven. That fierce weapon, known by the name of\n_Brahma-sira_ which arose after _Amrila_, and which Rudra had obtained\nby means of ascetic austerities, hath been acquired by Arjuna together\nwith the _Mantras_ for hurling and withdrawing it, and the rites of\nexpiation and revival. And, O Yudhishthira, Arjuna of immeasurable\nprowess hath also acquired Vajras and _Dandas_ and other celestial\nweapons from Yama and Kuvera and Varuna and Indra, O son of the Kuru\nrace! And he hath also thoroughly learnt music, both vocal and\ninstrumental, and dancing and proper recitation of the _Saman_ (Veda)\nfrom Vishwavasu's son. And having thus acquired weapons and mastered the\n_Gandhama Veda_, thy third brother Vibhatsu liveth happily (in heaven).\nListen to me, O Yudhishthira, for I shall now deliver to thee the\nmessage of that foremost of celestials. He hath commanded me saying,\n\"Thou wilt, no doubt, go to the world of men. O best of Brahmanas, tell\nthou Yudhishthira these words of mine. Soon will thy brother Arjuna come\nto thee, having acquired arms and accomplished a great deed for the\ncelestials that is incapable of being accomplished by themselves. Do\nthou meanwhile devote thyself to ascetic austerities, with thy brothers.\nThere is nothing superior to asceticism, and it is by asceticism that a\nperson achieveth great results. And, O bull of the Bharata race, well do\nI know that Karna is endued with great ardour and energy and strength\nand prowess that is incapable of being baffled. Well do I know that,\nskilled in fierce conflict, he hath not his rival in battle; that he is\na mighty bowman, a hero deft in the use of fierce weapons and cased in\nthe best of mail. Well do I know that that exalted son of Aditya\nresembleth the son of Maheswara himself. Well do I also know the high\nnatural prowess of the broad-shouldered Arjuna. In battle Karna is not\nequal unto even a sixteenth part of Pritha's son. And as for the fear of\nKarna which is in thy heart, O repressor of foes, I shall dispel when\nSavyasachin will have left heaven. And as regards thy purpose, O hero,\nto set out on a pilgrimage to _tirthas_, the great Rishi Lomasa will,\nwithout doubt, speak unto thee. And whatever that regenerate Rishi will\nrelate unto thee touching the merits of asceticism and _tirthas_, thou\nshouldst receive with respect and not otherwise!\"'\"\n\n\nSECTION XCII\n\n\"Lomasa continued, 'Listen now, O Yudhishthira, to what Dhananjaya hath\nsaid: \"Cause my brother Yudhishthira to attend to the practice of virtue\nwhich leadeth to prosperity. Endued with wealth of asceticism, thou art\nconversant with the highest morality, with ascetic austerities of every\nkind, with the eternal duties of kings blessed with prosperity, and the\nhigh and sanctifying merit that men obtain from _tirthas_. Persuade thou\nthe sons of Pandu to acquire the merit attaching to _tirthas_. Do thou\nwith thy whole soul persuade the king to visit the _tirthas_ and give\naway kine.\" This is what Arjuna said unto me. Indeed he also said, \"Let\nhim visit all the _tirthas_ protected by thee. Thou wilt also protect\nhim from Rakshasas, and watch over him in inaccessible regions and\nrugged mountain breasts. And as Dadhichi had protected Indra, and\nAngiras had protected the Sun, so do thou, O best of regenerate ones,\nprotect the sons of Kunti from Rakshasas. Along the way are many\nRakshasas, huge as mountain-cliffs. But protected by thee these will not\nbe able to approach the sons of Kunti.\" Obedient to the words of Indra\nand at the request of Arjuna also protecting thee from dangers, I shall\nwander with thee. Before this, O son of the Kuru race, I have twice\nvisited the _tirthas_. With thee I shall repair to them for the third\ntime. O Yudhishthira, Manu and other royal _Rishis_ of meritorious deeds\nhad undertaken journeys to _tirthas_. Indeed, a trip to them is capable\nof dispelling all fear, O king! They that are crooked-minded, they that\nhave not their souls under control, they that are illiterate and\nperverse, do not, O Kauravya, bathe in _tirthas_. But thou art ever of a\nvirtuous disposition and conversant with morality and firm in thy\npromises. Thou wilt surely be able to free thyself from the world. For,\nO son of Pandu, thou art even as king Bhagiratha, or Gaya, or Yayati, or\nany one, O son of Kunti, that is like them.'\n\n\"Yudhishthira answered, 'I am so overwhelmed with delight, O Brahmana,\nthat I cannot find words to answer thee. Who can be more fortunate than\nhe who is remembered even by the lord of the celestials? Who can be more\nfortunate than he who hath been favoured with thy company, who hath\nDhananjaya for a brother, and who is thought of by Vasava himself? As to\nthy words, O illustrious one, in respect of a trip to the _tirthas_, my\nmind had already been made up at the words of Dhaumya. O Brahmana, I\nshall start, at whatever hour thou mayst be pleased to appoint, on the\nproposed journey to _tirthas_. Even this is my firm resolve!'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Lomasa then said unto Yudhishthira, who had\nmade up his mind to start on the proposed journey, 'O mighty king, be\nthou light as regards thy retinue, for by this thou wilt be able to go\nmore easily!'\n\n\"Yudhishthira then said, 'Let those mendicants and Brahmanas and _Yogis_\nthat are incapable of bearing hunger and thirst, the fatigues of travel\nand toil, and the severity of winter, desist. Let those Brahmanas also\ndesist that live on sweetmeats, and they also that desire cooked viands\nand food that is sucked or drunk as well as meat. And let those also\nremain behind that are dependent on cooks. Let those citizens that have\nfollowed me from motives of loyalty, and whom I have hitherto kept on\nproper stipends, repair to king Dhritarashtra. He will give them their\nallowances in due time. If, however, that king refuses to grant them\nproper allowances, the king of the Panchalas will, for our satisfaction\nand welfare, give them these.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"And thereupon oppressed with grief, the\ncitizens and the principal Brahmanas and Yatis set out for Hastinapura.\nAnd out of affection for Yudhishthira the just, the royal son of Amvika\nreceived them properly, and gratified them with proper allowances. And\nthe royal son of Kunti, with only a small number of Brahmanas, abode for\nthree nights at Kamyaka, cheered by Lomasa.\"\n\n\nSECTION XCIII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Those Brahmanas then, that had been dwelling (with\nhim) in the woods, beholding the son of Kunti about to set out (on the\npious pilgrimage), approached him, O king, and said, 'Thou art about to\nset out, O king, on thy journey to the sacred _tirthas_, along with thy\nbrothers and accompanied by the illustrious Rishi Lomasa. O king, it\nbehoveth thee, O son of Pandu, to take us with thee. Without thee, we\nshall not be able, O son of the Kuru race, to visit them at any time.\nSurrounded by dangers and difficult of access, they are infested by\nbeasts of prey. Those _tirthas_, O lord of men, are inaccessible to\npersons in small parties. Foremost of all wielders of the bow, thy\nbrothers are ever brave. Protected by your heroic selves, we also would\nproceed to them. Permit us to acquire, O lord of earth, through thy\ngrace the blessed fruit of _tirthas_. Protected by thy energy, let us, O\nking, be cleansed of all our sins by visiting those _tirthas_ and\npurified by baths therein. Bathing in those _tirthas_, thou also, O\nBharata, wilt acquire without doubt the regions difficult of acquisition\nthat Kartavirya and Ashtaka, the royal sage Lomapada and the imperial\nand heroic Bharata only had earned. In thy company, O king, we desire to\nbehold Prabhasa and other _tirthas_, Mahendra and other hills, Ganga and\nother rivers, and Plaksha and other gigantic trees. If, O lord of men,\nthou hast any regard for the Brahmanas, do thou our bidding. Thou wilt\nsurely have prosperity from this. O thou of mighty arms, the _tirthas_\nare infested by Rakshasas that ever obstruct ascetic penances. It\nbehoveth thee to protect us from them. Protected by Lomasa and taking us\nwith thee, go thou to all the _tirthas_ spoken of by Dhaumya and the\nintelligent Narada, as also all those that have been spoken of by the\ncelestial Rishi Lomasa, endued with great ascetic wealth, and be thou,\nby this, cleansed of all thy sins.'\n\n\"Thus addressed respectfully by them, the king--that bull amongst the\nsons of Pandu--surrounded by his heroic brothers headed by Bhima, with\ntears of joy in his eyes, said unto all those ascetics, 'Let it be so.'\nWith the permission then of Lomasa, as also of his priest Dhaumya, that\nforemost of Pandu's sons with soul under complete control, resolved,\nalong with his brothers and Drupada's daughter of faultless features, to\nset out. Just at this time, the blessed Vyasa, as also Parvata and\nNarada, all endued with high intelligence, came to Kamyaka for seeing\nthe son of Pandu. Beholding them, king Yudhishthira worshipped them with\ndue rites. And worshipped by the monarch thus, those blessed ones,\naddressing Yudhishthira, said, 'O Yudhishthira, O Bhima, and ye twins,\nbanish all evil thoughts from your minds. Purify your hearts and then\nset out for the _tirthas_. The Brahmanas have said that the observance\nof regulations in respect of the body are called earthly vows, while\nefforts to purify the heart, so that it may be free from evil thoughts,\nare called spiritual vows. O king, the mind that is free from all evil\nthoughts is highly pure. Purifying yourselves, therefore, harbouring\nonly friendly feelings for all, behold ye the _tirthas_. Observing\nearthly vows in respect of your bodies and purifying your minds by\nspiritual vows, obtain ye the fruits as recited, of pilgrimages.'\n\n\"Saying, 'So be it,' the Pandavas with Krishna, caused those celestial\nand human Rishis to perform the usual propitiatory ceremonies. And those\nheroes, having worshipped the feet of Lomasa and Dwaipayana and Narada\nand the celestial Rishi Parvata, O king, and accompanied by Dhaumya as\nalso the ascetics that had been residing with them in the woods, set out\non the day following the full moon of _Agrahayana_ in which the\nconstellation _Pushya_ was ascendant. Dressed in barks and hides, and\nwith matted lock on head, they were all cased in impenetrable mail and\narmed with swords. And O Janamejaya, the heroic sons of Pandu with\nquivers and arrows and scimitars and other weapons, and accompanied by\nIndrasena and other attendants with fourteen and one cars, a number of\ncooks and servants of other classes, set out with faces turned towards\nthe east!\"\n\n\nSECTION XCIV\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'O best of celestial Rishis, I do not think that I\nam without merits. Yet am I afflicted with so much sorrow that there\nnever was a king like me. I think, however, that my enemies are\ndestitute of good qualities and even destitute of morality. Yet why, O\nLomasa, do they prosper in this world?'\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'Grieve not ever, O king, O son of Pritha, that sinful men\nshould often prosper in consequence of the sins they commit. A man may\nbe seen to prosper by his sins, obtain good therefrom and vanquish his\nfoes. Destruction, however, overtakes him to the roots. O king, I have\nseen many Daityas and Danavas prosper by sin but I have also seen\ndestruction overtake them. O exalted one, I have seen all this in the\nrighteous age of yore. The gods practised virtue, while the Asuras\nabandoned it. The gods visited the _tirthas_, while the Asuras did not\nvisit them. And at first the sinful Asuras were possessed with pride.\nAnd pride begat vanity and vanity begat wrath. And from wrath arose\nevery kind of evil propensities, and from these latter sprang\nshamelessness. And in consequence of shamelessness, good behaviour\ndisappeared from among them. And because they had become shameless and\ndestitute of virtuous propensities and good conduct and virtuous vows,\nforgiveness and prosperity and morality forsook them in no time. And\nprosperity then, O king, sought the gods, while adversity sought the\nAsuras. And when the Daityas and the Danavas, deprived of sense by\npride, were possessed by adversity, Kali also sought to possess them.\nAnd, O son of Kunti, overwhelmed with pride, and destitute of rites and\nsacrifices, and devoid of reason and feeling, and their hearts full of\nvanity, destruction overtook them soon. And covered with infamy, the\nDaityas were soon exterminated. The gods, however, who were virtuous in\ntheir practices, going to the seas, the rivers, the lakes and the holy\nspots, cleansed themselves of all sins, O son of Pandu, by means of\nascetic penances and sacrifices and gifts and blessings, and obtained\nprosperity and the consequence. And because the gods always performed\nsacrifices and holy deeds abandoning every practice that was evil, and\nvisited the _tirthas_, as the consequence thereof they acquired great\ngood fortune. Guided by this, O king, do thou also, with thy brothers,\nbathe in _tirthas_, for then thou wilt obtain prosperity once more. Even\nthis is the eternal road. And, O monarch, as king Nriga and Shivi and\nAusinara and Bhagiratha and Vasumanas and Gaya and Puru and Pururavas,\nby practising ascetic penances and visiting _tirthas_ and touching\nsacred waters and beholding illustrious ascetics, obtained fame and\nsanctity and merit and wealth, so wilt thou also obtain prosperity that\nis great. And as Ikshwaku with his sons, friends and followers, as\nMuchukunda and Mandhatri and king Marutta, as the gods through power of\nasceticism and the celestial Rishis also, had all obtained fame, so wilt\nthou also obtain great celebrity. The sons of Dhritarashtra, on the\nother hand, enslaved by sinfulness and ignorance, will, without doubt,\nbe soon exterminated like the Daityas.'\"\n\n\nSECTION XCV\n\nVaisampayana said, \"The heroic sons of Pandu, accompanied by their\nfollowers, proceeding from place to place, at last arrived at Naimisha.\nO king, reaching the Gomati, the Pandavas bathed in the sacred _tirtha_\nof that stream, and having performed their ablutions there, they gave\naway, O Bharata, both kine and wealth! And repeatedly offering oblations\nof water, O Bharata, to the gods, the pitris, and the Brahmanas, in the\n_tirthas_ called Kanya, Aswa, and Go and staying (as directed) in\nKalakoti and the Vishaprastha hills, the Kauravas then, O king, reached\nVahuda and performed their ablution in that stream. Proceeding next, O\nlord of earth, to the sacrificial region of the gods known by the name\nPrayaga, they bathed in the confluence of Ganga and Yamuna and residing\nthere practised ascetic penances of great merit. And the Pandavas, of\ntruthful promises, bathing in the _tirtha_, cleansed themselves of every\nsin. The sons of Pandu then, O king of the Bharata race, accompanied by\nthose Brahmanas, proceeded to the _tirtha_ called _Vedi_, sacred to the\nCreator and adored by the ascetics. Residing there for some time and\ngratifying the Brahmanas with the fruit and roots of the wilderness and\nclarified butter, those heroes began to practise ascetic penances of\ngreat merit. They then proceeded to Mahidhara consecrated by that\nvirtuous royal sage Gaya of unrivalled splendour. In that region is the\nhill called Gayasira, as well as the delightful river called Mahanadi,\nwith fine banks graced by bushes of canes. On that celestial hill of\nholy peaks is a sacred _tirtha_ called _Brahmasara_ which is much adored\nby ascetics. There on the banks of that lake had dwelt of yore the\neternal god himself of justice, and it was thither that the illustrious\nRishi Agastya had repaired to behold that deity. It is from that lake\nthat all the rivers take their rise and there in that _tirtha_, Mahadeva\nthe wielder of the _Pinaka_, is present for aye. Arriving at that spot,\nthe heroic sons of Pandu practised the vow that is known by the name of\nthe _Chaturmasya_ according to all the rites and ordinances of the great\nsacrifice called _Rishiyajna_. It is there that that mighty tree called\nthe Eternal banian stands. Any sacrifice performed there produces merit\nthat is eternal. In that sacrificial platform of the gods producing\neternal merit, the Pandavas began to fast with concentrated souls. And\nthere came unto them Brahmanas by hundreds endued with wealth of\nasceticism. And those Brahmanas also all performed the _Chaturmasya_\nsacrifice according to the rites inculcated by the Rishis. And there in\nthat _tirtha_, those Brahmanas old in knowledge and ascetic merit and\nfully versed in the Vedas, that constituted the court of the illustrious\nsons of Pandu, talked in their presence upon various subjects of sacred\nimport. And it was in that place that the learned vow-observing, and\nsacred Shamatha, leading, besides, a life of celibacy, spake unto them,\nO king, of Gaya, the son of Amurttaraya. And Shamatha said, 'Gaya, the\nson of Amurttaraya, was one of the foremost of royal sages. Listen to\nme, O Bharata, as I recite his meritorious deeds. It was here, O king,\nthat Gaya had performed many sacrifices distinguished by the enormous\nquantities of food (that were distributed) and the profuse gifts that\nwere given away (unto Brahmanas). Those sacrifices, O king, were\ndistinguished by mountains in hundreds and thousands of cooked rice,\nlakes of clarified butter and rivers of curds in many hundreds, and\nstreams of richly-dressed curries in thousands. Day after day were these\ngot ready and distributed amongst all comers, while, over and above\nthis, Brahmanas and others, O king, received food that was clean and\npure. During the conclusion also (of every sacrifice) when gifts were\ndedicated to the Brahmanas, the chanting of the Vedas reached the\nheavens. And so loud, indeed, was the sound of the Vedic _Mantras_ that\nnothing else, O Bharata, could be heard there. Thus sacred sounds, O\nking, filled the earth, the points of the horizon, the sky and heaven\nitself. Even these were the wonders that persons noticed on those\noccasions. And gratified with the excellent viands and drinks that the\nillustrious Gaya provided, men, O bull of the Bharata race, went about\nsinging these verses. In Gaya's great sacrifice, who is there today,\namongst creatures, that still desireth to eat? There are yet twenty-five\nmountains of food there after all have been fed! What the royal sage\nGaya of immense splendour hath achieved in his sacrifice was never\nachieved by men before, nor will be by any in future. The gods have been\nso surfeited by Gaya with clarified butter that they are not able to\ntake anything that anybody else may offer. As sand grains on earth, as\nstars in the firmament, as drops showered by rain-charged clouds, cannot\never be counted by anybody, so can none count the gifts in Gaya's\nsacrifice!\n\n\"'O son of the Kuru race, many times did king Gaya perform sacrifices of\nthis description, here, by the side of this Brahmasara!'\"\n\n\nSECTION XCVI\n\nVaisampayana said, \"After this the royal son of Kunti who was ever\ndistinguished for his profuse gifts unto Brahmanas, proceeded to the\nasylum of Agastya and took up his abode in Durjaya. It was here that\nthat foremost of speakers, king Yudhishthira asked Lomasa as to why\nAgastya had slain Vatapi there. And the king also enquired after the\nextent of that man-destroying Daitya's prowess, and the reason also of\nthe illustrious Agastya's wrath being excited against that Asura.\n\n\"Thus questioned, Lomasa said, 'O son of Kuru race, there was in the\ncity called Manimati, in days of yore, a Daitya named Ilwala, whose\nyounger brother was Vatapi. One day that son of Diti addressed the\nBrahmana endued with ascetic merit, saying, \"O holy one, grant me a son\nequal unto Indra.\" The Brahmana, however, did not grant the Asura a son\nlike Indra. And at this, the Asura was inflamed with wrath against the\nBrahmana. And from that day, O king, the Asura Ilwala became a destroyer\nof Brahmanas. And endued with power of illusion the angry Asura\ntransformed his brother into a ram. And Vatapi also capable of assuming\nany form at will, would immediately assume the shape of a ram. And the\nflesh of that ram, after being properly dressed, was offered to\nBrahmanas as food. And after they had eaten of it, they were slain. For\nwhomsoever Ilwala summoned with his voice, he would come back to Ilwala\neven if he had gone to the abode of Yama, in re-embodied form endued\nwith life, and show himself to Ilwala. And so having transformed the\nAsura Vatapi into a ram and properly cooked his flesh and feeding\nBrahmanas therewith, he would summon Vatapi. And the mighty Asura\nVatapi, that foe of Brahmanas, endued with great strength and power of\nillusion, hearing, O king, those sounds uttered with a loud voice by\nIlwala, and ripping open the flanks of the Brahmana would come\nlaughingly out, O lord of earth! And it was thus, O monarch, that the\nwicked-hearted Daitya Ilwala, having fed Brahmanas, frequently took away\ntheir lives.\n\n\"'Meanwhile, the illustrious Agastya beheld his deceased ancestors\nhanging in a pit with heads downwards. And he asked those personages\nthus suspended in that hole, saying, \"_What is the matter with you?_\"\nThus questioned those utterers of _Brahma_ replied, \"It is even for\noffspring.\" And they also told him, \"We are your ancestors. It is even\nfor offspring that we stay suspended in this pit. If, O Agastya, thou\ncanst beget us a good son, we may then be saved from this hell and thou\nalso wilt obtain thy blessed state of those having offspring.\" Endued\nwith great energy and observant of truth and morality Agastya replied,\nsaying, \"Ye Pitris, I will accomplish your desire. Let this anxiety of\nyours be dispelled.\" And the illustrious Rishi then began to think of\nperpetuating his race. But he saw not a wife worthy of him on whom he\nhimself could take his birth in the form of a son. The Rishi\naccordingly, taking those parts that were regarded as highly beautiful,\nfrom creatures possessing them, created therewith an excellent woman.\nAnd the Muni, endued with great ascetic merit, thereupon gave that girl\ncreated for himself to the king of the Vidharbhas who was then\nundergoing ascetic penances for obtaining offspring. And that blessed\ngirl of sweet face (thus disposed of) then took her birth (in Vidarbha's\nroyal line) and, beautiful as the effulgent lightning, her limbs began\nto grow day by day. And as soon as that lord of earth--the ruler of the\nVidarbhas--saw her ushered into life, he joyfully communicated the\nintelligence, O Bharata, unto the Brahmanas. And the Brahmanas\nthereupon, O lord of earth, blessed the girl and they bestowed upon her\nthe name Lopamudra. And possessed of great beauty, she began, O monarch,\nto grow quickly like unto a lotus in the midst of water or the effulgent\nflame of a fire. And when the girl grew and attained to puberty, a\nhundred virgins decked in ornaments and a hundred maids waited in\nobedience upon her blessed self. And surrounded by those hundred maids\nand virgins, she shone in their midst, endued as she was with bright\neffulgence, like Rohini in the firmament amid an inferior multitude of\nstars. And possessed as she was of good behaviour and excellent manners,\nnone dared ask for her hand even when she attained to puberty, through\nfear of her father, the king of the Vidharbhas. And Lopamudra, devoted\nto truth, surpassing the Apsaras even in beauty, gratified her father\nand relatives by means of her conduct. And her father, beholding his\ndaughter--the princess of Vidharbha--attain to puberty, began to reflect\nin his mind, saying, \"To whom should I give this daughter of mine?\"'\"\n\n\nSECTION XCVII\n\n\"Lomasa continued, 'When Agastya thought that girl to be competent for\nthe duties of domesticity, he approached that lord of earth--the ruler\nof Vidharbhas--and addressing him, said, \"I solicit thee, O king, to\nbestow thy daughter Lopamudra on me.\" Thus addressed by the Muni, the\nking of the Vidharbhas swooned away. And though unwilling to give the\nMuni his daughter, he dared not refuse. And that lord of earth then,\napproaching his queen, said, \"This Rishi is endued with great energy. If\nangry, he may consume me with the fire of his curse. O thou of sweet\nface, tell me what is thy wish.\" Hearing these words of the king, she\nuttered not a word. And beholding the king along with the queen\nafflicted with sorrow, Lopamudra approached them in due time and said,\n\"O monarch, it behoveth thee not to grieve on my account. Bestow me on\nAgastya, and, O father, save thyself, by giving me away.\" And at these\nwords of his daughter, O monarch, the king gave away Lopamudra unto the\nillustrious Agastya with due rites. And obtaining her as wife, Agastya\naddressed Lopamudra, saying, \"Cast thou away these costly robes and\nornaments.\" And at these words of her lord, that large-eyed damsel of\nthighs tapering as the stem of the plantain tree cast away her handsome\nand costly robes of fine texture. And casting them away she dressed\nherself in rags and barks and deerskins, and became her husband's equal\nin vows and acts. And proceeding then to Gangadwara that illustrious and\nbest of Rishis began to practise the severest penances along with his\nhelpful wife. And Lopamudra herself, well pleased, began to serve her\nlord from the deep respect that she bore him. And the exalted Agastya\nalso began to manifest great love for his wife.\n\n\"'After a considerable time, O king, the illustrious Rishi one day\nbeheld Lopamudra, blazing in ascetic splendour come up after the bath in\nher season. And pleased with the girl, for her services, her purity, and\nself control, as also with her grace and beauty, he summoned her for\nmarital intercourse. The girl, however, joining her hands, bashfully but\nlovingly addressed the Rishi, saying, \"The husband, without doubt,\nweddeth the wife for offspring. But it behoveth thee, O Rishi, to show\nthat love to me which I have for thee. And it behoveth thee, O\nregenerate one, to approach me on a bed like to that which I had in the\npalace of my father. I also desire that thou shouldst be decked in\ngarlands of flowers and other ornaments, and that I should approach thee\nadorned in those celestial ornaments that I like. Otherwise, I cannot\napproach thee, dressed in these rags dyed in red. Nor, O regenerate\nRishi, it is sinful to wear ornaments (on such an occasion).\" Hearing\nthese words of his wife, Agastya replied, \"O blessed girl, O thou of\nslender waist, I have not wealth like what thy father hath, O\nLopamudra!\" She answered saying, \"Thou who art endued with wealth of\nasceticism, art certainly able to bring hither within a moment, by\nascetic power, everything that exists in the world of men.\" Agastya\nsaid, \"It is even so as thou hast said. That, however, would waste my\nascetic merit. O bid me do that which may not loosen my ascetic merit.\"\nLopamudra then said, \"O thou endued with wealth of asceticism, my season\nwill not last long, I do not desire, however, to approach thee\notherwise. Nor do I desire to diminish thy (ascetic) merit in any way.\nIt behoveth thee, however, to do as I desire, without injuring thy\nvirtue.\"\n\n\"'Agastya then said, \"O blessed girl, if this be the resolve that thou\nhast settled in thy heart, I will go out in quest of wealth. Meanwhile,\nstay thou here as it pleaseth thee.\"'\"\n\n\nSECTION XCVIII\n\n\"Lomasa continued, 'Agastya then, O son of the Kuru race, went to king\nSrutarvan who was regarded as richer than other kings, to beg for\nwealth. And that monarch, learning of the arrival of the pot-born Rishi\non the frontiers of his kingdoms, went out with his ministers and\nreceived the holy man with respect. And the king duly offering the\n_Arghya_ in the first instance, submissively and with joined hands\nenquired then after the reason of the Rishi's arrival. And Agastya\nanswered saying, \"O lord of the earth, know that I have come to thee,\ndesirous of wealth. Give me a portion according to thy ability and\nwithout doing injury to others.\"'\n\n\"Lomasa continued, 'The king, then, representing unto the Rishi the\nequality of his expenditure and income, said, \"O learned one, take thou\nfrom my possessions the wealth thou pleasest.\" Beholding, however, the\nequality of that monarch's expenditure with income, the Rishi who always\nsaw both sides with equal eyes, thought that if he took anything under\nthe circumstances, his act would result in injury to creatures. Taking,\ntherefore, Srutarvan with him, the Rishi went to Vradhnaswa. The latter,\nhearing of their arrival on his frontiers, received them duly. And\nVradhnaswa also offered them the _Arghyas_ and water to wash their feet.\nAnd the monarch, with their permission, then enquired after the reason\nof their coming. And Agastya said, \"O lord of earth, know that we have\ncome to thee desirous of wealth. Give us what thou canst, without doing\ninjury to others.\"'\n\n\"Lomasa continued, 'That monarch then represented unto them the equality\nof his expenditure and income, and said, \"Knowing this, take ye what ye\ndesire.\" The Rishi, however, who saw both sides with equal eyes,\nbeholding the equality of that monarch's income with expenditure,\nthought that if he took anything under the circumstances, his act would\nresult in injury to all creatures. Agastya and Srutarvan, with king\nVardhnaswa then went to Purokutsa's son, Trasadasyu, of enormous wealth.\nThe high-souled Trasadasyu, learning of their arrival on the confines of\nhis kingdom went out, O king, and received them well. And that best of\nmonarchs in Ikshvaku's line, having worshipped all of them duly,\nenquired after the reason of their arrival. And Agastya answered, \"O\nlord of earth, know that we have all come to thee, desirous of wealth.\nGive us what you can, without injuring others.\"'\n\n\"Lomasa continued, 'That monarch then, represented unto them the\nequality of his income with expenditure, and said, \"Knowing this, take\nye what ye desire.\" Beholding, however, the equality of that monarch's\nexpenditure with income, the Rishi who saw both sides with equal eyes,\nthought that if he took anything under the circumstances, his act would\nresult in injury to all creatures. Then, O monarch, all those kings\nlooking at one another, together spoke unto the Rishis saying, \"O\nBrahmana, there is a Danava of the name Ilwala who of all persons on\nearth, is possessed of enormous wealth. Let us all approach him to-day\nand beg wealth of him.\"'\n\n\"Lomasa continued, 'This suggestion, O king, of begging wealth of Ilwala\nappeared to them to be proper. And, O monarch, all of them went together\nto Ilwala after this!'\"\n\n\nSECTION XCIX\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'When Ilwala learnt that those kings along with the great\nRishi had arrived on the confines of his domain, he went out with his\nministers and worshipped them duly. And that prince of Asuras received\nthem hospitably, entertaining them, O son of the Kuru race, with well\ndressed meat supplied by his brother Vatapi (transformed into a ram).\nThen all those royal sages, beholding the mighty Asura Vatapi, who had\nbeen transformed into a ram thus cooked for them, became sad and\ncheerless and were nearly deprived of themselves. But that best of\nRishis--Agastya--addressing those royal sages, said, \"Yield ye not to\ngrief, I will eat up the great Asura.\" And the mighty Rishi then sat\nhimself down on an excellent seat, and the prince of Asuras, Ilwala,\nbegan to distribute the food smilingly. And Agastya ate up the whole of\nthe meat supplied by Vatapi (transformed into a ram). And after the\ndinner was over, Ilwala began to summon his brother. But thereupon a\nquantity of air alone came out of the illustrious Rishi's stomach, with\na sound that was as loud, O child, as the roar of the clouds. And Ilwala\nrepeatedly said, \"Come out, O Vatapi!\" Then that best of\nMunis--Agastya--bursting out in laughter, said, \"How can he come out? I\nhave already digested that great Asura.\" And beholding his brother\nalready digested, Ilwala became sad and cheerless and joining his hands,\nalong with his ministers, addressing the Rishi (and his companions),\nsaid, \"What for have ye come hither, and what can I do for you?\" And\nAgastya smilingly answered Ilwala, saying, \"We know thee, O Asura, to be\npossessed of great power and also enormous wealth. These kings are not\nvery wealthy while my need also of wealth is great. Give us what thou\ncanst, without injuring others.\" Thus addressed Ilwala saluted the Rishi\nand said, \"If thou say what it is that I mean to give, then will I give\nyou wealth.\" Hearing this Agastya said, \"O great Asura, thou hast even\npurposed to give unto each of these kings ten thousand kine and as many\ngold coins. And unto me thou hast purposed to give twice as much, as\nalso a car of gold and a couple of horses fleet as thought. If thou\nenquirest now, thou wilt soon learn that your car is made of gold.\"\nThereupon, O son of Kunti, Ilwala made enquiries and learnt that the car\nhe had intended to give away was really a golden one. And the Daitya\nthen with a sad heart, gave away much wealth and that car, unto which\nwere yoked two steeds called Virava and Surava. And those steeds, O\nBharata, took those kings and Agastya and all that wealth to the asylum\nof Agastya within the twinkling of an eye. And those royal sages then\nobtaining Agastya's permission, went away to their respective cities.\nAnd Agastya also (with that wealth) did all that his wife Lopamudra had\ndesired. And Lopamudra then said, \"O illustrious one, thou hast now\naccomplished all my wishes. Beget thou a child on me that shall be\npossessed of great energy.\" And Agastya replied unto her, saying, \"O\nblessed and beauteous one, I have been much gratified with thy conduct.\nListen thou unto me as regards the proposal I make in respect of thy\noffspring. Wouldst thou have a thousand sons, or a century of sons each\nequal to ten, or ten sons equal each to an hundred, or only one son who\nmay vanquish a thousand?\" Lopamudra answered, \"Let me have one son equal\nunto a thousand, O thou endued with wealth of asceticism! One good and\nlearned son is preferable to many evil ones.\"'\n\n\"Lomasa continued, 'Saying, \"So be it,\" that pious Muni thereupon knew\nhis devout wife of equal behaviour. And after she had conceived, he\nretired into the forest. And after the Muni had gone away, the foetus\nbegan to grow for seven years. And after the seventh year had expired,\nthere came out of the womb, the highly learned Dridhasyu, blazing, O\nBharata, in his own splendour. And the great Brahmana and illustrious\nascetic, endued with mighty energy, took his birth as the Rishi's son,\ncoming out of the womb, as if repeating the Vedas with the _Upanishads_\nand the _Angas_. Endued with great energy while yet a child, he used to\ncarry loads of sacrificial fuel into the asylum of his father, and was\nthence called _Idhmavaha_ (carrier of sacrificial wood). And the Muni,\nbeholding his son possessed of such virtues, became highly glad.\n\n\"'And it was thus, O Bharata, that Agastya begat an excellent son in\nconsequence of which his ancestors, O king, obtained the regions they\ndesired. And it is from that time that this spot hath become known on\nthe earth as the asylum of Agastya. Indeed, O king, this is the asylum\ngraced with numerous beauties, of that Agastya who had slain Vatapi of\nPrahlada's race. The sacred Bhagirathi, adored by gods and Gandharvas\ngently runneth by, like a breeze-shaken pennon in the welkin. Yonder\nalso she floweth over craggy crests descending lower and lower, and\nlooketh like an affrighted she-snake lying along the hilly slopes.\nIssuing out of the matted locks of Mahadeva, she passes along, flooding\nthe southern country and benefiting it like a mother, and ultimately\nmingleth with the ocean as if she were his favourite bride. Bathe ye as\nye like in this sacred river, ye son of Pandu! And behold there, O\nYudhishthira, the _tirtha_ of Bhrigu that is celebrated over the three\nworlds and adored, O king, by great Rishis. Bathing here, Rama (of\nBhrigu's race) regained his might, which had been taken away from him\n(by Dasaratha's son). Bathing here, O son of Pandu, with thy brothers\nand Krishna, thou wilt certainly regain that energy of thine that hath\nbeen taken away by Duryodhana, even as Rama regained his that had been\ntaken away by Dasaratha's son in hostile encounter.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"At these words of Lomasa, Yudhishthira bathed\nthere with his brothers and Krishna, and offered oblations of water, O\nBharata, to the gods and the Pitris. And, O bull among men, after\nYudhishthira had bathed in that _tirtha_, his body blazed forth in\nbrighter effulgence, and he became invincible in respect of all foes. The\nson of Pandu then, O king, asked Lomasa, saying, 'O illustrious one, why\nhad Rama's energy and might been taken away? And how also did he regain\nit? O exalted one, I ask thee, tell me everything.'\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'Listen, O king, to the history of Rama (the son of\nDasaratha) and Rama of Bhrigu's line gifted with intelligence. For the\ndestruction of Ravana, O king, Vishnu, in his own body, took his birth\nas the son of illustrious Dasaratha. We saw in Ayodhya that son of\nDasaratha after he had been born. It was then that Rama of Bhrigu's\nline, the son of Richika by Renuka, hearing of Rama the son of\nDasaratha--of spotless deeds--went to Ayodhya, impelled by curiosity,\nand taking with him that celestial bow so fatal to the Kshatriyas, for\nascertaining the prowess of Dasaratha's son. And Dasaratha, hearing that\nRama of Bhrigu's race had arrived on the confines of his domains, set\nhis own son Rama to receive the hero with respect. And beholding\nDasaratha's son approach and stand before him with ready weapons, Rama\nof Bhrigu's line smilingly addressed him, O son of Kunti, saying, \"O\nking, O exalted one, string, if thou canst, with all thy might, this\nbow which in my hands was made the instrument of destroying the\nKshatriya race.\" Thus addressed, Dasaratha's son answered, \"O\nillustrious one, it behoveth thee not to insult me thus. Nor am I,\namongst the regenerate classes, deficient in the virtues of the\nKshatriya order. The descendants of Ikshwaku in special never boast of\nthe prowess of their arms.\" Then unto Dasaratha's son who said so, Rama\nof Bhrigu's line replied, \"A truce to all crafty speech, O king! Take\nthis bow.\" At this, Rama the son of Dasaratha, took in anger from the\nhands of Rama of Bhrigu's line that celestial bow that had dealt death\nto the foremost of Kshatriyas. And, O Bharata, the mighty hero smilingly\nstrung that bow without the least exertion, and with its twang loud as\nthe thunder-rattle, affrighted all creatures. And Rama, the son of\nDasaratha, then, addressing Rama of Bhrigu's said, \"Here, I have strung\nthis bow. What else, O Brahmana, shall I do for thee?\" Then Rama, the\nson of Jamadagni, gave unto the illustrious son of Dasaratha a celestial\narrow and said, \"Placing this on the bow-string, draw to thy ear, O\nhero!\"'\"\n\n\"Lomasa continued, 'Hearing this, Dasaratha's son blazed up in\nwrath and said, \"I have heard what thou hast said, and even pardoned\nthee. O son of Bhrigu's race, thou art full of vanity. Through the\nGrandsire's grace thou hast obtained energy that is superior to that of\nthe Kshatriyas. And it is for this that thou insultest me. Behold me now\nin my native form: I give thee sight.\" Then Rama of Bhrigu's race beheld\nin the body of Dasaratha's son the Adityas with the Vasus, the Rudras,\nthe Sadhyas with the Marutas, the Pitris, Hutasana, the stellar\nconstellations and the planets, the Gandharvas, the Rakshasas, the\nYakshas, the Rivers, the _tirthas_, those eternal Rishis identified with\n_Brahma_ and called the Valkhilyas, the celestial Rishis, the Seas and\nMountains, the Vedas with the Upanishads and _Vashats_ and the\nsacrifices, the Samans in their living form, the Science of weapons, O\nBharata, and the Clouds with rain and lightning, O Yudhishthira! And the\nillustrious Vishnu then shot that shaft. And at this the earth was\nfilled with sounds of thunder, and burning meteors, O Bharata, began to\nflash through the welkin. And showers of dust and rain fell upon the\nsurface of the earth. And whirlwinds and frightful sounds convulsed\neverything, and the earth herself began to quake. And shot by the hand\nof Rama, that shaft, confounding by its energy the other Rama, came back\nblazing into Rama's hands. And Bhargava, who had thus been deprived of\nhis senses, regaining consciousness and life, bowed unto Rama--that\nmanifestation of Vishnu's power. And commanded by Vishnu, he proceeded\nto the mountains of Mahendra. And thenceforth that great ascetic began\nto dwell there, in terror and shame. And after the expiration of a year,\nthe Pitris, beholding Rama dwelling there deprived of energy, his pride\nquelled, and himself sunk in affliction, said unto him, \"O son, having\napproached Vishnu, thy behaviour towards him was not proper. He\ndeserveth for aye worship and respect in the three worlds. Go, O son, to\nthat sacred river which goeth by name of Vadhusara! Bathing in all the\n_tirthas_ of that stream, thou wilt regain thy energy! There in that\nriver is the _tirthas_ called Diptoda where thy grandsire Bhrigu, O\nRama, in the celestial age had practised ascetic penances of great\nmerit.\" Thus addressed by them, Rama, O son of Kunti, did what the\nPitris bade him, and obtained back at this _tirtha_, O son of Pandu, the\nenergy he had lost. Even this O child, was what befell Rama of spotless\ndeeds in days in of yore, after he had, O king, met Vishnu (in the form\nof Dasaratha's son)!'\"\n\n\nSECTION C\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'O best of regenerate ones, I desire again to hear\nof the achievements in detail of Agastya--that illustrious Rishi endued\nwith great intelligence.'\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'Listen now, O king, to the excellent and wonderful and\nextraordinary history of Agastya, as also, O monarch, about the prowess\nof that Rishi of immeasurable energy. There were in the Krita age\ncertain tribes of fierce Danavas that were invincible in battle. And\nthey were known by the name of Kalakeyas and were endued with terrible\nprowess. Placing themselves under Vritra and arming themselves with\ndiverse weapons they pursued the celestials with Indra at their head in\nall directions. The gods then all resolved upon the destruction of\nVritra, and went with Indra at their head to Brahma. And beholding them\nstanding before him with joined hands, Parameshthi addressed them all\nand said, \"Everything is known to me, ye gods, about what ye seek. I\nshall indicate now the means by which ye may slay Vritra. There is a\nhigh-souled and great Rishi known by the name of Dadhicha. Go ye all\ntogether unto him and solicit of him a boon. With well-pleased heart,\nthat Rishi of virtuous soul will even grant you the boon. Desirous as ye\nare of victory, go ye all together unto him and tell him, '_For the good\nof the three worlds, give us thy bones_.' Renouncing his body, he will\ngive you his bones. With these bones of his, make ye a fierce and\npowerful weapon to be called _Vajra_, endued with six sides and terrible\nroar and capable of destroying even the most powerful enemies. With that\nweapon will he of a hundred sacrifices slay Vritra. I have now told you\nall. See that all this is done speedily.\" Thus addressed by him, the\ngods with the Grandsire's leave (came away), and with Narayana at their\nhead proceeded to the asylum of Dadhicha. That asylum was on the other\nbank of the river Saraswati and covered with diverse trees and creepers.\nAnd it resounded with the hum of bees as if they were reciting _Samans_.\nAnd it also echoed with the melodious notes of the male _Kokila_ and the\n_Chakora_. And buffaloes and boars and deer and _Chamaras_ wandered\nthere at pleasure freed from the fear of tigers. And elephants with the\njuice trickling down from rent temples, plunging in the stream, sported\nwith the she-elephants and made the entire region resound with their\nroars. And the place also echoed with the loud roars of lions and\ntigers, while at intervals might be seen those grisly monarchs of the\nforest lying stretched in caves and glens and beautifying them with\ntheir presence. And such was the asylum, like unto heaven itself, of\nDadhicha, that the gods entered. And there they beheld Dadhicha looking\nlike the sun himself in splendour and blazing in grace of person like\nthe Grandsire himself. And the celestials saluted the feet of the Rishi\nand bowed unto him and begged of him the boon that the Grandsire had\nbade them do. Then Dadhicha, well pleased, addressing those foremost of\ncelestials, said, \"Ye celestials, I will do what is for your benefit. I\nwill even renounce this body of mine myself.\" And that foremost of men\nwith soul under control, having said this, suddenly renounced his life.\nThe gods then took the bones of the deceased Rishi as directed. And the\ncelestials, glad at heart, went to Twashtri (the celestial Artificer)\nand spake to him of the means of victory. And Twashtri, hearing those\nwords of theirs, became filled with joy, and constructed (out of those\nbones) with great attention and care the fierce weapons called _Vajra_.\nAnd having manufactured it, he joyfully addressed Indra, saying, \"With\nthis foremost of weapons, O exalted one, reduce that fierce foe of the\ngods to ashes. And having slain the foe, rule thou happily the entire\ndomain of heaven, O chief of the celestials, with those that follow\nthee.\" And thus addressed by Twashtri, Purandara took the _Vajra_ from\nhis hand, joyfully and with proper respect.'\"\n\n\nSECTION CI\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'Armed with the _Vajra_ then, and supported by celestials\nendued with great might, Indra then approached Vritra, who was then\noccupying the entire earth and the heaven. And he was guarded on all\nsides by huge-bodied Kalakeyas with upraised weapons resembling gigantic\nmountains with towering peaks. And the encounter that took place between\nthe gods and the Danavas lasted for a short while and was, O chief of\nthe Bharatas, terrific in the extreme, appalling as it did the three\nworlds. And loud was the clash of swords and scimitars upraised and\nwarded off by heroic hands in course of those fierce encounters. And\nheads (severed from trunks) began to roll from the firmament to the\nearth like fruits of the palmyra palm falling upon the ground, loosened\nfrom their stalks. And the Kalakeyas armed with iron-mounted bludgeons\nand cased in golden mail ran against the gods, like moving mountains on\nconflagration. And the gods, unable to stand the shock of that impetuous\nand proudly advancing host, broke and fled from fear. Purandara of a\nthousand eyes, beholding the gods flying in fear and Vritra growing in\nboldness, became deeply dejected. And the foremost of gods Purandara,\nhimself, agitated with the fear of the Kalakeyas, without losing a\nmoment, sought the exalted Narayana's refuge. And the eternal Vishnu\nbeholding Indra so depressed enhanced his might by imparting unto him a\nportion of his own energy. And when the celestials beheld that Sakra was\nthus protected by Vishnu, each of them imparted unto him his own energy.\nAnd the spotless Brahmarshis also imparted their energies unto the chief\nof the celestials. And favoured thus by Vishnu and all the gods and by\nthe high-blessed Rishis also, Sakra became mightier than before. And\nwhen Vritra learnt that the chief of the celestials had been filled with\nmight of others, he sent forth some terrific roars. And at these roars\nof his, the earth, the directions, the firmament, heaven, and the\nmountains all began to tremble. And the chief of the celestials, deeply\nagitated on hearing that fierce and loud roar, was filled with fear, and\ndesiring to slay the Asura soon, hurled, O king, the mighty _Vajra_. And\nstruck with Indra's _Vajra_ the great Asura decked in gold and garlands\nfell head-long, like the great mountain Mandara hurled of yore from\nVishnu's hands; and although the prince of Daityas was slain, yet Sakra\nin panic ran from the field, desiring to take shelter in a lake,\nthinking that the _Vajra_ itself had not been hurled from his hands and\nregarding that Vritra himself was still alive. The celestials, however,\nand the great Rishis became filled with joy, and all of them began to\ncheerfully chant the praise of Indra. And mustering together, the\ncelestials began to slay the Danavas, who were dejected at the death of\ntheir leader. And struck with panic at sight of the assembled celestial\nhost, the afflicted Danavas fled to the depths of the sea. And having\nentered the fathomless deep, teeming with fishes and crocodiles, the\nDanavas assembled together and began to proudly conspire for the\ndestruction of the three worlds. And some amongst them that were wise in\ninferences suggested courses of action, each according to his judgment.\nIn course of time, however, the dreadful resolution arrived at those\nconspiring sons of Diti, was that they should, first of all, compass the\ndestruction of all persons possessed of knowledge and ascetic virtue.\nThe worlds are all supported by asceticism. Therefore, they said, \"Lose\nno time for the destruction of asceticism. Compass ye without delay the\ndestruction of those on earth that are possessed of ascetic virtues,\nthat are conversant with duties and the ways of morality, and that have\na knowledge of _Brahma_; for when these are destroyed, the universe\nitself will be destroyed.\" And all the Danavas, having arrived at this\nresolution for the destruction of the universe, became highly glad. And\nthenceforth they made the ocean--that abode of Varuna--with billows high\nas hills, their fort, from which to make their sallies.'\"\n\n\nSECTION CII\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'The Kalakeyas then having recourse to that receptacle of\nwaters, which is the abode of Varuna, began their operations for the\ndestruction of the universe. And during the darkness of the night those\nangry Daityas began to devour the Munis they found in woody retreats and\nsacred spots. And those wicked wretches devoured in the asylum of\nVasishtha, Brahmanas to the number of a hundred and eighty, besides nine\nother ascetics. And, proceeding to the asylum of Chyavana that was\ninhabited by many _Brahmacharis_, they devoured a century of Brahmanas\nthat lived upon fruit and roots alone. And they began to do all this\nduring the darkness of the night, while they entered the depths of the\nsea by day. And they slew a full score of Brahmanas of subdued souls and\nleading a Brahmacharya mode of life and living upon air and water alone,\nin the retreat of Bharadwaja. And it was thus that those Danavas the\nKalakeyas, intoxicated with prowess of arms and their lives nearly run\nout, gradually invaded all the asylums of the Rishis during the darkness\nof the night, slaughtering numerous Brahmanas. And, O best of men,\nalthough the Danavas behaved in this way towards the ascetics in woody\nretreats, yet men failed to discover anything of them. And every morning\npeople saw the dead bodies of Munis emaciated with frugal diet, lying on\nthe ground. And many of those bodies were without flesh and without\nblood, without marrow, without entrails, and with limbs separated from\none another. And here and there lay on the ground heaps of bones like\nmasses of conch shells. And the earth was scattered over with the\n(sacrificial) contents of broken jars and shattered ladles for pouring\nlibations of clarified butter and with the sacred fires kept with care\nby the ascetics. And the universe afflicted with the terror of the\nKalakeyas, being destitute of Vedic studies and _vashats_ and\nsacrificial festivals and religious rites, became entirely cheerless.\nAnd, O king, when men began to perish in this way, the survivors,\nafflicted with fear, fled for their lives in all directions. And some\nfled to caverns and some behind mountain-streams and springs and some\nthrough fear of death, died without much ado. And some who were brave\nand mighty bowmen cheerfully went out and took great trouble in tracking\nthe Danavas. Unable, however, to find them out, for the Asuras had\nsought refuge in the depths of the sea, these brave men came back to\ntheir homes gratified with the search. And, O lord of men, when the\nuniverse was being thus destroyed, and when sacrificial festivals and\nreligious rites had been suspended, the gods became deeply afflicted.\nAnd gathering together with Indra in their midst they began, from fear,\nto take counsel of one another. And repairing unto the exalted and\nuncreate Narayana--that unvanquished god of Vaikuntha--the celestials\nsought his protection. And bowing unto the slayer of Madhu, the gods\naddressed him, saying, \"O lord, thou art the creator, the protector, and\nthe slayer of ourselves as well as of the universe. It is thou who has\ncreated this universe with its mobile and immobile creatures. O thou of\neyes like lotus leaves, it was thou who in days of yore hadst for the\nbenefit of all creatures raised from the sea the sunken earth, assuming\nalso the form of a boar. And, O best of male beings, assuming also the\nform of half-man and half-lion, thou hadst slain in days of yore that\nancient Daitya of mighty prowess known by the name of Hiranyakasipu. And\nthat other great Asura also, Vali by name, was incapable of being slain\nby any one. Assuming the form of a dwarf, thou exiledest him from the\nthree worlds. O lord, it was by thee that that wicked Asura, Jambha by\nname, who was a mighty bowman and who always obstructed sacrifices, was\nslain. Achievements like these, which cannot be counted, are thine. O\nslayer of Madhu, we who have been afflicted with fear, have thee for our\nrefuge. It is for this, O god of gods, that we inform thee of our\npresent troubles. Protect the worlds, the gods, and Sakra also, from a\nterrible fear.\"'\"\n\n\nSECTION CIII\n\n\"'The celestials said, \"Through thy favour it is that all born beings of\nthe four kinds increase. And they being created, propitiate the dwellers\nof heaven by offerings made to the gods and the names of departed\nforefathers. Thus it is that people, protected by thee and free from\ntrouble live depending on one another, and (so) increase. Now this peril\nhath befallen the people. We do not know by whom are Brahmanas being\nkilled during the night. If the Brahmanas are destroyed, the earth\nitself will meet with destruction, and if the earth cometh to an end,\nheaven also will cease to exist. O mighty-armed one, O lord of the\nuniverse! we beseech thee (to act so) that all the worlds, protected by\nthee, may not come to an end, so it may please thee.\"\n\n\"'Vishnu said, \"Ye gods! To me is known the reason of the destruction of\nthe born beings, I shall speak of it to you; listen with minds free from\ntribulation. There exists an exceedingly fierce host, known by the name\nof Kalakeyas. They, under the lead of Vritra, were devastating the whole\nuniverse. And when they saw that Vritra was slain by the sagacious Indra\nendued with a thousand eyes, they, to preserve their lives, entered into\nthe ocean, that abode of Varuna. And having entered the ocean, abounding\nwith sharks and crocodiles, they at night killed the saints at this spot\nwith the view of exterminating the people. But they cannot be slain, as\nthey have taken shelter within the sea. Ye should, therefore, think of\nsome expedient to dry up the ocean. Who save Agastya is capable of\ndrying up the sea. And without drying up the ocean, these (demons)\ncannot be assailed by any other means.\" Hearing these words of Vishnu,\nthe gods took the permission of Brahma, who lives at the best of all\nregions, and went to the hermitage of Agastya. Then they beheld the\nhigh-souled Agastya, the son of Varuna, of resplendent mien, and waited\nupon by saints, even as Brahma is waited upon by celestials. And\napproaching him, they addressed the son of Mitra and Varuna at the\nhermitage, magnanimous and unswerving, and looking like an embodiment of\npious works piled together, and glorified him by reciting his deeds. The\ndeities said, \"Thou wert formerly the refuge of the gods when they were\noppressed by Nahusha. Thorn of the world that he was, he was thrown down\nfrom his throne of heaven--from the celestial regions. Vindhya, the\nforemost of all mountains, suddenly began to increase his height, from a\nwrathful competition with the sun (_i.e._, to rival him in altitude).\nBut he hath ceased to increase, as he was unable to disobey thy command.\nAnd when darkness hath covered the world, the born beings were harassed\nby death, but having obtained thee for a protector, they attained the\nutmost security. Whenever we are beset by perils, thy reverence is\nalways our refuge; for this reason it is that we solicit a boon from\nthee; as thou ever grantest the boon solicited (of thee).\"'\"\n\n\nSECTION CIV\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'O great saint! I am desirous of hearing in detail\nwhy it was that Vindhya, made senseless with wrath, suddenly began to\nincrease his bulk.'\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'The sun between his rising and setting used to revolve\nround that monarch of mountains--the great Meru of golden lustre. And\nseeing this the mountain Vindhya spake to Surya saying, \"As thou every\nday goest round Meru and honourest him by thy circumambulations, do thou\neven the same by me, O maker of light!\" Thus addressed, the sun replied\nto the great mountain, saying, \"I do not of my own will honour this\nmountain by my circumambulations. By those who have built this universe\nhath that path been assigned to me.\" Thus addressed the mountain\nsuddenly began to increase from wrath, desirous, O chastiser of foes, of\nobstructing the path of the Sun and the Moon. And all the assembled gods\ncame to Vindhya, the mighty king of mountains, and tried to dissuade him\nfrom his course. But he heeded not what they said. And then all the\nassembled gods went to the saint, living in the hermitage, engaged in\nthe practice of austerities, and the very best of persons devoted to\nvirtue; and stated all that happened to Agastya, possessed of exceeding\nmarvellous power.\n\n\"'The gods said, \"This king of hills, Vindhya, giving way to wrath, is\nstopping the path of the Sun and the Moon, and also the course of the\nstars. O foremost of Brahmanas! O thou great in gifts! excepting\nthyself, there is none who can prevent him; therefore do thou make him\ndesist.\" Hearing these words of the gods the Brahmana came to the\nmountain. And he with his wife, having arrived there, came near Vindhya\nand spake to him, saying, \"O thou best of mountains! I wish to have a\npath given to me by thee, as, for some purpose, I shall have to go to\nthe southern region. Until my return, do thou wait for me. And when I\nhave returned, O king of mountains, thou mayst increase in bulk as much\nas thou pleasest.\" And, O slayer of foes! having made this compact with\nVindhya up to the present day Varuna's son doth not return from the\nsouthern region. Thus have I, asked by thee, narrated to thee why\nVindhya doth not increase in bulk, by reason of the power of Agastya.\nNow, O king! hear how the Kalakeyas were killed by the gods, after they\nhad obtained their prayer from Agastya.\n\n\"'Having heard the words of the gods, Agastya, the son of Mitra, and\nVaruna, said, \"Wherefore are ye come? What boon do ye solicit from me?\"\nThus addressed by him, the deities then spake to the saint, saying,\n\"This deed we ask thee to achieve, _viz_., to drink up the great ocean,\nO magnanimous (saint)! Then we shall be able to slay those enemies of\nthe gods, known by the name of Kalakeyas, together with all their\nadherents.\" Having heard the words of the gods, the saint said, \"Let it\nbe so--I shall do even what ye desire, and that which will conduce to\nthe great happiness of men.\" Having said this, he then proceeded to the\nocean--the lord of rivers,--accompanied by sages, ripe in the practice\nof penances, and also by the deities, O thou who leadest an excellent\nlife! And men and snakes, celestial choristers, Yakshas and Kinnaras\nfollowed the magnanimous saints,--desirous of witnessing that wonderful\nevent. Then they came up all together near to the sea, of awful roar,\ndancing, as it were, with its billows, bounding with the breeze, and\nlaughing with masses of froth, and stumbling at the caves, and thronged\nwith diverse kinds of sharks, and frequented by flocks of various birds.\nAnd the deities accompanied by Agastya and celestial choristers and huge\nsnakes and highly-gifted saints, approached the immense watery waste.'\"\n\n\nSECTION CV\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'That blessed saint, the son of Varuna, having reached the\nsea spake unto the assembled gods, and the saints gathered together,\nsaying \"I surely am going to drink up the ocean--that abode of the god\nof waters. Be ye quickly ready with those preparations which it devolves\nupon you to make.\" Having spoken these few words, the unswerving\noffspring of Mitra and Varuna, full of wrath, began to drink up the sea,\nwhile all the worlds stood observing (the deed). Then the gods, together\nwith Indra, seeing how the sea was being drunk up, were struck with\nmighty amazement, and glorified him with laudatory words, saying, \"Thou\nart our protector, and the Providence itself for men,--and also the\ncreator of the worlds. By thy favour the universe with its gods may\npossibly be saved from havoc.\" And the magnanimous one, glorified by the\ngods--while the musical instruments of celestial choristers were playing\nall round, and while celestial blossoms were showered upon him--rendered\nwaterless the wide ocean. And seeing the wide ocean rendered devoid of\nwater, the host of gods was exceedingly glad; and taking up choice\nweapons of celestial forge, fell to slaying the demons with courageous\nhearts,--And they, assailed by the magnanimous gods, of great strength,\nand swift of speed, and roaring loudly, were unable to withstand the\nonset of their fleet and valorous (foes)--those residents of the\nheavenly regions, O descendant of Bharata! And those demons, attacked by\nthe gods, bellowing loudly, for a moment carried on terrible conflict.\nThey had been in the first instance burnt by the force of penances\nperformed by the saints, who had matured their selves; therefore, the\ndemons, though they tried to the utmost, were at last slaughtered by the\ngods. And decked with brooches of gold, and bearing on their persons\near-rings and armlets, the demons, when slain, looked beautiful indeed,\nlike _palasa_ trees when full of blossoms. Then, O best of men! a\nfew--the remnant of those that were killed of the Kalakeya race, having\nrent asunder the goddess Earth, took refuge at the bottom of the nether\nregions. And the gods, when they saw that the demons were slain, with\ndiverse speeches, glorified the mighty saint, and spake the following\nwords. \"O thou of mighty arms, by thy favour men have attained a mighty\nblessing, and the Kalakeyas, of ruthless strength have been killed by\nthy power, O creator of beings! Fill the sea (now), O mighty-armed one;\ngive up again the water drunk up by thee.\" Thus addressed, the blessed\nand mighty saint replied, \"That water in sooth hath been digested by me.\nSome other expedient, therefore, must be thought of by you, if ye desire\nto make endeavour to fill the ocean.\" Hearing this speech of that saint\nof matured soul, the assembled gods were struck with both wonder and\nsadness, O great king! And thereupon, having bidden adieu to each other,\nand bowed to the mighty saint all the born beings went their way. And\nthe gods with Vishnu, came to Brahma. And having held consultation\nagain, with the view of filling up the sea, they, with joined hands,\nspake about replenishing it.'\"\n\n\nSECTION CVI\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'Then gathered together, Brahma, the grandfather of men\n(thus) addressed, \"Go ye, O gods! whither your pleasure may lead you, or\nyour desire conduct you. It will take a long course of time for the\nocean to resume its wonted state; the occasion will be furnished by the\nagnates of the great king Bhagiratha.\" Hearing the words of the\n(universal) grandfather (Brahma), all the foremost gods went their way\nbiding the day (when the ocean was to be filled again).'\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'What was that occasion, O Saint? And how did the\nagnates of (Bhagiratha furnish the same)? And how was the ocean refilled\nby the interference of Bhagiratha? O Saint, who deemest thy religious\npractices as thy only treasure, O thou of the priestly class! I wish to\nhear the account of the achievements of the king, narrated in detail by\nthyself.'\"\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Thus addressed by the magnanimous and virtuous king,\nhe, the chief of men of the priestly class, narrated the achievements of\nthe high-souled (king) Sagara.\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'There was born in the family of the Ikshaku tribe, a\nruler of the earth named Sagara, endued with beauty, and strength. And\nthat same (king) of a dreaded name was sonless, O descendant of Bharata!\nAnd he carried havoc through the tribes of the Haihayas and the\nTalajanghas; brought under subjection the whole of the military caste;\n(and so) ruled over his own kingdom. And, O most praiseworthy of the\ndescendants of Bharata! O chief of the Bharata race! he had two wives\nproud of their beauty and of their youth,--one a princess of the\nVidarbha race, and the other of the royal line of Sivi. And, O chief of\nkings, that same ruler of men, betook himself to the mountain Kailasa,\naccompanied by both his wives, and with the desire of having a son\nbecame engaged in the practice of exceeding austere penances. And being\nengaged in the practice of rigid austerities, and (also) employed in the\ncontemplation known by the name of Yoga, he obtained the sight of the\nmagnanimous god with three eyes--the slayer of the demon called Tripura;\nthe worker of blessings (for all beings); the (eternally) existent one;\nthe ruling Being, the holder of the Pinaka bow; carrying in his hand his\n(well-known weapon)--the trident; the god of three eyes; the repository\nof (eternal) peace; the ruler of all those that are fierce; capable of\nassuming very many forms; and the lord of the goddess Uma. And that same\nruler of men, of mighty arms, as soon as he beheld the god--that giver\nof boons--fell down at his feet, with both his queens, and proffered a\nprayer to have a son. And the god Siva, well pleased with him, spake\n(thus) to that most righteous of the rulers of men, attended by his two\nwives, saying, \"O lord of men! considering the (astrological) moment at\nwhich thou hast proffered thy prayer to me, sixty thousand sons, O\nforemost of choice men valorous and characterised by exceeding pride,\nwill be born in one of thy two wives (here). But they all, O ruler of\nthe earth, shall perish together. In the other wife, (however), will be\nborn a single valiant son, who will perpetuate thy race.\" Having said\nthis to him, the god Rudra (Siva) vanished from sight at that very spot,\nand that same king Sagara now came (back) to his own abode accompanied\nby his two wives, exceedingly delighted at heart (for what had happened)\nthen. And, O most praiseworthy of the sons of Manu! (i.e., men), there\nthe two lotus-eyed wives of him--the princess of Vidarbha and the\nprincess of Sivi--came (erelong) to be with child. And afterwards, on\nthe due day, the princess of Vidarbha brought forth (something) of the\nshape of a gourd and the princess of Sivi gave birth to a boy as\nbeautiful as a god. Then the ruler of the earth made up his mind to\nthrow away the gourd,--when he heard (proceeding) from the sky a speech\n(uttered) in a grave and solemn voice, \"O king! do thou not be guilty of\nthis hasty act; thou shouldst not abandon thy sons. Take out the seeds\nfrom the gourd and let them be preserved with care in steaming vessels\npartly filled with clarified butter. Then thou wilt get, O scion of\nBharata's race! sixty thousand sons. O ruler of men! the great god\n(Siva) hath spoken that thy sons are to be born in this manner. Let not\ntherefore thy mind be turned away therefrom.\"'\"\n\n\nSECTION CVII\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'O most righteous of kings! When he heard these words\n(proceeding) from the sky, he had faith therein, and did all that he was\ndirected to do, O chief of the men of Bharata's race! Then the ruler of\nmen took separately each of the seeds and then placed these divisions\n(of the gourd) in vessels filled with clarified butter. And intent on\nthe preservation of his sons, he provided a nurse for every\n(receptacle). Then after a long time there arose sixty thousand\nexceedingly powerful sons of that same king--gifted with unmeasured\nstrength, they were born, O ruler of earth! to that saint-like king, by\nRudra's favour. And they were terrible; and their acts were ruthless.\nAnd they were able to ascend and roam about in the sky; and being\nnumerous themselves, despised everybody, including the gods. And they\nwould chase even the gods, the Gandharvas, and the Rakshasas and all the\nborn beings, being themselves valiant and addicted to fighting. Then all\npeople, harassed by the dull-headed sons of Sagara, united with all the\ngods, went to Brahma as their refuge. And then addressed the blessed\ngrandfather of all beings (Brahma), \"Go ye your way, ye gods, together\nwith all these men. In a not very long space of time, there will come\nabout, O gods! a great and exceedingly terrible destruction of Sagara's\nsons, caused by the deed perpetrated by them.\" Thus addressed, those\nsame gods, and men, O lord of the sons of Manu! bade adieu to the\ngrandfather, and went back to whence they had come. Then, O chief of\nBharata's race! after the expiry of very many days, the mighty king\nSagara accepted the consecration for performing the rites of a\nhorse-sacrifice. And his horse began to roam over the world, protected\nby his sons. And when the horse reached the sea, waterless and frightful\nto behold--although the horse was guarded with very great care--it\n(suddenly) vanished at the very spot (it stood upon). Then, O respected\nsir! those same sons of Sagara imagined the same fine horse to have been\nstolen; and returning to their father, narrated how it had been stolen\nout of sight. And thereupon he addressed them, saying, \"Go ye and search\nfor the horse in all the cardinal points.\" Then, O great king, by this\ncommand of their father, they began to search for the horse in the\ncardinal points and throughout the whole surface of the earth. But all\nthose sons of Sagara, all mutually united, could not find the horse, nor\nthe person who had stolen it. And coming back then, they with joined\npalms thus addressed their father, (standing) before them, \"O Protector\nof men! O ruler of the earth! O king! by thy command, the whole of this\nworld with its hills and its forest tracts, with its seas, and its\nwoods, and its islands, with its rivulets and rivers and caves, hath\nbeen searched through by us. But we cannot find either the horse, or the\nthief who had stolen the same.\" And hearing the words, the same king\nbecame senseless with wrath, and then told them all, carried away by\nDestiny, \"Go ye all, may ye never return! Search ye again for the horse.\nWithout that sacrificial horse, ye must never return, my boys!\"\n\n\"'And those same sons of Sagara, accepted this command of their father,\nand once more began to search through the entire world. Now these heroes\nsaw a rift on the surface of the earth. And having reached this pit, the\nsons of Sagara began to excavate it. And with spades and pickaxes they\nwent on digging the sea, making the utmost efforts. And that same abode\nof Varuna (namely the ocean), being thus excavated by the united sons\nof Sagara and rent and cut on all sides round, was placed in a condition\nof the utmost distress. And the demons and snakes and Rakshasas and\nvarious (other) animated beings began to utter distressful cries, while\nbeing killed by Sagara's sons. And hundreds and thousands of animated\nbeings were beheld with severed heads and separated trunks and with\ntheir skins and bones and joints rent asunder and broken. Thus they went\non digging the ocean, which was the abode of Varuna and an exceedingly\nlong space of time expired in this work, but still the horse was not\nfound. Then, O lord of earth! towards the north-eastern region of the\nsea, the incensed sons of Sagara dug down as far as the lower world, and\nthere they beheld the horse, roaming about on the surface of the ground.\nAnd they saw the magnanimous Kapila, who looked like a perfect mass of\nsplendour. And having beheld him shining with his brightness, just as\nthe fire shineth with its flames, they, O king! seeing the horse, were\nflushed with delight. And they being incensed, sent forward by their\nfate, paid no heed to the presence of the magnanimous Kapila, and ran\nforward with a view to seizing the horse. Then, O great king! Kapila,\nthe most righteous of saints,--he whom the great sages name as Kapila\nVasudeva--assumed a fiery look, and the mighty saint shot flames towards\nthem, and thereby burnt down the dull-headed sons of Sagara. And Narada,\nwhose practice of austerities was very great, when he beheld them\nreduced to ashes, came to Sagara's side, and gave the information to\nhim. And when the king learnt this terrible news which proceeded from\nthe mouth of the saint, for nearly an hour he remained sad, and then he\nbethought himself of what Siva had said. Then sending for Ansuman, the\nson of Asamanjas, and his own grandson, he, O chief of Bharata's race!\nspake the following words, \"Those same sixty thousand sons of unmeasured\nstrength having encountered Kapila's wrath, have met their death on my\naccount. And, O my boy of stainless character! thy father also hath been\nforsaken by me, in order to discharge my duty (as a king), and being\ndesirous of doing good to my subjects.\"'\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'O saint, whose sole wealth consists in religious\npractices! Tell me for what reason, Sagara, the foremost of kings,\nabandoned his own begotten son, endued with valour--an act so difficult\n(for all other men).'\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'A son was born to Sagara, known by the name of Asamanjas,\nhe who was given birth to by the princess of Sivi. And he used to seize\nby throat the feeble children of the townsmen, and threw them while\nscreaming into the river. And thereupon the townsmen, overwhelmed with\nterror and grief, met together, and all standing with joined palms,\nbesought Sagara in the following way, \"O great king! Thou art our\nprotector from the dreaded peril of attack from a hostile force.\nTherefore it is proper for thee to deliver us from the frightful danger,\nproceeding from Asamanjas.\" And the most righteous of the rulers of men,\nhaving heard this frightful news from his subjects, for nearly an hour\nremained sad and then spake to his ministers, saying, \"This day from the\ncity let my son Asamanjas be driven forth. If ye wish to do what will be\nacceptable to me, let this be quickly done.\" And, O protector of men!\nthose same ministers, thus addressed by the king, performed in a hurry\nexactly what the king had commanded them to do. Thus have I narrated to\nthee how the magnanimous Sagara banished his son, with a view to the\nwelfare of the residents of the town. I shall now fully narrate to thee\nwhat Ansuman of the powerful bow was told by Sagara. Listen to me!\n\n\"'Sagara said, \"O my boy! sore am I at heart for having abandoned thy\nfather, on account of the death of my sons, and also on being\nunsuccessful in getting back the horse. Therefore, O grandson! harassed\nwith grief and confounded with the obstruction to my religious rites as\nI am, thou must bring back the horse and deliver me from hell.\" Thus\naddressed by the magnanimous Sagara, Ansuman went with sorrow to that\nspot where the earth had been excavated. And by that very passage he\nentered into the sea, and beheld that illustrious Kapila and that same\nhorse. And having beheld that ancient saint, most righteous of his\norder, looking like a mass of light, he bowed with his head to the\nground, and informed him of the reason of his visit. Then, O great king,\nKapila was pleased with Ansuman, and that saint of a virtuous soul told\nhim to ask for a favour from him. And he in the first place prayed for\nthe horse, for the purpose of using it in the sacrifice; in the second\nplace he prayed for the purification of his fathers. Then the mighty\nchief of saints, Kapila spake to him, saying, \"I shall grant thee\neverything that thou desirest, O stainless (prince). May good luck be\nthine! In thee are fixed (the virtues of) forbearance, and truth, and\nrighteousness. By thee hath Sagara had all his desires fulfilled. Thou\nare (really) a son to thy father. And by thy ability the sons of Sagara\nwill go to heaven (i.e., will be delivered from the consequences of\ntheir unhallowed death). And the son of thy son, with a view to\npurifying the sons of Sagara, will obtain the favour of the great god\nSiva, (by means of practising great austerities), and will (thus) bring\n(to this world) the river that floweth in three (separate) streams,\nGanga, O chief of men! May good luck be thine! Take thou with thee the\nsacrificial horse. Finish, my lad! the sacrificial rites of the\nmagnanimous Sagara.\" Thus addressed by the illustrious Kapila, Ansuman\ntook the horse with him, and came back to the sacrificial yard of the\nmighty-minded Sagara. Then he fell prostrate at the feet of the\nhigh-souled Sagara, who smelt him on the head and narrated all the\nevents to him, all that had been seen and heard by him, and likewise the\ndestruction of Sagara's sons. He also announced that the horse had been\nbrought back to the sacrificial yard. And when king Sagara heard of\nthis, he no more grieved on account of his sons. And he praised and\nhonoured Ansuman, and finished those same sacrificial rites. His\nsacrifice finished, Sagara was greeted honourably by all the gods; and\nhe converted the sea, Varuna's dwelling place, into a son of himself.\nAnd the lotus-eyed (King Sagara) having ruled his kingdom for a period\nof exceeding length, placed his grandson on the throne, (full of)\nresponsibilities and then ascended to heaven. And Ansuman likewise, O\ngreat king! virtuous in soul, ruled over the world as far as the edge of\nthe sea, following the foot-prints of his father's father. His son was\nnamed Dilipa, versed in virtue. Upon him placing the duties of his\nsovereign post, Ansuman likewise departed this life. And then when\nDilipa heard what an awful fate had overtaken his forefathers, he was\nsorely grieved and thought of the means of raising them. And the ruler\nof men made every great effort towards the descent of Ganga (to the\nmortal world). But although trying to the utmost of his power, he could\nnot bring about what he so much wished. And a son was born to him, known\nby the name of Bhagiratha, beauteous, and devoted to a virtuous life,\nand truthful, and free from feelings of malice. And Dilipa appointed him\nas king, and betook himself to the forest life. And, O best of all the\nscions of Bharata's race! that same king (Dilipa), devoted himself to a\nsuccessful course of austerities, and at the end of (sufficient) period,\nfrom the forest departed to heaven.'\"\n\n\nSECTION CVIII\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'That same king, of a powerful bow, standing at the head\nof the surrounding, (i.e., the occupant of an imperial throne) of a\npowerful car, (i.e., possessing every great fighting power) became the\ndelight of the eyes and the soul of all the world. And he of the\npowerful arm came to learn how his forefathers had met an awful end from\nKapila of mighty soul, and how they had been unable to attain the region\nof gods. And he with a sorrowful heart made over his kingly duties to\nhis minister, and, O lord of men! for practising austerities, went to\nthe side of the snowy Mountain (the Himalayas). And, O most praiseworthy\nof men, desirous of extinguishing his sins by leading an austere life,\nand (thereby) obtaining the favour of the (goddess) Ganga, he visited\nthat foremost of mountains--Himalaya. And he beheld it adorned with\npeaks of diverse forms full of mineral earth; besprinkled on all sides\nwith drops from clouds which were resting themselves upon the breeze;\nbeautiful with rivers and groves and rocky spurs, looking like (so many)\npalaces (in a city); attended upon by lions and tigers that had\nconcealed themselves in its caves and pits; and also inhabited by birds\nof checkered forms, which were uttering diverse sounds, such as the\nBhringarajas, and ganders, and Datyuhas, and water-cocks, and peacocks\nand birds with a hundred feathers, and Jivanjivakas, and black birds,\nand Chakoras of eyes furnished with black corners, and the birds that\nlove their young. And he saw the mountain abounding in lotus plants\ngrowing in delightful reservoirs of water. And the cranes rendered it\ncharming with their sounds; and the Kinnaras and the celestial nymphs\nwere seated on its stony slabs. And the elephants occupying the cardinal\npoints had everywhere robbed its trees with the end of their tusks; and\nthe demi-gods of the Vidyadhara class frequented the hill. And it was\nfull of various gems, and was also infested by snakes bearing terrible\npoison and of glowing tongues. And the mountain at places looked like\n(massive) gold, and elsewhere it resembled a silvery (pile), and at some\nplaces it was like a (sable) heap of collyrium. Such was the snowy hill\nwhere the king now found himself. And that most praiseworthy of men at\nthat spot betook himself to an awful austere course of life. And for one\nthousand years his subsistence was nothing but water, fruit and roots.\nWhen, however, a thousand years according to the calculation of gods had\nelapsed, then the great river Ganga having assumed a material form,\nmanifested to him her (divine) self.\n\n\"'Ganga said. \"O great king! what dost thou desire of me? And what must\nI bestow on thee? Tell me the same, O most praiseworthy of men! I shall\ndo as thou mayst ask me.\" Thus addressed, the king then made his reply\nto Ganga, the daughter of the snowy Hill, saying, \"O grantress of boons!\nO great river! my father's fathers, while searching for the horse, were\nsent by Kapila to the abode of the god of death. And those same sixty\nthousand sons of Sagara of mighty soul, having met with the majestic\nKapila, perished, (to a soul) in an instant of time. Having thus\nperished, there hath been no place for them in the region of heaven. O\ngreat river! So long as thou dost not besprinkle those same bodies with\nthy water, there is no salvation for these same Sagara's sons. O blessed\ngoddess! carry thou my forefathers, Sagara's sons, to the region of\nheaven. O great river! on their account am I beseeching thee\nforsooth.\"'\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'Ganga, the goddess saluted by the world, having heard\nthese words of the king, was well pleased, and spake to Bhagiratha the\nfollowing words: \"O great king! I am prepared to do what thou dost ask\nme; there is no doubt therein. But when I shall descend from the sky to\nthe earth, the force of my fall will be difficult to sustain, O\nprotector of men! In the three worlds there exists none who is able to\nsustain the same, excepting Siva, the most praiseworthy of gods, the\ngreat Lord with the throat of sable blue. O (prince) of a powerful arm!\nObtain the favour, by practising austerities, of that same Siva--giver\nof boons. That same god will sustain my descent upon his head. Thy\ndesire he will fulfill, the desire, namely, to be of service to thy\nfathers, O king!\" Then the great king Bhagiratha having heard the same,\nwent to the Kailasa hill, and betaking himself to a severe course of\npenances, at the expiration of a certain length of time obtained the\nfavour of that worker of blessings (Siva). And, O protector of men! that\nsame best of men, in order that his forefathers might have a place in\nheaven secured to them, received from that very Siva the fulfilment of\nhis wish, namely the wish that the descending Ganga might be\nsustained.'\"\n\n\nSECTION CIX\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'The blessed God having heard what Bhagiratha had said,\nand with a view to doing what was agreeable to the residents of heaven,\nreplied to the king, saying, \"So let it be. O most righteous of the\nprotectors of men, O (prince) of a powerful arm! For thy sake I shall\nsustain the river of the gods, when she will take her descent from the\nsky, she who is pure and blessed and divine, O (king) of a mighty arm!\"\nSaying this, he came to the snowy mountain, surrounded by his\nattendants, of awful mien, and with uplifted weapons of diverse forms.\nAnd standing there, he said to Bhagiratha, the most praiseworthy of men,\n\"O (prince) of a powerful arm! do thou pray to the river, the daughter\nof the king of mountains. I shall sustain that most praiseworthy of\nrivers when she falls down from the third region of the world (heaven).\"\nHaving heard these words uttered by Siva, the king became devout (in\nheart), made obesiance and directed his thoughts towards Ganga. Then the\ndelightful (river), of pure water in being so thought of by the king,\nand seeing that the great lord (Siva) was standing (to receive her\nfall), came down all of a sudden from the sky. And seeing that she had\ntaken her leap from the sky, the gods, together with the mighty saints,\nthe Gandharvas, the snakes, and the Yakshas, assembled there as\nspectators. Then came down from the sky Ganga, the daughter of the snowy\nmountain. And her whirlpools were raging, and she was teeming with\nfishes and sharks. O king! she directing her course towards the sea,\nseparated herself, into three streams; and her water was bestrewn with\npiles of froth, which looked like so many rows of (white) ganders. And\ncrooked and tortuous in the movement of her body, at places; and at\nothers stumbling as it were; and covered with foam as with a robe: she\nwent forward like a woman drunk. And elsewhere, by virtue of the roar of\nher waters, she uttered loud sounds. Thus assuming very many different\naspects, when she fell from the sky, and reached the surface of the\nearth, she said to Bhagiratha, \"O great king! show me the path that I\nshall have to take. O lord of the earth! for thy sake have I descended\nto the earth.\" Having heard these words, king Bhagiratha directed his\ncourse towards the spot where lay those bodies of mighty Sagara's sons,\nin order that, O most praiseworthy of men, the holy water might flood\n(the same). Having achieved the task of sustaining Ganga, Siva, saluted\nby men, went to Kailasa the most praiseworthy of mountains, accompanied\nby the celestials. And the protector of men (Bhagiratha) accompanied by\nGanga reached the sea; and the sea, the abode of Varuna, was quickly\nfilled. And the king adopted Ganga as a daughter of himself, and at that\nspot offered libations of water to the names of his forefathers; thus\nwas his heart's wish fulfilled. Thus asked by thee, I have narrated the\nwhole story how Ganga running in three streams, was brought down to the\nearth for filling the sea; how the mighty saint had drunk up the sea for\na particular reason, and how, O lord! Vatapi, the slayer of Brahmanas,\nwas destroyed by Agastya.'\"\n\n\nSECTION CX\n\nVaisampayana said, \"O chief of the Bharata race! then the son of Kunti\nwent at a slow pace to the two rivers Nanda and Aparananda, which had\nthe virtue of destroying the dread of sin. And the protector of men\nhaving reached the healthy hill Hemakuta, beheld there very many strange\nand inconceivable sights. There the very utterance of words caused the\ngathering of clouds, and a thousand volleys of stones. And people at its\nsight were struck sad, and were unable to ascend the hill. There the\nwinds blew for aye, and the heavens always poured down rains; and\nlikewise the sounds of the recitation of the sacred writ were heard, yet\nnobody was seen. In the evening and in the morning would be seen the\nblessed fire that carries offerings to the gods and there flies would\nbite and interrupt the practice of austerities. And there a sadness\nwould overtake the soul, and people would become sick. The son of Pandu,\nhaving observed very many strange circumstances of this character again\naddressed his questions to Lomasa with reference to these wonderful\nthings.\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'O slayer of foes! O king! I am going to tell thee as we\nheard it before; do thou attend to the same with intent mind. In this\npeak of Rishava, there was once a saint known by that name. And his life\nhad lasted for many hundred years. And he was devoted to penances and\nwas greatly wrathful. And he, forsooth, for having been spoken to by\nothers, from wrath addressed the hill thus, \"Whoever should utter any\nwords here, thou must throw stones at him, and thou must call up the\nwinds to prevent him from making any noise.\" This was what the saint\nsaid. And so at this place, as soon as a man utters any words, he is\nforbidden by a roaring cloud. O king! thus these deeds were performed by\nthat great saint, and from wrath he also forbade other acts. O king!\ntradition says that when the gods of yore had come to the Nanda,\nsuddenly came over (there) a number of men to look at the celestials.\nThose same gods at whose head stood Indra did not, however, like to be\nseen; and so they rendered this spot inaccessible, by raising\nobstructions in the form of hills. And from that day forward, O Kunti's\nson! men could not cast their eyes at any time on what looked like a\nhill, far less could they ascend the same. This big mountain is\nincapable of being seen by one who hath not led an austere life, nor can\nsuch a one ascend it. Therefore, O son of Kunti! keep thou thy tongue\nunder control. Here at that time all those gods performed the best\nsacrificial rites. O Bharata's son! Even up to this day these marks\nthereof may be seen. This grass here hath the form of the sacred _kusa_\ngrass: the ground here seemeth to be overspread with the sacred grass;\nand, O lord of men! many of these trees here look like the spots for\ntying the sacrificial beasts. O Bharata's son! still the Gods and saints\nhave residence here; and their sacred fire is observed in the morning\nand in the evening. Here if one bathes, his sin is forthwith destroyed,\nO Kunti's son! O most praiseworthy of the race of Kuru! do thou,\ntherefore, perform thy ablutions, together with thy younger brothers.\nThen after having washed thyself in the Nanda, thou wilt repair to the\nriver Kausiki, the spot where the most excellent and severest form of\npenances was practised by Viswamitra.' Then the king with his\nattendants, having washed his body there, proceeded to the river\nKausiki, which was pure and delightful and pleasant with cool water.\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'This is the pure divine river by name Kausiki. O chief of\nBharata's race! and this is the delightful hermitage of Viswamitra,\nconspicuous here. And this is a hermitage, with a holy name, belonging\nto Kasyapa of mighty soul; whose son was Rishyasringa, devoted to\npenances, and of passions under control. He by force of his penances\ncaused Indra to rain; and that god, the slayer of the demons Vala and\nVritra, dreading him, poured down rain during a drought. That powerful\nand mighty son of Kasyapa was born of a hind. He worked a great marvel\nin the territory of Lomapada. And when the crops had been restored, king\nLomapada gave his daughter Santa in marriage to him, as the sun gave in\nmarriage his daughter Savitri.'\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'How was the son of Kasyapa, Rishyasringa, born of a\nhind? And how was he endowed with holiness, being the issue of a\nreprehensible sexual connexion? And for what reason was Indra, the\nslayer of the demons Vala and Vritra, afraid of that same sagacious boy,\nand poured down rain during a period of drought? And how beautiful was\nthat princess Santa, pure in life, she who allured the heart of him when\nhe had turned himself into a stag? And since the royal saint Lomapada is\nsaid to have been of a virtuous disposition, why was it that in his\nterritory, Indra, the chastiser of the demon Paka, had withheld rain? O\nholy saint! all this in detail, exactly as it happened, thou wilt be\npleased to narrate to me, for I am desirous of hearing the deeds of\nRishyasringa's life.'\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'Hear how Rishyasringa, of dreaded name, was born as a son\nto Vibhandaka, who was a saint of the Brahmana caste, who had cultured\nhis soul by means of religious austerities, whose seed never failed in\ncausing generation, and who was learned and bright like the Lord of\nbeings. And the father was highly honoured, and the son was possessed of\na mighty spirit, and, though a boy, was respected by aged men. And that\nson of Kasyapa, Vibhandaka, having proceeded to a big lake, devoted\nhimself to the practice of penances. And that same saint, comparable to\na god, laboured for a long period. And once while he was washing his\nmouth in the waters, he beheld the celestial nymph Urvasi--whereupon\ncame out his seminal fluid. And, O king! a hind at that time lapped it\nup along with the water that she was drinking, being athirst; and from\nthis cause she became with child. That same hind had really been a\ndaughter of the gods, and had been told of yore by the holy Brahma, the\ncreator of the worlds, \"Thou shall be a hind; and when in that form,\nthou shall give birth to a saint; thou shalt then be freed.\" As Destiny\nwould have it, and as the word of the creator would not be untrue, in\nthat same hind was born his (Vibhandaka's) son a mighty saint. And\nRishyasringa, devoted to penances, always passed his days in the forest.\nO king! there was a horn on the head of that magnanimous saint and for\nthis reason did he come to be known at the time by the name of\nRishyasringa. And barring his father, not a man had ever before been\nseen by him; therefore his mind, O protector of men! was entirely\ndevoted to the duties of a continent life. At this very period there was\na ruler of the land of Anga known by the name of Lomapada who was a\nfriend of Dasaratha. We have heard that he from love of pleasure had\nbeen guilty of a falsehood towards a Brahmana. And that same ruler of\nthe world had at that time been shunned by all persons of the priestly\nclass. And he was without a ministering priest (to assist him in his\nreligious rites). And the god of a thousand eyes (Indra) suddenly\nabstained from giving rain in his territory; so that his people began to\nsuffer and O lord of the earth! he questioned a number of Brahmanas,\ndevoted to penances, of cultivated minds, and possessed of capabilities\nwith reference to the matter of rain being granted by the lord of gods,\nsaying, \"How may the heavens grant us the rain? Think of an expedient\n(for this purpose).\" And those same cultured men, being thus questioned,\ngave expression to their respective views. And one among them--the best\nof saints--spake to that same king, saying, \"O lord of kings! the\nBrahmanas are angry with thee. Do some act (therefore) for appeasing\nthem. O ruler of the earth! send for Rishyasringa, the son of a saint,\nresident of the forest knowing nothing of the female sex, and always\ntaking delight in simplicity. O king! if he, great in the practice of\npenances, should show himself in thy territory, forthwith rain would be\ngranted by the heavens, herein I have no doubt at all.\" And, O king!\nhaving heard these words Lomapada made atonement for his sins. And he\nwent away; and when the Brahmanas had been appeased, he returned again,\nand seeing the king returned, the people were again glad at heart. Then\nthe king of Anga convened a meeting of his ministers, proficient in\ngiving counsel. And he took great pains in order to settle some plan for\nsecuring a visit from Rishyasringa. And, O unswerving (prince)! with\nthose ministers, who were versed in all branches of knowledge, and\nexceedingly proficient in worldly matters, and had a thorough training\nin practical affairs, he at last settled a plan (for gaining his\nobject). And then he sent for a number of courtesans, women of the town,\nclever in everything. And when they came, that same ruler of the earth\nspake to them, saying, \"Ye lovely women! Ye must find some means to\nallure, and obtain the confidence of the son of the saint--Rishyasringa,\nwhom ye must bring over to my territory.\" And those same women, on the\none hand afraid of the anger of the king and on the other, dreading a\ncurse from the saint, became sad and confounded, and declared the\nbusiness to be beyond their power. One, however, among them--a hoary\nwoman, thus spake to the king, \"O great king! him whose wealth solely\nconsists in penances, I shall try to bring over here. Thou wilt,\nhowever, have to procure for me certain things, in connection with the\nplan. In that case, I may be able to bring over the son of the\nsaint--Rishyasringa.\" Thereupon the king gave an order that all that she\nmight ask for should be procured. And he also gave a good deal of wealth\nand jewels of various kinds. And then, O Lord of the earth, she took\nwith herself a number of women endowed with beauty and youth, and went\nto the forest without delay.'\"\n\n\nSECTION CXI\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'O descendant of Bharata! she in order to compass the\nobject of the king, prepared a floating hermitage, both because the king\nhad ordered so, and also because it exactly accorded with her plan. And\nthe floating hermitage, containing artificial trees adorned with various\nflowers and fruits, and surrounded by diverse shrubs and creeping plants\nand capable of furnishing choice and delicious fruits, was exceedingly\ndelightful, and nice, and pleasing, and looked as if it had been created\nby magic. Then she moored the vessel at no great distance from the\nhermitage of Kasyapa's son, and sent emissaries to survey the place\nwhere that same saint habitually went about. And then she saw an\nopportunity; and having conceived a plan in her mind, sent forward her\ndaughter, a courtesan by trade and of smart sense. And that clever woman\nwent to the vicinity of the religious man and arriving at the hermitage\nbeheld the son of the saint.\n\n\"'The courtesan said, \"I hope, O saint! that is all well with the\nreligious devotees. And I hope that thou hast a plentiful store of\nfruits and roots and that thou takest delight in this hermitage. Verily\nI come here now to pay thee a visit. I hope the practice of austerities\namong the saints is on the increase. I hope that thy father's spirit\nhath not slackened and that he is well pleased with thee. O Rishyasringa\nof the priestly caste! I hope thou prosecutest the studies proper for\nthee.\"\n\n\"'Rishyasringa said, \"Thou art shining with lustre, as if thou wert a\n(mass) of light. And I deem thee worthy of obeisance. Verily I shall\ngive thee water for washing thy feet and such fruits and roots also as\nmay be liked by thee, for this is what my religion hath prescribed to\nme. Be thou pleased to take at thy pleasure thy seat on a mat made of\nthe sacred grass, covered over with a black deer-skin and made pleasant\nand comfortable to sit upon. And where is thy hermitage? O Brahmana!\nthou resemblest a god in thy mien. What is the name of this particular\nreligious vow, which thou seemest to be observing now?\"\n\n\"'The courtesan said, \"O son of Kasyapa! on the other side of yonder\nhill, which covers the space of three Yojanas, is my hermitage--a\ndelightful place. There, not to receive obeisance is the rule of my\nfaith nor do I touch water for washing my feet. I am not worthy of\nobeisance from persons like thee; but I must make obeisance to thee. O\nBrahmana! This is the religious observance to be practised by me,\nnamely, that thou must be clasped in my arms.\"\n\n\"'Rishyasringa said, \"Let me give thee ripe fruits, such as gallnuts,\nmyrobalans, _Karushas, Ingudas_ from sandy tracts and Indian fig. May it\nplease thee to take a delight in them!\"'\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'She, however, threw aside all those edible things and\nthen gave him unsuitable things for food. And these were exceedingly\nnice and beautiful to see and were very much acceptable to Rishyasringa.\nAnd she gave him garlands of an exceedingly fragrant scent and beautiful\nand shining garments to wear and first-rate drinks; and then played and\nlaughed and enjoyed herself. And she at his sight played with a ball and\nwhile thus employed, looked like a creeping plant broken in two. And she\ntouched his body with her own and repeatedly clasped Rishyasringa in her\narms. Then she bent and broke the flowery twigs from trees, such as the\nSala, the Asoka and the Tilaka. And overpowered with intoxication,\nassuming a bashful look, she went on tempting the great saint's son. And\nwhen she saw that the heart of Rishyasringa had been touched, she\nrepeatedly pressed his body with her own and casting glances, slowly\nwent away under the pretext that she was going to make offerings on the\nfire. On her departure, Rishyasringa became over-powered with love and\nlost his sense. His mind turned constantly to her and felt itself\nvacant. And he began to sigh and seemed to be in great distress. At that\nmoment appeared Vibhandaka, Kasyapa's son, he whose eyes were tawny like\nthose of a lion, whose body was covered with hair down to the tip of the\nnails, who was devoted to studies proper for his caste, and whose life\nwas pure and was passed in religious meditation. He came up and saw that\nhis son was seated alone, pensive and sad, his mind upset and sighing\nagain and again with upturned eyes. And Vibhandaka spake to his\ndistressed son, saying, \"My boy! why is it that thou art not hewing the\nlogs for fuel. I hope thou hast performed the ceremony of burnt offering\ntoday. I hope thou hast polished the sacrificial ladles and spoons and\nbrought the calf to the milch cow whose milk furnisheth materials for\nmaking offerings on the fire. Verily thou art not in thy wonted state, O\nson! Thou seemest to be pensive, and to have lost thy sense. Why art\nthou so sad today? Let me ask thee, who hath been to this place\ntoday?\"'\"\n\n\nSECTION CXII\n\n\"'Rishyasringa said, \"Here came to-day a religious student with a mass\nof hair on his head. And he was neither short nor tall. And he was of a\nspirited look and a golden complexion, and endued with eye large as\nlotuses; and he was shining and graceful as a god. And rich was his\nbeauty blazing like the Sun; and he was exceedingly fair with eyes\ngraceful and black. And his twisted hair was blue-black and neat and\nlong and of a fragrant scent and tied up with strings of gold. A\nbeautiful ornament was shining on his neck which looked like lightning\nin the sky. And under the throat he had two balls of flesh without a\nsingle hair upon them and of an exceedingly beautiful form. And his\nwaist was slender to a degree and his navel neat; and smooth also was\nthe region about his ribs. Then again there shone a golden string from\nunder his cloth, just like this waist-string of mine. And there was\nsomething on his feet of a wonderful shape which give forth a jingling\nsound. Upon his wrists likewise was tied a pair of ornaments that made a\nsimilar sound and looked just like this rosary here. And when he walked,\nhis ornaments uttered a jingling sound like those uttered by delighted\nganders upon a sheet of water. And he had on his person garments of a\nwonderful make; these clothes of mine are by no means beautiful like\nthose. And his face was wonderful to behold; and his voice was\ncalculated to gladden the heart; and his speech was pleasant like the\nsong of the male blackbird. And while listening to the same I felt\ntouched to my inmost soul. And as a forest in the midst of the vernal\nseason, assumes a grace only when it is swept over by the breeze, so, O\nfather! he of an excellent and pure smell looks beautiful when fanned by\nthe air. And his mass of hair is neatly tied up and remains adhering to\nthe head and forehead evenly sundered in two. And his two eyes seemed to\nbe covered with wonderful Chakravaka birds of an exceedingly beautiful\nform. And he carried upon his right palm a wonderful globur fruit, which\nreaches the ground and again and again leaps up to the sky in a strange\nway. And he beats it and turns himself round and whirls like a tree\nmoved by the breeze. And when I looked at him, O father! he seemed to be\na son of the celestials, and my joy was extreme, and my pleasure\nunbounded. And he clasped my body, took hold of my matted hair, and bent\ndown my mouth, and, mingling his mouth with my own, uttered a sound that\nwas exceedingly pleasant. And he doth not care for water for washing his\nfeet, nor for those fruits offered by me; and he told me that such was\nthe religious observance practised by him. And he gave unto me a number\nof fruits. Those fruits were tasteful unto me: these here are not equal\nto them in taste. They have not got any rind nor any stone within them,\nlike these. And he of a noble form gave me to drink water of an\nexceedingly fine flavour; and having drunk it, I experienced great\npleasure; and the ground seemed to be moving under my feet. And these\nare the garlands beautiful and fragrant and twined with silken threads\nthat belong to him. And he, bright with fervent piety, having scattered\nthese garlands here, went back to his own hermitage. His departure hath\nsaddened my heart; and my frame seems to be in a burning sensation! And\nmy desire is to go to him as soon as I can, and to have him every day\nwalk about here. O father, let me this very moment go to him. Pray, what\nis that religious observance which is being practised by him. As he of a\nnoble piety is practising penances, so I am desirous to live the same\nlife with him. My heart is yearning after similar observances. My soul\nwill be in torment if I see him not.\"'\"\n\n\nSECTION CXIII\n\n\"'Vibhandaka said, \"Those are, O son! Rakshasas. They walk about in that\nwonderfully beautiful form. Their strength is unrivalled and their\nbeauty great. And they always meditate obstruction to the practice of\npenances. And, O my boy, they assume lovely forms and try to allure by\ndiverse means. And those fierce beings hurled the saints, the dwellers\nof the woods, from blessed regions (won by their pious deeds). And the\nsaint who hath control over his soul, and who is desirous of obtaining\nthe regions where go the righteous, ought to have nothing to do with\nthem. And their acts are vile and their delight is in causing\nobstruction to those who practise penance; (therefore) a pious man\nshould never look at them. And, O son! those were drinks unworthy to be\ndrunk, being as they were spirituous liquors consumed by unrighteous\nmen. And these garlands, also, bright and fragrant and of various hues,\nare not intended for saints.\" Having thus forbidden his son by saying\nthat those were wicked demons, Vibhandaka went in quest of her. And when\nby three day's search he was unable to trace where she was he then came\nback to his own hermitage. In the meanwhile, when the son of Kasyapa had\ngone out to gather fruits, then that very courtesan came again to tempt\nRishyasringa in the manner described above. And as soon as Rishyasringa\nhad her in sight, he was glad and hurriedly rushing towards him said,\n\"Let us go to thy hermitage before the return of my father.\" Then, O\nking! those same courtesans by contrivances made the only son of Kasyapa\nenter their bark, and unmoored the vessel. And by various means they\nwent on delighting him and at length came to the side of Anga's king.\nAnd leaving then that floating vessel of an exceedingly white tint upon\nthe water, and having placed it within sight of the hermitage, he\nsimilarly prepared a beautiful forest known by the name of the _Floating\nHermitage_. The king, however, kept that only son of Vibhandaka within\nthat part of the palace destined for the females when of a sudden he\nbeheld that rain was poured by the heavens and that the world began to\nbe flooded with water. And Lomapada, the desire of his heart fulfilled,\nbestowed his daughter Santa on Rishyasringa in marriage. And with a view\nto appease the wrath of his father, he ordered kine to be placed, and\nfields to be ploughed, by the road that Vibhandaka was to take, in order\nto come to his son. And the king also placed plentiful cattle and stout\ncowherds, and gave the latter the following order:\n\n\"'\"When the great saint Vibhandaka should enquire of you about his son,\nye must join your palms and say to him that these cattle, and these\nploughed fields belong to his son and that ye are his slaves, and that\nye are ready to obey him in all that he might bid.\" Now the saint, whose\nwrath was fierce, came to his hermitage, having gathered fruits and\nroots and searched for his son. But not finding him he became\nexceedingly wroth. And he was tortured with anger and suspected it to be\nthe doing of the king. And therefore, he directed his course towards the\ncity of Champa having made up his mind to burn the king, his city, and\nhis whole territory. And on the way he was fatigued and hungry, when he\nreached those same settlements of cowherds, rich with cattle. And he was\nhonoured in a suitable way by those cowherds and then spent the night in\na manner befitting a king. And having received very great hospitality\nfrom them, he asked them, saying, \"To whom, O cowherds, do ye belong?\"\nThen they all came up to him and said, \"All this wealth hath been\nprovided for thy son.\" At different places he was thus honoured by that\nbest of men, and saw his son who looked like the god Indra in heaven.\nAnd he also beheld there his daughter-in-law, Santa, looking like\nlightning issuing from a (cloud). And having seen the hamlets and the\ncowpens provided for his son and having also beheld Santa, his great\nresentment was appeased. And O king of men! Vibhandaka expressed great\nsatisfaction with the very ruler of the earth. And the great saint,\nwhose power rivalled that of the sun and the god of fire, placed there\nhis son, and thus spake, \"As soon as a son is born to thee, and having\nperformed all that is agreeable to the king, to the forest must thou\ncome without fail.\" And Rishyasringa did exactly as his father said, and\nwent back to the place where his father was. And, O king of men! Santa\nobediently waited upon him as in the firmament the star Rohind waits\nupon the Moon, or as the fortunate Arundhati waits upon Vasishtha, or as\nLopamudra waits upon Agastya. And as Damayanti was an obedient wife to\nNala, or as Sachi is to the god who holdeth the thunderbolt in his hand\nor as Indrasena, Narayana's daughter, was always obedient to Mudgala, so\ndid Santa wait affectionately upon Rishyasringa, when he lived in the\nwood. This is the holy hermitage which belonged to him. Beautifying the\ngreat lake here, it bears holy fame. Here perform thy ablutions and have\nthy desire fulfilled. And having purified thyself, direct thy course\ntowards other holy spots.'\"\n\n\nSECTION CXIV\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Then, O Janamejaya, the son of Pandu started from\nthe river Kausiki and repaired in succession to all the sacred shrines.\nAnd, O protector of men, he came to the sea where the river Ganga falls\ninto it; and there in the centre of five hundred rivers, he performed\nthe holy ceremony of a plunge. Then, O ruler of the earth, accompanied\nby his brothers, the valiant prince proceeded by the shore of the sea\ntowards the land where the Kalinga tribes dwell.\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'There is the land, O Kunti's son, where the Kalinga\ntribes dwell. Through it passeth the river Vaitarani, on the banks\nwhereof even the god of virtue performed religious rites, having first\nplaced himself under the protection of the celestials. Verily, this is\nthe northern bank, inhabited by saints, suitable for the performance of\nreligious rites beautified by a hill, and frequented by persons of the\nregenerate caste. This spot (in holiness) rivals the path whereby a\nvirtuous man, fit for going to heaven, repairs to the region inhabited\nby gods. And verily at this spot in former times, other saints likewise\nworshipped the immortals by the performance of religious rites. And at\nthe very spot it was that the god Rudra, O king of kings, seized the\nsacrificial beast and exclaimed, \"This is my share!\" O chief of the\ndescendants of Bharata, then when the beast was carried away by Siva,\nthe gods spake to him saying, \"Cast not a covetous glance at the\nproperty of others, disregarding all the righteous rules.\" Then they\naddressed words of glorification of a pleasing kind to the god Rudra.\nAnd they satisfied him by offering a sacrifice, and paid him suitable\nhonours. Thereupon he gave up the beast, and went by the path trodden by\nthe gods. Thereupon what happened to Rudra, learn from me, O\nYudhishthira! Influenced by the dread of Rudra, the gods set apart for\nevermore, the best allotment out of all shares, such as was fresh and\nnot stale (to be appropriated by the god). Whosoever performs his\nablutions at this spot, while reciting this ancient story, beholds with\nhis mortal eyes the path that leads to the region of the gods.'\"\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Then all the sons of Pandu and likewise the daughter\nof Drupada--all of whom were the favoured of Fate--descended to the\nriver Vaitarani, and made libations to the manes of their fathers.\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'O Lomasa, how great must be the force of a pious\ndeed! Having taken my bath at this spot in a proper form, I seem to\ntouch no more the region inhabited by mortal men! O saint of a virtuous\nlife, I am beholding all the regions. And this is the noise of the\nmagnanimous dwellers of the wood, who are reciting their audible\nprayers.'\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'O Yudhishthira, the place whence this noise comes and\nreaches thy ears is at the distance of three hundred thousand _yojanas_,\nto be sure. O lord of men, rest thou quiet and utter no word. O king,\nthis is the divine forest of the Self-existent One, which hath now come\nto our view. There, O king, Viswakarma of a dreaded name performed\nreligious rites. On the mighty occasion of that sacrifice, the\nSelf-existent One made a gift of this entire earth with all its hilly\nand forest tracts, to Kasyapa, by way of gratuity, for ministering as a\npriest. And then, O Kuru's son, as soon as that goddess Earth was giving\naway, she became sad at heart, and wrathfully spake the following words\nto that great lord, the ruler of the worlds, \"O mighty god, it is\nunworthy of thee to give me away to an ordinary mortal. And this act of\ngift on thy part will come to nothing; (for) here am I going to descend\ninto the bottom of the nether world.\" Then when the blessed saint\nKasyapa beheld the goddess Earth, despondent and sad, he, O protector of\nmen, performed a propitiatory act calculated to appease her wrath. And\nthen, O Pandu's son, the Earth was pleased with his pious deed. And she\nuprose again from within the waters, and showed herself in the form of a\nsacred altar. This, O king, is the spot which distinctly manifests the\nform of an altar. O great monarch, ascend over it, and thou wilt gain\nvalour and strength. And, O king, this is the very altar which reaches\nas far as the sea, and rests itself upon its bosom. May good luck be\nthine, do thou mount hereupon, and of thyself cross the sea. And while\nthou this day mountest upon it, I shall administer the ceremony for\naverting all evil from thee; for this altar here, as soon as it gets a\nmortal's touch, at once enters into the sea. _Salutation to the god who\nprotects the universe! Salutation to thee that art beyond the universe!\nO Lord of gods, vouchsafe thy presence in this sea._ O Pandu's son, thou\nmust recite the following words of truth, and while so reciting, thou\nmust quickly ascend this altar, \"The god of fire, and the sun, and the\norgan of generation, and water, and goddess and the seed of Vishnu, and\nthe navel of nectar. The god of fire is the organ that generated the\n(ocean); the earth is thy body; Vishnu deposited the seed that caused\nthy being and thou art the navel of nectar.\" Thus, O Pandu's son, the\nwords of truth must be audibly recited, and while so reciting, one must\nplunge into the lord of rivers. O most praiseworthy of Kunti's son,\notherwise this lord of waters of divine birth, this best storehouse of\nthe waters (of the earth), should not be touched, O son of Kunti, even\nwith the end of a sacred grass.'\"\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Then when the ceremony for averting evil had been\ncompleted in his behalf, the magnanimous Yudhishthira went into the sea,\nand having performed all that the saint had bid, repaired to the skirts\nof the Mahendra hill, and spent the night at that spot.\"\n\n\nSECTION CXV\n\nVaisampayana said, \"The protector of the earth spent there a single\nnight, and with his brothers, paid the highest honours to the religious\nmen. And Lomasa made him acquainted with the names of all of them, such\nas the _Bhrigus_, the _Angiras_, the _Vasishthas_, and the _Kasyapas_.\nAnd the royal saint paid visit to them all and made obeisance to them\nwith joined palms. And then he asked the valiant Akritavrana, who was a\nfollower of Parasurama, 'when will the revered Parasurama show himself\nto the religious men here? It is desired on that occasion to obtain a\nsight of the descendant of Bhrigu.'\n\n\"Akritavrana said, 'Thy journey to this spot is already known to Rama,\nwhose soul spontaneously knows everything. And he is in every way\nwell-pleased with thee, and he will show himself readily to thee. And\nthe saints who practise penances here, are permitted to see him on the\nfourteenth and the eighth day of the lunar course. On the morrow at the\nend of this very night there will set in the fourteenth day of the lunar\ncourse. On that occasion thou wilt have a sight of him, clad in a sable\ndeerskin, and wearing his hair in the form of a matted mass.'\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'Thou hast been a follower of the mighty Rama,\nJamadagni's son; thou must, therefore, have been the eye-witness of all\nthe deeds achieved by him in former days. I, therefore, request thee to\nnarrate to me how the members of the military caste were vanquished by\nRama on the field of battle, and what the original cause of those\nconflicts was.'\n\n\"Akritavrana said, 'With pleasure shall I recite to thee that excellent\nstory, O Bharata's son, O chief of kings, the story of the godlike deeds\nof Rama, the son of Jamadagni, who traced his origin to Bhrigu's race. I\nshall also relate the achievements of the great ruler of the _Haihaya_\ntribe. That king, Arjuna by name, the mighty lord of the _Haihaya_ tribe\nwas killed by Rama. He, O Pandu's son, was endued with a thousand arms;\nand by the favour of Dattatreya he likewise had a celestial car made of\ngold. And, O protector of the earth, his rule extended over the entire\nanimated world, wheresoever located on this earth. And the car of that\nmighty monarch could proceed everywhere in an unobstructed course. And\ngrown resistless by the virtue of a granted boon, he ever mounted on\nthat car, trampled upon gods and _Yakshas_ and saints on all sides\nround. And all the born beings wheresoever placed, were harassed by him.\nThen the celestials and the saints of a rigidly virtuous life, met\ntogether, and thus spake to Vishnu, the god of gods, the slayer of\ndemons, and possessed of prowess that never failed, saying, \"O blessed\nand revered lord, for the purpose of preserving all the born beings, it\nis necessary that Arjuna should be killed by thee.\" And the mighty ruler\nof the Haihaya tribe placing himself on his celestial car, affronted\nIndra, while that deity was enjoying himself with Sachi, his queen.\nThen, O Bharata's son, the blessed and the revered god (Vishnu) held a\nconsultation with Indra, with a view to destroying Kartavirya's son. And\non that occasion, all that was for the good of the world of beings, was\ncommunicated by the lord of gods; and the blessed god worshipped by the\nworld, to do all that was necessary, went to the delightful _Vadari_\nwood which was his own chosen retreat for practising penances. And at\nthis very time there lived on the earth a mighty monarch in the land of\n_Kanyakuvja_, a sovereign whose military force was exceedingly great.\nAnd his name of Gadhi was famous in the world. He, however, betook\nhimself to a forest-life. And while he was dwelling in the midst of the\nwood, there was born to him a daughter beautiful as a nymph of heaven.\nAnd Richika, the son of Bhrigu, asked for her to be united with himself\nin marriage. And then Gadhi spake to that Brahmana, who led a rigidly\naustere life, saying, \"There is a certain family custom in our race; it\nhath been founded by my ancestors of a bygone age. And, O most excellent\nof the sacerdotal caste, be it known to thee that the intending\nbridegroom must offer a dowry consisting of a thousand fleet steeds,\nwhose colour must be brown and every one of whom must possess a single\nsable ear. But, O Bhrigu's son, a reverend saint like thee cannot be\nasked to offer the same. Nor can my daughter be refused to a magnanimous\nsaint of thy (exalted) rank.\" Thereupon Richika said, \"I will give thee\na thousand fleet steeds, brown in hue and possessing a single sable ear;\nlet thy daughter be given in marriage to me.\"'\n\n\"Akritavrana said, 'Thus having given his word, O king, he went and said\nto Varuna, \"Give me a thousand fleet steeds brown in colour, and each\nwith one black ear. I want the same as dowry for my marriage.\" To him\nVaruna forthwith gave a thousand steeds. Those steeds had issued out of\nthe river Ganga; hence the spot hath been named, _The horse's landing\nplace_. And in the city of Kanyakuvja, the daughter of Gadhi, Satyavati\nby name, was given in marriage; and the gods themselves were of the\nparty of the bride. Richika, the most excellent of the sacerdotal caste,\nthus procured a thousand steeds, and had a sight of the dwellers of\nheaven and won a wife in the proper form. And he enjoyed himself with\nthe girl of slender waist, and thus gratified all the wishes and desire\nthat he ever had. And when the marriage had been celebrated, O king, his\nfather Bhrigu came on a visit to see him and his wife; and he was glad\nto see his praiseworthy son. And the husband and wife together paid\ntheir best respects to him, who was worshipped by all the gods. And when\nhe had seated himself, they both with joined palms, stood near him, in\norder that they might do his bidding. And then the revered saint,\nBhrigu, glad at heart, thus spoke to his daughter-in-law, saying, \"O\nlovely daughter, as for a boon I am ready to grant thee any object of\nthy wish.\" And there upon she asked for his favour in this, that a son\nmight be born to both herself and her mother. And he vouchsafed the\nfavour thus asked for.\n\n\"'Bhrigu said, \"During the days that your season lasts, thou and thy\nmother must take a bath, with the ceremony for bringing forth a male\nchild. And ye two must then separately embrace two different trees--she\na peepal tree, and thou a fig tree. And, O dutiful girl, here are two\npots of rice and milk, prepared by me with the utmost care. I having\nransacked the whole universe to find the drugs, the essence whereof hath\nbeen blended with this milk and rice. It must be taken as food with the\ngreatest care.\" And saying this, he vanished from sight. The two ladies,\nhowever, made an interchange both in the matter of the pots of rice, and\nlikewise as regards the trees (to be embraced by each). Then after the\nlapse of very many days, the revered saint, once more came. And he came\nknowing (what had happened) by his attribute of divine knowledge. Then\nBhrigu possessed of mighty strength, spake to Satyavati, his\ndaughter-in-law, saying, \"O dutiful girl! O my daughter of a lovely\nbrow, the wrong pot of rice thou tookest as food. And it was the wrong\ntree which was embraced by thee. It was thy mother who deluded thee. A\nson will be born of thee, who, though of the priestly caste, will be of\na character fit for the military order; while a mighty son will be born\nof thy mother, who, though by birth a Kshatriya will assume a life\nsuitable to the sacerdotal order. And his power will be great, and he\nwill walk on the path trodden by righteous men.\" Then she entreated her\nfather-in-law again and again, saying, \"Let not my son be of this\ncharacter; but let my grandson be such.\" And, O Pandu's son, he replied,\n\"So let it be!\" And thus he was pleased to grant her prayer. Then she\nbrought forth on the expected day a son by name Jamadagni. And this son\nof Bhrigu was endowed with both splendour and grace. And he grew in\nyears and in strength, and excelled the other saints in the proficiency\nof his _Vaidik_ lore. O chieftain of Bharata's race, to him, rivalling\nin lustre the author of light (the sun), came spontaneously and without\ninstruction the knowledge of the entire military art and of the fourfold\nmissile arms.'\"\n\n\nSECTION CXVI\n\n\"Akritavrana said, 'Jamadagni devoted himself to the study of the _Veda_\nand the practice of sacred penances, and became famous for his great\nausterities. Then he pursued a methodical course of study and obtained a\nmastery over the entire Veda. And, O king, he paid a visit to Prasenajit\nand solicited the hand of Renuka in marriage. And this prayer was\ngranted by the king. And the delight of Bhrigu's race having thus\nobtained Renuka for his wife, took his residence with her in a\nhermitage, and began to practice penances, being assisted by her. And\nfour boys were born of her, with Rama for the fifth. And although the\nyoungest, Rama was superior to all in merit. Now once upon a time, when\nher sons had gone out for the purpose of gathering fruits, Renuka who\nhad a pure and austere life, went out to bathe. And, O king, while\nreturning home, she happened to cast her glance towards the king of\nMartikavata, known by the name of Chitraratha. The king was in the water\nwith his wives, and wearing on his breast a lotus wreath, was engaged in\nsport. And beholding his magnificent form, Renuka was inspired with\ndesire. And this unlawful desire she could not control, but became\npolluted within the water, and came back to the hermitage frightened at\nheart. Her husband readily perceived what state she was in. And mighty\nand powerful and of a wrathful turn of mind, when he beheld that she had\nbeen giddy and that the lustre of chastity had abandoned her, he\nreproached her by crying out \"Fie!\" At that very moment came in the\neldest of Jamadagni's sons, Rumanvan; and then, Sushena, and then, Vasu,\nand likewise, Viswavasu. And the mighty saint directed them all one by\none to put an end to the life of their mother. They, however, were quite\nconfounded and lost heart. And they could not utter a single word. Then\nhe in ire cursed them. And on being cursed they lost their sense and\nsuddenly became like inanimate objects, and comparable in conduct to\nbeasts and birds. And then Rama, the slayer of hostile heroes, came to\nthe hermitage, last of all. Him the mighty-armed Jamadagni, of great\nausterities, addressed, saying, \"Kill this wicked mother of thine,\nwithout compunction, O my son.\" Thereupon Rama immediately took up an\naxe and therewith severed his mother's head. Then, O great king, the\nwrath of Jamadagni of mighty soul, was at once appeased; and\nwell-pleased, he spake the following words, \"Thou hast, my boy,\nperformed at my bidding this difficult task, being versed in virtue.\nTherefore, whatsoever wishes there may be in thy heart, I am ready to\ngrant them all. Do thou ask me.\" Thereupon Rama solicited that his\nmother might be restored to life, and that he might not be haunted by\nthe remembrance of this cruel deed and that he might not be affected by\nany sin, and that his brothers might recover their former state, and\nthat he might be unrivalled on the field of battle, and that he might\nobtain long life. And, O Bharata's son, Jamadagni, whose penances were\nthe most rigid, granted all those desires of his son. Once, however, O\nlord, when his sons had gone out as before, the valourous son of\nKartavirya, the lord of the country near the shore of the sea, came up\nto the hermitage. And when he arrived at that hermitage, the wife of the\nsaint received him hospitably. He, however, intoxicated with a warrior's\npride, was not at all pleased with the reception accorded to him, and by\nforce and in defiance of all resistance, seized and carried off from\nthat hermitage the chief of the cows whose milk supplied the sacred\nbutter, not heeding the loud lowing of the cow. And he wantonly pulled\ndown the large trees of the wood. When Rama came home, his father\nhimself told him all that had happened. Then when Rama saw how the cow\nwas lowing for its calf, resentment arose in his heart. And he rushed\ntowards Kartavirya's son, whose last moments had drawn nigh. Then the\ndescendant of Bhrigu, the exterminator of hostile heroes, put forth his\nvalour on the field of battle, and with sharpened arrows with flattened\ntips, which were shot from a beautiful bow, cut down Arjuna's arms,\nwhich numbered a thousand, and were massive like (wooden) bolts for\nbarring the door. He, already touched by the hand of death, was\noverpowered by Rama, his foe. Then the kinsmen of Arjuna, their wrath\nexcited against Rama, rushed at Jamadagni in his hermitage, while Rama\nwas away. And they slew him there; for although his strength was great,\nyet being at the time engaged in penances, he would not fight. And while\nthus attacked by his foes, he repeatedly shouted the name of Rama in a\nhelpless and piteous way. And, O Yudhishthira, the sons of Kartavirya\nshot Jamadagni, with their arrows, and having thus chastised their foe,\nwent their way. And when they had gone away, and when Jamadagni had\nbreathed his last, Rama, the delight of Bhrigu's race, returned to the\nhermitage, bearing in his arms, fuel for religious rites. And the hero\nbeheld his father who had been put to death. And grieved exceedingly he\nbegan to bewail the unworthy fate that had laid his father low.'\"\n\n\nSECTION CXVII\n\n\"'Rama said, \"The blame is mine, O father, that like a stag in the wood,\nthou hast been shot dead with arrows, by those mean and stupid\nwretches--the sons of Kartavirya. And O father, virtuous and unswerving\nfrom the path of righteousness and inoffensive to all animated beings as\nthou wert, how came it to be permitted by Fate that thou shouldst die in\nthis way? What an awful sin must have been committed by them, who have\nkilled thee with hundreds of sharpened shafts, although thou wert an\naged man, and engaged in penances at the time and absolutely averse to\nfighting with them. With what face will those shameless persons speak of\nthis deed of theirs to their friends and servants, _viz_., that they\nhave slain an unassisted and unresisting virtuous man?\"--O protector of\nmen, thus he, great in penance, bewailed much in a piteous manner, and\nthen performed the obsequies of his departed sire. And Rama, the\nconqueror of hostile cities, cremated his father on the funeral pyre,\nand vowed, O scion of Bharata's race, the slaughter of the entire\nmilitary caste, and of exceeding strength in the field of battle, and\npossessed of valour suited to a heroic soul, and comparable to the god\nof death himself, he took up his weapon in wrathful mood, and\nsinglehanded put Kartavirya's sons to death. And, O chieftain of the\nmilitary caste, Rama, the leader of all capable of beating their foes,\nthrice smote down all the Kshatriya followers of Kartavirya's sons. And\nseven times did that powerful lord exterminate the military tribes of\nthe earth. In the tract of land, called Samantapanchaka five lakes of\nblood were made by him. There the mightiest scion of Bhrigu's race\noffered libations to his forefathers--the Bhrigus, and Richika appeared\nto him in a visible form, and spake to him words of counsel. Then the\nson of Jamadagni of dreaded name, performed a mighty sacrifice and\ngratified the lord of the celestials, and bestowed the earth to the\nministering priests. And, O protector of human beings, he raised an\naltar made of gold, ten _Vyamas_ in breadth and nine in height, and made\na gift of the same to the magnanimous Kasyapa. Then at Kasyapa's bidding\nthe Brahmanas divided the altar into a number of shares, and thus they\nbecame reputed as the _Khandavayamas_ (share takers). And the\nexterminator of the military race possessed of immense strength,\nbestowed the earth upon the high-souled Kasyapa, and then became engaged\nin penance of an exceedingly severe form. He now dwells in this\nMahendra, monarch of hills. Thus did hostilities arise between him and\nthe members of the military caste,--all of them who dwell on this earth;\nand Rama, endowed with immense strength, in this way subdued the entire\nworld.'\"\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Then on the fourteenth day of the moon, the\nmighty-souled Rama at the proper hour showed himself to those members of\nthe priestly caste and also to the virtuous king (Yudhishthira) and his\nyounger brothers. And, O king of kings, the lord together with his\nbrothers, worshipped Rama, and, O most righteous of the rulers of men,\nthe very highest honours were paid by him to all those members of the\ntwice-born class. And after worshipping Jamadagni's son and having\nreceived words of praise from him, at his direction he spent the night\non the Mahendra hill, and then started on his journey towards the\nsouthern regions.\"\n\n\nSECTION CXVIII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"The magnanimous monarch pursued his journey, and at\ndifferent spots on the shore of the sea visited the various bathing\nplaces, all sacred and pleasant and frequented by men of the sacerdotal\ncaste. And O son of Parikshit! He in proper form took his bath in them\ntogether with his younger brothers and then went to an excellent river,\nthe holiest of all. There also the magnanimous king, took his plunge,\nand offered libations to his forefathers and the gods, and distributed\nriches to the leaders of the twice-born class. Then he went to the\nGodavari, a river that falls directly into the sea. There he was freed\nfrom his sins. And he reached the sea in the Dravida land, and visited\nthe holy spot passing under Agastya's name, which was exceedingly sacred\nand exceptionally pure. And the valiant king visited the feminine sacred\nspots. Here he listened to the story of that well-known feat which was\nachieved by Arjuna, chief of all wielders of the bow, and which was\nbeyond the power of human beings to perform. And here he was praised by\nthe highest members of the saintly class, and the son of Pandu\nexperienced the greatest delight. And, O protector of the earth! the\nruler of the world, accompanied by Krishna bathed in those holy spots,\nand speaking of Arjuna's valour in laudatory terms delightfully spent\nhis time in the place. Then he gave away thousands of cows at those holy\nspots on the coast of the sea; and with his brothers narrated well\npleased how Arjuna had made a gift of kine. And he, O king! visited one\nby one those holy places on the coast of the sea and many other sacred\nspots, and thus fulfilled his heart's desire, till he came to the\nholiest of all known by the name of Suparaka. Then having crossed a\ncertain tract on the coast of the sea, he reached a forest celebrated on\nearth. There the deities had practised asceticism in former days, and\nlikewise virtuous rulers of men had performed sacrificial rites. There\nhe, possessed of long and lusty arms, beheld the celebrated altar of\nRichika's son, who was the foremost of all wielders of the bow. And the\naltar was girt round by hosts of ascetics, and was fit to be worshipped\nby persons of a virtuous life. Then the king beheld the holy and\ndelightful shrines of all the gods and of the Vasus, and of the hosts of\nwind and of the two celestial physicians and of Yatna, son of the sun\nand of the lord of riches, and of Indra, and of Vishnu, and of the lord\nCreator and of Siva, and of the moon, and of the author of day, and of\nthe lord of waters, and of the host of Sadhyas, and of Brahma, and of\nthe forefathers, and of Rudra together with all his followers, and of\nthe goddess of learning, and of the host of Siddhas, and of many\nimmortal holy gods besides. And in those shrines the king observed\nvarious fasts, and gave away large quantities of gems. He plunged his\nbody in all the holy spots, and then came again to Surparaka. And he by\nthe same landing-place of the sea again proceeded with his uterine\nbrothers and came over to the holy spot Prabhasa, whereof fame hath been\nspread by mighty Brahmanas throughout the world. There he, possessed of\na pair of large red eyes, washed himself with all his younger brothers,\nand offered libations to the forefathers and the celestial hosts; and so\ndid Krishna and all those Brahmanas together with Lomasa. For twelve\ndays he subsisted upon air and water. And he performed ablutions for\ndays and nights and surrounded himself with fires kindled on all sides.\nThus that greatest of all virtuous men engaged himself in asceticism.\nWhile he was acting thus, information reached both Valarama and Krishna\nthat the king was practising penances of a most austere form and these\ntwo leaders of the entire Vrishni tribe accompanied with troops came to\nYudhishthira of Ajamidha's race. And when the Vrishnis beheld that the\nsons of Pandu lay down on the ground, their bodies besmeared all over\nwith dirt and when they beheld the daughter of Drupada in a sad state,\ntheir grief was great and they could not refrain from breaking out in\nloud lamentations. Then the king, whose courage was such that misfortune\nnever could cast him down, cordially met Rama and Krishna and Samva,\nKrishna's son, and the grand-son of Sini and other Vrishnis, and paid\nhonour to them in a suitable form. And they also in return paid honour\nto all the sons of Pritha, and were similarly honoured by Pandu's sons.\nAnd they seated themselves round about Yudhishthira, as round Indra, O\nking! are seated the celestial hosts. And highly pleased, he recounted\nto them all the machinations of his adversaries, and how also he had\nresided in the forest, and how Arjuna had gone to Indra's abode in order\nto learn the science of arms--all this he related with a gladdened\nheart. And they were happy to learn all this news from him; but when\nthey saw the Pandavas so exceedingly lean, the majestic and magnanimous\nVrishnis could not forbear shedding tears, which spontaneously gushed\nfrom their eyes on account of the agony they felt.\"\n\n\nSECTION CXIX\n\nJanamejaya said, \"O thou of ascetic wealth! when the sons of Pandu and\nthe Vrishnis reached the holy spot Prabhasa, what did they do and what\nconversation was held there by them, for all of them were of mighty\nsouls, proficient in all the branches of science and both the Vrishnis\nand the sons of Pandu held one another in friendly estimation.\"\n\nVaisampayana said, \"When the Vrishnis reached the holy spot Prabhasa, the\nsacred landing-place on the coast of the sea, they surrounded the sons\nof Pandu and waited upon them. Then Valarama, resembling in hue the milk\nof the cow and the Kunda flower and the moon and the silver and the\nlotus root and who wore a wreath made of wild flowers and who had the\nploughshare for his arms, spake to the lotuseyed one, saying, 'O\nKrishna, I do not see that the practice of virtue leads to any good or\nthat unrighteous practices can cause evil, since the magnanimous\nYudhishthira is in this miserable state, with matted hair, a resident of\nthe wood, and for his garment wearing the bark of trees. And Duryodhana\nis now ruling the earth, and the ground doth not yet swallow him up.\nFrom this, a person of limited sense would believe a vicious course of\nlife is preferable to a virtuous one. When Duryodhana is in a\nflourishing state and Yudhishthira, robbed of his throne, is suffering\nthus, what should people do in such a matter?--This is the doubt that is\nnow perplexing all men. Here is the lord of men sprung from the god of\nvirtue, holding fast to a righteous path, strictly truthful and of a\nliberal heart. This son of Pritha would give up his kingdom and his\npleasure but would not swerve from the righteous path, in order to\nthrive. How is it that Bhishma and Kripa and the Brahmana Drona and the\naged king, the senior member of the house, are living happily, after\nhaving banished the sons of Pritha? Fie upon the vicious-minded leaders\nof Bharata's race! What will that sinner, the chieftain of the earth,\nsay to the departed forefathers of his race, when the wretch will meet\nthem in the world to come? Having hurled from the throne his\nin-offensive sons, will he be able to declare that he had treated them\nin a blameless way? He doth not now see with his mind's eye how he hath\nbecome so sightless, and on account of what act he hath grown blind\namong the kings of this entire earth. Is it not because he hath banished\nKunti's son from his kingdom? I have no doubt that Vichitravirya's son,\nwhen he with his sons perpetrated this inhuman act, beheld on the spot\nwhere dead bodies are burnt, flowering trees of a golden hue. Verily he\nmust have asked them, when those stood before him with their shoulders\nprojected forward towards him, and with their large red eyes staring at\nhim, and he must have listened to their evil advice, since he fearlessly\nsent away Yudhishthira to the forest, who had all his weapons of war\nwith him and was borne company by his younger brothers. This Bhima here,\nwhose voracious appetite is like that of a wolf, is able to destroy with\nthe sole strength of his powerful arms, and without the help of any\nweapons of war, a formidable array of hostile troops. The forces in the\nfield of battle were utterly unmanned on hearing his war-cry. And now\nthe strong one is suffering from hunger and thirst, and is emaciated\nwith toilsome journeys. But when he will take up in his hand arrows and\ndiverse other weapons of war, and meet his foes in the field of battle,\nhe will then remember the sufferings of his exceedingly miserable\nforest-life, and kill his enemies to a man: of a certainty do I\nanticipate this. There is not throughout the whole world a single soul\nwho can boast of strength and prowess equal to his. And his body, alas!\nis emaciated with cold, and heat and winds. But when he will stand up\nfor fight, he will not leave a single man out of his foes. This powerful\nhero, who is a very great warrior when mounted on a car--this Bhima, of\nappetite rivalling a wolf's conquered single-handed all the rulers of\nmen in the east, together with, those who followed them in battle; and\nhe returned from those wars safe and uninjured. And that same Bhima,\nmiserably dressed in the bark of trees, is now leading a wretched life\nin the woods. This powerful Sahadeva vanquished all the kings in the\nsouth; those lords of men who had gathered on the coast of the\nsea,--look at him now in an anchorite's dress. Valiant in battle Nakula\nvanquished single-handed the kings who ruled the regions towards the\nwest,--and he now walks about the wood, subsisting on fruit and roots,\nwith a matted mass of hair on the head, and his body besmeared all over\nwith dirt. This daughter of a king, who is a great soldier when mounted\non a car, took her rise from beneath the altar, during the pomp of\nsacrificial rites. She hath been always accustomed to a life of\nhappiness; how is she now enduring this exceedingly miserable life in\nthis wood! And the son of the god of virtue,--virtue which stands at the\nhead of all the three pursuits of life--and the son of the wind-god and\nalso the son of the lord of celestials, and those two sons of the\ncelestial physicians,--being the sons of all those gods and always\naccustomed to a life of happiness, how are they living in this wood,\ndeprived of all comforts? When the son of Virtue met with defeat and\nwhen his wife, his brothers, his followers, and himself were all driven\nforth, and Duryodhana began to flourish, why did not the earth subside\nwith all its hills?'\"\n\n\nSECTION CXX\n\n\"Satyaki said, 'O Rama! this is not the time of lamentation; let us do\nthat which is proper and suited to the present occasion, although\nYudhishthira doth not speak a single word. Those who have persons to\nlook after their welfare do not undertake anything of themselves; they\nhave others to do their work, as Saivya and others did for Yayati.\nLikewise, O Rama! those who have appointed functionaries to undertake\ntheir work on their own responsibility, as the leaders of men, they may\nbe said to have real patrons, and they meet with no difficulty, like\nhelpless beings. How is it that when the sons of Pritha have for their\npatrons these two men, Rama and Krishna, and the two others, Pradyumna\nand Samva, together with myself,--these patrons being able to protect\nall the three worlds,--how is it that the son of Pritha is living in the\nwood with his brothers? It is fit that this very day the army of the\nDasarhas should march out, variously armed and with checkered mails. Let\nDhritarashtra's sons be overwhelmed with the forces of the Vrishnis and\nlet them go with their friends to the abode of the god of death. Let him\nalone who wields the bow made of the horn (Krishna), thou alone, if\nroused, wouldst be able to surround even the whole of this earth. I ask\nthee to kill Dhritarashtra's son with all his men, as the great Indra,\nthe lord of the gods killed Vritra. Arjuna, the son of Pritha, is my\nbrother, and also my friend, and also my preceptor, and is like the\nsecond self of Krishna. It is for this that men desire for a worthy son,\nand that preceptor seeks a pupil who would contradict him not. It is for\nthis that the time is come for that excellent work, which is the best of\nall tasks and difficult to perform. I shall baffle Duryodhana's volleys\nof arms by my own excellent weapons. I shall overpower all in the field\nof battle. I shall in my wrath cut off his head with my excellent\nshafts, little inferior to snakes and poison and fire. And with the keen\nedge of my sword, I shall forcibly sever his head from the trunk, in the\nfield of battle; then I shall kill his followers, and Duryodhana, and\nall of Kuru's race. O son of Rohini! let the followers of Bhima look at\nme with joy at their heart, when I shall keep up the weapons of war in\nthe field of battle, and when I shall go on slaying all the best\nfighting men on the side of the Kurus, as at the end of time fire will\nburn vast heaps of straw. Kripa and Drona and Vikarna and Karna are not\nable to bear the keen arrows shot by Pradyumna. I know the power of\nArjuna's son--he conducts himself like the son of Krishna in the field\nof battle. Let Samva chastise by the force of his arms Dussasana; let\nhim destroy by force Dussasana and his charioteer and his car. In the\nfield of battle when the son of Jamvavati becomes irresistible in fight,\nthere is nothing which can withstand his force. The army of the demon\nSamvara was speedily routed by him when only a boy. By him was killed in\nfight Asvachakra, whose thighs were round, and whose muscular arms were\nof exceeding length. Who is there that would be able to go forward to\nthe car of Samva, who is great in fight, when mounted on a car? As a\nmortal coming under the clutches of death can never escape; so who is\nthere that once coming under his clutches in the field of battle, is\nable to return with his life? The son of Vasudeva will burn down by the\nvolleys of his fiery shafts all the hostile troops, and those two\nwarriors, Bhishma and Drona,--who are great on a car, and Somadatta\nsurrounded by all his sons. What is there in all the world including the\ngods, which Krishna cannot encounter on an equal footing, when he takes\nup the weapons of war, wields in his hands excellent arrows, arms\nhimself with his mace, and thus becomes unrivalled in fight? Then let\nAniruddha also take up in his hand his buckler and sword, and let him\ncover the surface of the earth with Dhritarashtra's sons, their heads\nseparated from their trunks, their bodies devoid of all consciousness as\nin a sacrificial rite the altar is overspread with sacred grass placed\nupon the same. And Gada and Uluka, and Vahuka and Bhanu and Nitha and\nthe young Nishatha valiant in battle and Sarana, and Charudeshna,\nirresistible in war, let them perform feats befitting their race. Let\nthe united army of the Satwatas and Suras, together with the best\nsoldiers of the Vrishnis, the Bhojas, and the Andhakas, kill those sons\nof Dhritarashtra in the field of battle and let them swell their\nexpanded fame throughout the world. Then let Abhimanyu rule the world so\nlong as this most excellent of virtuous men, the magnanimous\nYudhishthira, may be engaged in fulfilling his vow,--the vow that was\naccepted and declared by him, the most righteous of Kuru's race, on the\noccasion of the famous play at dice. Afterwards the virtuous king will\nprotect the earth, all his foes defeated in battle by shafts which will\nbe discharged by us. Then there will remain no sons of Dhritarashtra on\nearth,--nor the son of the charioteer (Karna). This is the most\nimportant work for us to do, and this will surely lead to fame.'\n\n\"Krishna said, 'O scion of the race of Madhu! no doubt what thou sayest\nis true; we accept thy words, O thou of courage that is never weak! But\nthis bull of the Kuru race (Yudhishthira) would never accept the\nsovereignty of the earth, unless it were won by the prowess of his own\narms. Neither for the sake of pleasure, nor from fear, nor from\ncovetousness, would Yudhishthira ever renounce the rules of the caste;\nnor would these two heroes, who are mighty, when mounted on a car--Bhima\nand Arjuna; nor the twin brothers, nor Krishna, the daughter of Drupada.\nHe possessing the appetite of a wolf (Bhima), and the winner of riches\n(Arjuna), are both unrivalled in fight throughout the world. And why\nshould not this king rule over the entire world when he hath the two\nsons of Madri to espouse his cause? The high-souled ruler of Panchala\ntogether with the Kekaya king, and we also should put forth our united\nstrength, and then would the enemies of Yudhishthira be annihilated.'\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'It is not strange that thou shouldst speak thus, O\nscion of Madhu's race! but to me truth seems to be the first\nconsideration, above that of my sovereign power itself. But it is\nKrishna alone who precisely knoweth what I am; and it is I alone who\nprecisely know what Krishna (really) is. O thou endued with valour! O\nscion of Madhu's race! as soon as he will perceive that the time is come\nfor feats of bravery, then, O most valiant of Sini's race, he also of\nbeautiful hair (Krishna) will defeat Suyodhana. Let the brave men of the\nDasarha race go back today. They are my patrons; and the foremost of\nhuman beings, they have visited me here. O ye of immeasurable strength!\nnever fall off from the path of virtue. I shall see you again, when ye\nwill be happily gathered together.'\n\n\"Then after mutual greeting and obeisance to seniors, and having\nembraced the youthful, those valiant men of the Yadu race and the sons\nof Pandu separated. And the Yadus reunited to their home; and the\nPandavas continued their journey to the sacred spots. Then having parted\nwith Krishna, the virtuous king, accompanied by his brothers and\nservants, and also by Lomasa, went to the sacred river Payosini. Its\nfine landing place was constructed by the king of Vidarbha. And he began\nto dwell on the banks of the Payosini, whose waters were mingled with\nthe distilled Soma juice. There the high-souled Yudhishthira was greeted\nwith excellent laudatory terms by numerous leaders of the twice-born\nclass, who were delighted to see him there.\"\n\n\nSECTION CXXI\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'O king! when the Nriga performed a sacrifice here, he\ngratified Indra, the demolisher of hostile cities, by offering the Soma\njuice. And Indra was refreshed and was very much pleased. Here the gods\ntogether with Indra, and the protectors of all born beings, celebrated\nsacrifices of various kinds on a large scale, and paid abundant\ngratuities to the ministering priests. Here king Amurtarayasa, the lord\nof the world, satisfied Indra, the holder of the thunderbolt, by the\noffer of the Soma juice, when seven horse-sacrifices were performed by\nthat king. The articles which in other sacrificial rites are uniformly\nmade of the timber, wood and of earth, were all made of gold in the\nseven sacrifices performed by him. And it is said that in all those\nrites, seven sets of stakes, rings for the sacrificial stakes, spots,\nladles, utensils, spoons were prepared by him. On each sacrificial\nstake, seven rings were fastened at the top. And, O Yudhishthira! the\ncelestials together with Indra, themselves erected the sacrificial\nstakes of shining gold which had been prepared for his sacred rites. In\nall those magnificent sacrifices instituted by Gaya, the protector of\nthe earth, Indra, was delighted by drinking the _Soma_ juice, and the\nministering priests were gratified with the gratuities paid to them. And\nthe priests obtained untold wealth counted out to them. And as the\nsand-grains of the earth, or as the stars in the sky, or as the\nrain-drops when it raineth, cannot be counted by anyone, so the wealth\nGaya gave away was incapable of being counted by figures. So untold was\nthe wealth, O great king! that was given to the ministering priests in\nall those seven sacrifices that even the above-mentioned objects might\nbe counted by figures, but the gratuities bestowed by him whose\nlargeness exceeded all that was known before were not capable of being\ncounted by figures. And images of the goddess of speech were made of\ngold by the sculptor of the gods;--and the king gratified the members of\nthe sacerdotal caste, who had arrived from all the cardinal points, by\nmaking presents to them of those images, of gold. O protector of men!\nwhen the high-souled Gaya performed his sacrificial rites, he erected\nsacrificial piles at so many different spots that but little space was\nleft on the surface of the earth. And, O scion of Bharata's race! he by\nthat sacred act attained the regions of Indra. Whoever should bathe in\nthe river, Payosini, would go to the regions attained by Gaya.\nTherefore, O lord of kings! O unswerving prince! thou and thy brothers\nshould bathe in this river; then, O protector of the earth, thou wilt be\nfreed from all these sins.'\"\n\nVaisampayana said, \"O most praiseworthy of men! Yudhishthira with his\nbrothers performed ablutions in the Payosini river. Then, O sinless\nprince! the powerful monarch together with his brothers, journeyed to\nthe hill of sapphires and the great river Narmada. The blessed saint\nLomasa there named to him all the delightful holy spots and all the\nsacred shrines of the celestials. Then he with his brothers visited\nthose places, according to his desire and convenience. And at various\nplaces Brahmanas by thousands received gifts from him.\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'O son of Kunti! one who visits the sapphire Hill and\nplunges his body in the river Narmada attains the regions inhabited by\nthe celestials and kings. O most praiseworthy of men! this period is the\njunction between the Treta and the Kali age, O Kunti's son! This is the\nperiod when a person gets rid of all his sins. O respected sir! this is\nthe spot where Saryati performed sacrificial rites, wherein Indra\nappeared in a visible form and drank the Soma juice, with the two\ncelestial physicians. And Bhrigu's son of severe austerities conceived\nanger towards the great Indra; and the mighty Chyavana paralysed Indra,\nand for his wife obtained the princess, Sukanya.'\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'How was the chastiser of the demon Paka, the god\npossessed of the six attributes, paralysed by Chyavana? And for what\nreason did the mighty saint conceive wrath towards Indra? And how, O\nBrahmana! did he raise the celestial physicians to the rank of the\ndrinkers of Soma? All this, precisely as it happened, thy venerable self\nwill be pleased to recount to me.'\"\n\n\nSECTION CXXII\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'A son was born to the great saint Bhrigu, Chyavana by\nname. And he, of an exceedingly resplendent form, began to practise\nausterities by the side of yonder lake. And, O Pandu's son! O protector\nof men! he of mighty energy assumed the posture called _Vira_, quiet and\nstill like an inanimate post, and for a long period, remained at the\nsame spot of ground. And he was turned into an anthill covered over with\ncreepers. And after the lapse of a long period, swarms of ants enveloped\nhim. And covered all over with ants, the sagacious saint looked exactly\nlike a heap of earth. And he went on practising austerities, enveloped\non all sides with that ant-hill. Now after the lapse of a long space of\ntime, that ruler of earth, Saryati by name, for amusement visited this\npleasant and excellent lake. With him were four thousand females,\nespoused by him, O son of Bharata's race! there was also his only\ndaughter endued with beautiful brows, named Sukanya. She surrounded by\nher maids, and decked out with jewels fit for the celestials, while\nwalking about, approached the anthill where Bhrigu's son was seated. And\nsurrounded by her maids, she began to amuse herself there, viewing the\nbeautiful scenery, and looking at the lofty trees of the wood. And she\nwas handsome and in the prime of her youth; and she was amorous and bent\non frolicking. And she began to break the twigs of the forest trees\nbearing blossoms. And Bhrigu's son endued with intelligence beheld her\nwandering like lightning, without her maids, and wearing a single piece\nof cloth and decked with ornaments. And seeing her in the lone forest,\nthat ascetic of exceeding effulgence was inspired with desire. And that\nregenerate _Rishi_ possessing ascetic energy, who had a low voice,\ncalled the auspicious one,--but she heard him not. Then seeing the eyes\nof Bhrigu's son from the ant-hill, Sukanya from curiosity and losing her\nsense, said, \"_What is this?_\"--and with thorns pierced the eyes (of the\nRishi). And as his eyes being pierced by her, he felt exceeding pain and\nbecame wroth. And (from anger) he obstructed the calls of nature of\nSaryati's forces. And on their calls of nature being obstructed, the men\nwere greatly afflicted. And seeing this state of things, the king asked.\n\"Who is it that hath done wrong to the illustrious son of Bhrigu, old\nand ever engaged in austerities and of wrathful temper? Tell me quick if\nye know it.\" The soldiers (thereupon) answered him saying, \"We do not\nknow whether any one hath done wrong to the _Rishi_. Do thou, as thou\nlist, make a searching enquiry into the matter.\" Thereupon that ruler of\nearth, using (as he saw occasion) both menace and conciliation, asked\nhis friends (about the circumstance). But they too did not know\nanything. Seeing that the army was distressed owing to the obstruction\nof the calls of nature, and also finding her father aggrieved, Sukanya\nsaid, \"Roving in the forest, I lighted in the ant-hill here upon some\nbrilliant substance. Thereupon taking it for a glow-worm I neared it,\nand pierced it (with thorns).\" Hearing this Saryati immediately came to\nthe ant-hill, and there saw Bhrigu's son, old both in years and\nausterities. Then the lord of earth with joined hands, besought (the\nascetic) saying, \"It behoveth thee to forgive what my daughter through\nignorance and greenness, hath done unto thee.\" Chyavana the son of\nBhrigu, addressed the monarch saying, \"Disregarding me, this one, filled\nwith pride hath pierced my eyes. Even her, O king, endued with beauty\nand who was bereft of her senses by ignorance and temptation--even thy\ndaughter would I have for my bride, I tell thee truly, on this condition\nalone will I forgive thee.\"'\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'Hearing the words of the sage, Saryati, without pausing,\nbestowed his daughter on the high-souled Chyavana. Having received the\nhand of that girl, the holy one was pleased with the king. And having\nwon the _Rishi's_ grace, the king went to his city, accompanied by his\ntroops. And the faultless Sukanya also having obtained that ascetic for\nher husband, began to tend him, practising penances, and observing the\nordinance. And that one of a graceful countenance, and void of guile\nworshipped Chyavana, and also ministered unto guests, and the sacred\nfire.'\"\n\n\nSECTION CXXIII\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'Once on a time, O king, those celestials, namely the twin\nAswins, happened to behold Sukanya, when she had (just) bathed, and when\nher person was bare. And seeing that one of excellent limbs, and like\nunto the daughter of the lord of celestials, the nose-born Aswins neared\nher, and addressed her, saying, \"O thou of shapely thighs, whose\ndaughter art thou? And what doest thou in this wood? O auspicious one, O\nthou of excellent grace, we desire to know this, do thou therefore tell\nus.\" Thereupon she replied bashfully unto those foremost of celestials,\n\"Know me as Saryati's daughter, and Chyavana's wife.\" Thereat the\nAswins again spake unto her, smiling. \"What for, O fortunate one, hath\nthy father bestowed thee on a person who is verging on death? Surely, O\ntimid girl, thou shinest in this wood like lightning. Not in the regions\nof the celestials themselves, O girl, have our eyes lighted on thy like.\nO damsel, unadorned and without gay robes as thou art, thou beautifiest\nthis wood exceedingly. Still, O thou of faultless limbs, thou canst not\nlook so beautiful, when (as at present) thou art soiled with mud and\ndirt, as thou couldst, if decked with every ornament and wearing\ngorgeous apparel. Why, O excellent girl in such plight servest thou a\ndecrepit old husband, and one that hath become incapable of realising\npleasure and also of maintaining thee, O thou of luminous smiles? O\ndivinely beautiful damsel, do thou, forsaking Chyavana accept one of us\nfor husband. It behoveth thee not to spend thy youth fruitlessly.\"\n\n\"'Thus addressed Sukanya answered the celestials saying, \"I am devoted\nto my husband, Chyavana: do ye not entertain any doubts (regarding my\nfidelity).\" Thereupon they again spake unto her, \"We two are the\ncelestial physicians of note. We will make thy lord young and graceful.\nDo thou then select one of us, _viz._, ourselves and thy husband,--for\nthy partner. Promising this do thou, O auspicious one, bring hither thy\nhusband.\" O king, agreeably to their words she went to Bhrigu's son and\ncommunicated to him what the two celestials had said. Hearing her\nmessage, Chyavana said unto his wife, \"Do thou so.\" Having received the\npermission of her lord, (she returned to the celestials) and said, \"Do\nye so.\" Then hearing her words, _viz_., \"Do ye so,\" they spoke unto the\nking's daughter. \"Let thy husband enter into water.\" Thereat Chyavana\ndesirous of obtaining beauty, quickly entered into water. The twin\nAswins also, O king, sank into the sheet of water. And the next moment\nthey all came out of the tank in surpassingly beautiful forms, and young\nand wearing burnished earrings. And all, possessed of the same\nappearance pleasing to behold, addressed her saying, \"O fortunate one,\ndo thou choose one of us for spouse. And O beauteous one, do thou select\nhim for lord who may please thy fancy.\" Finding, however, all of them of\nthe same appearance she deliberated; and at last ascertaining the\nidentity of her husband, even selected him.\n\n\"'Having obtained coveted beauty and also his wife, Chyavana, of\nexceeding energy, well pleased, spake these words unto the nose-born\ncelestials: \"Since at your hands, an old man, I have obtained youth, and\nbeauty, and also this wife of mine, I will, well pleased, make you\nquaffers of the Soma juice in the presence of the lord of celestials\nhimself. This I tell you truly.\" Hearing this, highly delighted, the\ntwins ascended to heaven; and Chyavana and Sukanya too passed their\ndays happily even like celestials.'\"\n\n\nSECTION CXXIV\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'Now the news came to Saryati that Chyavana had been\nturned into a youth. And well pleased he came, accompanied by his\ntroops, to the hermitage of the son of Bhrigu. And he saw Chyavana and\nSukanya, like two children sprung from celestials, and his joy and that\nof his wife were as great as if the king had conquered the entire world.\nAnd the ruler of earth together with his wife was received honourably by\nthat saint. And the king seated himself near the ascetic, and entered\ninto a delightful conversation of an auspicious kind. Then, O king, the\nson of Bhrigu spake to the king these words of a soothing nature: \"I\nshall, O king, officiate at a religious ceremony to be performed by\nthee: let the requisite articles, therefore, be procured.\" Thereat, that\nprotector of earth Saryati, experienced the very height of joy, and O\ngreat king, he expressed his approbation of the proposal made by\nChyavana. And on an auspicious day, suitable for the commencement of a\nsacrificial ceremony, Saryati ordered the erection of a sacrificial\nshrine of an excellent description and splendidly furnished with all\ndesirable things. There Chyavana, the son of Bhrigu, officiated for the\nking as his priest. Now listen to me relating the wonderful events which\nhappened at that spot. Chyavana took up a quantity of the Soma juice, in\norder that he might offer the same to the Aswins, who were physicians to\nthe celestials. And while the saint was taking up the intended offering\nfor those celestial twins, Indra pronounced his interdiction, saying,\n\"These Aswins both of them in my opinion have no right to receive an\noffering of the Soma juice. They are the physicians of the celestials in\nheaven,--this vocation of theirs hath disentitled them (in the matter of\nSoma).\" Thereupon Chyavana said, \"These two are of mighty enterprise,\npossessed of mighty souls, and uncommonly endued with beauty and grace.\nAnd they, O Indra, have converted me into an eternally youthful person,\neven like unto a celestial. Why shouldst thou and the other celestials\nhave a right to the distilled Soma juice, and not they? O lord of the\ncelestials, O demolisher of hostile towns! be it known to thee that the\nAswins also rank as gods.\" At this, Indra spake saying, \"These two\npractise the healing art,--so they are but servants. And assuming forms\nat their pleasure they roam about in the world of mortal beings. How can\nthey then rightfully claim the juice of the Soma?\"'\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'When these very identical words were spoken again and\nagain by the lord of celestials, the son of Bhrigu, setting Indra at\nnaught, took up the offering he had intended to make. And as he was\nabout to take up an excellent portion of the Soma juice with the object\nof offering it to the two Aswins, the destroyer of the demon Vala\n(Indra) observed his act, and thus spoke unto him, \"If thou take up the\nSoma with a view to offering it to those celestials, I shall hurl at\nthee my thunderbolt of awful form, which is superior to all the weapons\nthat exist.\" Thus addressed by Indra, the son of Bhrigu, cast at Indra a\nsmiling glance, and took up in due form a goodly quantity of the Soma\njuice, to make an offering to the Aswins. Then Sachi's lord hurled at\nhim the thunderbolt of awful form. And as he was about to launch it, his\narm was paralysed by Bhrigu's son. And having paralysed his arm,\nChyavana recited sacred hymns, and made offering on the fire. His object\ngained, he now attempted to destroy that celestial. Then by the virtue\nof that saint's ascetic energy, an evil spirit came into being,--a huge\ndemon, _Mada_ by name, of great strength and gigantic proportions. And\nhis body was incapable of being measured either by demons or by gods.\nAnd his mouth was terrible and of huge size, and with teeth of sharpened\nedge. And one of his jaws rested on the earth, and the other stretched\nto heaven. And he had four fangs, each extending as far as one hundred\n_yojanas_, and his other fangs were extended to the distance of ten\n_yojanas_, and were of a form resembling towers on a palace, and which\nmight be likened to the ends of spears. And his two arms were like unto\nhills, and extended ten thousand _yojanas_, and both were of equal bulk.\nAnd his two eyes resembled the sun and the moon; and his face rivalled\nthe conflagration at the universal dissolution. And he was licking his\nmouth with his tongue, which, like lightning, knew no rest. And his\nmouth was open, and his glance was frightful, and seemed as if he would\nforcibly swallow up the world. The demon rushed at the celestial by whom\na hundred sacrifices had been performed. And his intent was to devour\nthat deity. And the world resounded with the loud and frightful sounds\nuttered by the Asura.'\"\n\n\nSECTION CXXV\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'When the god who had performed a hundred sacrifices\n(Indra) beheld the demon _Mada_ of a frightful mien, coming towards him\nwith open mouth, his intention being to devour him, and looking like the\ngod of death himself, while his own arms remained paralysed, he through\nfear repeatedly licked the corners of his mouth. Then the lord of the\ncelestials, tortured with fright, spake to Chyavana saying, \"O Bhrigu's\nson! O Brahmana! verily I tell thee as truth itself, that from this day\nforward the two Aswins will be entitled to the Soma juice. Be merciful\nto me! My undertaking can never come to naught. Let this be the rule.\nAnd I know, O saint of the sacerdotal caste! that thy work can never\ncome to nothing. These two Aswins will have a right to drink the Soma\njuice, since thou hast made them entitled to the same. And, O Bhrigu's\nson, I have done this but to spread the fame of thy powers, and my\nobject was to give thee an occasion for displaying thy powers. My other\nobject was that the fame of the father of this Sukanya here might spread\neverywhere. Therefore be merciful to me: let it be as thou wishest.\"\nBeing thus addressed by Indra, the wrath of Chyavana of mighty soul was\nquickly appeased, and he set free the demolisher of hostile cities\n(Indra). And the powerful saint, O king! distributed _Mada_ (_literally_\nintoxication), and put it piece-meal in drinks, in women, in gambling,\nand in field sports, even this same _Mada_ who had been created\nrepeatedly before. Having thus cast down the demon _Mada_ and gratified\nIndra with a Soma draught and assisted king Sarvati in worshipping all\nthe gods together with the two Aswins and also spread his fame for power\nover all the worlds, the best of those endued with speech passed his\ndays happily in the wood, in the company of Sukanya, his loving wife.\nThis is his lake, shining, O king! and resounding with the voice of\nbirds. Here must thou, together with thy uterine brothers, offer\nlibations of water to thy forefathers and the gods. And, O ruler of\nearth! O scion of Bharata's race! having visited it and Sikataksha also,\nthou shalt repair to the Saindhava wood, and behold a number of small\nartificial rivers. And O great king, O scion of Bharata's race! thou\nshalt touch the waters of all the holy lakes and reciting the hymns of\nthe god Sthanu (Siva), meet with success in every undertaking. For this\nis the junction, O most praiseworthy of men, of the two ages of the\nworld, _viz_., _Dwapara_ and _Treta_. It is a time, O Kunti's son!\ncapable of destroying all the sins of a person. Here do thou perform\nablutions, for the spot is able to remove all the sins of an individual.\nYonder is the Archika hill, a dwelling place for men of cultured minds.\nFruits of all the seasons grow here at all times and the streams run for\never. It is an excellent place fit for the celestials. And there are the\nholy cairns of diverse forms, set up by the celestials. O Yudhishthira!\nthis is the bathing spot belonging to the Moon. And the saints are in\nattendance here on all sides round--they are the dwellers of the wood\nand the Valakhilyas, and the Pavakas, who subsist on air only. These are\nthree peaks and three springs. Thou mayst walk round them all, one by\none: then thou mayst wash thyself at pleasure. Santanu, O king! and\nSunaka the sovereign of men, and both _Nara_ and _Narayana_ have\nattained everlasting regions from this place. Here did the gods\nconstantly lie down, as also the forefathers, together with the mighty\nsaints. In this Archika hill, they all carried on austerities. Sacrifice\nto them, O Yudhishthira! Here did they, also the saints, eat rice cooked\nin milk, O protector of men! And here is the Yamuna of an exhaustless\nspring. Krishna here engaged himself in a life of penances, O Pandu's\nson. O thou that draggest the dead bodies of thy foes! the twin\nbrothers, and Bhimasena and Krishna and all of us will accompany thee to\nthis spot. O lord of men, this is the holy spring that belongeth to\nIndra. Here the creative and the dispensing deity, and Varuna also rose\nupwards, and here too they dwelt, O king! observing forbearance, and\npossessed of the highest faith. This excellent and propitious hill is\nfit for persons of a kindly and candid disposition. This is that\ncelebrated Yamuna, O king! frequented by hosts of mighty saints, the\nscene of diverse religious rites, holy, and destructive of the dread of\nsin. Here did Mandhata himself, of a mighty bow, perform sacrificial\nrites for the gods; and so did Somaka, O Kunti's son! who was the son of\nSahadeva, and a most excellent maker of gifts.'\"\n\n\nSECTION CXXVI\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'O great Brahmana, how was that tiger among kings,\nMandhata, Yuvanaswa's son, born,--even he who was the best of monarchs,\nand celebrated over the three worlds? And how did he of unmeasured\nlustre attain the very height of real power, since all the three worlds\nwere as much under his subjection, as they are under that of Vishnu of\nmighty soul? I am desirous of hearing all this in connection with the\nlife and achievements of that sagacious monarch. I should also like to\nhear how his name of Mandhata originated, belonging as it did to him who\nrivalled in lustre Indra himself: and also how he of unrivalled strength\nwas born, for thou art skilled in the art of narrating events.'\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'Hear with attention, O king! how the name of Mandhata\nbelonging to that monarch of mighty soul hath come to be celebrated\nthroughout all the worlds. Yuvanaswa, the ruler of the earth, was sprung\nfrom Ikshvaku's race. That protector of the earth performed many\nsacrificial rites noted for magnificent gifts. And the most excellent\nof all virtuous men performed a thousand times the ceremony of\nsacrificing a horse. And he also performed other sacrifices of the\nhighest order, wherein he made abundant gifts. But that saintly king had\nno son. And he of mighty soul and rigid vows made over to his ministers\nthe duties of the state, and became a constant resident of the woods.\nAnd he of cultured soul devoted himself to the pursuits enjoined in the\nsacred writ. And once upon a time, that protector of men, O king! had\nobserved a fast. And he was suffering from the pangs of hunger and his\ninner soul seemed parched with thirst. And (in this state) he entered\nthe hermitage of Bhrigu. On that very night, O king of kings! the great\nsaint who was the delight of Bhrigu's race, had officiated in a\nreligious ceremony, with the object that a son might be born to\nSaudyumni. O king of kings! at the spot stood a large jar filled with\nwater, consecrated with the recitation of sacred hymns, and which had\nbeen previously deposited there. And the water was endued with the\nvirtue that the wife of Saudyumni would by drinking the same, bring\nforth a god-like son. Those mighty saints had deposited the jar on the\naltar and had gone to sleep, having been fatigued by keeping up the\nnight. And as Saudyumni passed them by, his palate was dry, and he was\nsuffering greatly from thirst. And the king was very much in need of\nwater to drink. And he entered that hermitage and asked for drink. And\nbecoming fatigued, he cried in feeble voice, proceeding from a parched\nthroat, which resembled the weak inarticulate utterance of a bird. And\nhis voice reached nobody's ears. Then the king beheld the jar filled\nwith water. And he quickly ran towards it, and having drunk the water,\nput the jar down. And as the water was cool, and as the king had been\nsuffering greatly from thirst, the draught of water relieved the\nsagacious monarch and appeased his thirst. Then those saints together\nwith him of ascetic wealth, awoke from sleep; and all of them observed\nthat the water of the jar had gone. Thereupon they met together and\nbegan to enquire as to who might have done it. Then Yuvanaswa truthfully\nadmitted that it was his act. Then the revered son of Bhrigu spoke unto\nhim, saying. \"It was not proper. This water had an occult virtue infused\ninto it, and had been placed there with the object that a son might be\nborn to thee. Having performed severe austerities, I infused the virtue\nof my religious acts in this water, that a son might be born to thee. O\nsaintly king of mighty valour and physical strength! a son would have\nbeen born to thee of exceeding strength and valour, and strengthened by\nausterities, and who would have sent by his bravery even Indra to the\nabode of the god of death. It was in this manner, O king! that this\nwater had been prepared by me. By drinking this water, O king, thou hast\ndone what was not at all right. But it is impossible now for us to turn\nback the accident which hath happened. Surely what thou hast done must\nhave been the fiat of Fate. Since thou, O great king, being athirst\nhast drunk water prepared with sacred hymns, and filled with the virtue\nof my religious labours, thou must bring forth out of thy own body a son\nof the character described above. To that end we shall perform a\nsacrifice for thee, of wonderful effect so that, valorous as thou art,\nthou wilt bring forth a son equal to Indra. Nor wilt thou experience any\ntrouble on account of the labour pains.\" Then when one hundred years had\npassed away, a son shining as the sun pierced the left side of the king\nendowed with a mighty soul, and came forth. And the son was possessed of\nmighty strength. Nor did Yuvanaswa die--which itself was strange. Then\nIndra of mighty strength came to pay him a visit. And the deities\nenquired of the great Indra, \"What is to be sucked by this boy?\" Then\nIndra introduced his own forefinger into his mouth. And when the wielder\nof the thunderbolt said, \"He will suck me,\" the dwellers of heaven\ntogether with Indra christened the boy Mandhata, (_literally_, Me he\nshall suck). Then the boy having tasted the forefinger extended by\nIndra, became possessed of mighty strength, and he grew thirteen cubits,\nO king. And O great king! the whole of sacred learning together with the\nholy science of arms, was acquired by that masterful boy, who gained all\nthat knowledge by the simple and unassisted power of his thought. And\nall at once, the bow celebrated under the name of Ajagava and a number\nof shafts made of horn, together with an impenetrable coat of mail, came\nto his possession on the very same day, O scion of Bharata's race! And\nhe was placed on the throne by Indra himself and he conquered the three\nworlds in a righteous way, as Vishnu did by his three strides. And the\nwheel of the car of that mighty king as irresistible in its course\n(throughout the world). And the gems, of their own accord, came into the\npossession of that saintly king. This is the tract of land, O lord of\nearth, which belonged to him. It abounds in wealth. He performed a\nnumber of sacrificial rites of various kinds, in which abundant\ngratuities were paid to the priests. O king! he of mighty force and\nunmeasured lustre, erected sacred piles, and performed splendid pious\ndeeds, and attained the position of sitting at Indra's side. That\nsagacious king of unswerving piety sent forth his fiat, and simply by\nits virtue conquered the earth, together with the sea--that source of\ngems--and all the cities (or the earth), O great king! The sacrificial\ngrounds prepared by him were to be found all over the earth on all sides\nround--not a single spot, but was marked with the same. O great king!\nthe mighty monarch is said to have given to the Brahmanas ten thousand\npadmas of kine. When there was a drought, which continued for twelve\nconsecutive years, the mighty king caused rain to come down for the\ngrowth of crops, paying no heed to Indra, the wielder of the\nthunder-bolt, who remained staring (at him). The mighty ruler of the\nGandhara land, born in the lunar dynasty of kings, who was terrible like\na roaring cloud, was slain by him, who wounded him sorely with his\nshafts. O king! he of cultured soul protected the four orders of people,\nand by him of mighty force the worlds were kept from harm, by virtue of\nhis austere and righteous life. This is the spot where he, lustrous like\nthe sun, sacrificed to the god. Look at it! here it is, in the midst of\nthe field of the Kurus, situated in a tract, the holiest of all. O\npreceptor of earth! requested by thee, I have thus narrated to thee the\ngreat life of Mandhata, and also the way in which he was born, which was\na birth of an extraordinary kind.'\"\n\nVaisampayana said, \"O scion of Bharata's race! Kunti's son, thus\naddressed by the mighty saint, Lomasa, immediately put fresh questions\nto him, with regard to Somaka.\"\n\n\nSECTION CXXVII\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'O best of speakers! what was the extent of power\nand strength possessed by king Somaka? I am desirous of hearing an exact\naccount of his deeds and of his power.'\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'O Yudhishthira! there was a virtuous king Somaka by name.\nHe had one hundred wives, O king, all suitably matched to their husband.\nHe took great care, but could not succeed in getting a single son from\nany one of them, and a long time elapsed during which he continued a\nsonless man. Once upon a time, when he had become old, and was trying\nevery means to have a son, a son was born to him, Jantu by name, out of\nthat century of women. And, O ruler of men! All the mothers used to sit\nsurrounding their son and every one giving him such objects as might\nconduce to his enjoyment and pleasure. And it came to pass that one day\nan ant stung the boy at his hip. And the boy screamed loudly on account\nof the pain caused by the sting. And forthwith the mothers were\nexceedingly distressed to see how the child had been stung by the ant.\nAnd they stood around him and set up cries. Thus there arose a\ntumultuous noise. And that scream of pain suddenly reached (the ears of)\nthe sovereign of the earth, when he was seated in the midst of his\nministers, with the family priest at his side. Then the king sent for\ninformation as to what it was about. And the royal usher explained to\nhim precisely what the matter was with reference to his son. And Somaka\ngot up together with his ministers and hastened towards the female\napartments. And on coming there, O subjugator of foes! he soothed his\nson. And having done so and coming out from the female apartments, the\nking sat with his family priest and ministers.\n\n\"'Somaka then spoke thus, \"Fie on having only a single son! I had rather\nbe a sonless man. Considering how constantly liable to disease are all\norganized beings, to have an only son is but a trouble. O Brahmana! O my\nlord! With the view that I might have many sons born to me, this century\nof wives hath been wedded by me, after inspection, and after I had\nsatisfied myself that they would prove suitable to me. But issue they\nhave none. Having tried every means, and put forth great efforts, they\nhave borne this single son, Jantu. What grief can be greater than this?\nO most excellent of the twice-born caste! I am grown old in years and so\nare my wives too. And yet this only son is like the breath of their\nnostrils, and so he is to me also. But is there any ceremony, by\ncelebrating which one may get a hundred sons? (And if there is one\nsuch), tell me whether it is great or small, and easy or difficult to\nperform.\"\n\n\"'The family priest said, \"There is a ceremony by virtue of which a man\nmay get a century of sons. If thou art able to perform it, O Somaka,\nthen I shall explain it to thee.\"\n\n\"'Somaka said, \"Whether it be a good or an evil deed, the ceremony by\nwhich a hundred sons may be born, may be taken by thee as already\nperformed. Let thy blessed self explain it to me.\"\n\n\"'The family priest thereupon said, \"O king! Let me set on foot a\nsacrifice and thou must sacrifice thy son, Jantu in it. Then on no\ndistant date, a century of handsome sons will be born to thee. When\nJantu's fat will be put into the fire as an offering to the gods, the\nmothers will take a smell of that smoke, and bring forth a number of\nsons, valourous and strong. And Jantu also will once more be born as a\nself-begotten son of thine in that very (mother); and on his back there\nwill appear a mark of gold.\"'\"\n\n\nSECTION CXXVIII\n\n\"'Somaka said, \"O Brahmana! whatever is to be performed--do precisely as\nit may be necessary. As I am desirous of having a number of sons, I\nshall do all that may be prescribed by thee.\"'\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'Then the priest officiated in the sacrifice in which\nJantu was offered as the victim. But the mothers as in pity forcibly\nsnatched the son and took him away. And they cried, \"We are undone!\" And\nthey were smitten with torturing grief and they caught hold of Jantu by\nhis right hand, and wept in a piteous way. But the officiating priest\nheld the boy by the right hand and pulled him. And like female ospreys\nthey screamed in agony! but the priest dragged the son, killed him, and\nmade a burnt offering of his fat in the proper form. And, O delight of\nthe race of Kuru! While the fat was being made an offering of the\nagonised mothers smelt its smell, and of a sudden fell to the ground\n(and swooned away.) And then all those lovely women became with child,\nand O lord of men! O scion of Bharata's race! When ten months had passed\na full century of sons was born to Somaka begotten on all those women.\nAnd, O monarch of the earth! Jantu became the eldest and was born of his\nformer mother and he became the most beloved to the women,--not so were\ntheir own sons. And on his back there was that mark of gold and of that\ncentury of sons, he was also superior in merit. Then that family priest\nof Somaka departed this life as also Somaka after a certain time. Now he\nbeheld that the priest was being grilled in a terrible hell. And\nthereupon he questioned him, \"Why art thou, O Brahmana! being grilled in\nthis hell?\" Then the family priest exceedingly scorched with fire, spake\nto him saying, \"This is the outcome of my having officiated in that\nsacrifice of thine.\" O king, hearing this, the saintly king thus spake\nto the god who meteth out punishments to departed souls, \"I shall enter\nhere. Set free my officiating priest; this reverend man is being grilled\nby hell-fire on my account only.\"\n\n\"'Dharmaraja thereat answered thus, \"One cannot enjoy or suffer for\nanother person's acts. O best of speakers! these are the fruits of thy\nacts; see it here.\"\n\n\"'Somaka said, \"Without this Brahmana here, I desire not go to the\nblessed regions. My desire is to dwell in company with this very man,\neither in the abode of the gods, or in hell, for, O Dharmaraja! my deed\nis identical with what hath been done by him and the fruit of our\nvirtuous or evil deed must be the same for both of us.\"\n\n\"'Dharmaraja said, \"O king! If this is thy wish, then taste with him the\nfruit of that act, for the same period that he must do. After that thou\nshall go to the blessed regions.\"'\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'The lotus-eyed king did all that exactly in the way\nprescribed to him. And when his sins were worked off, he was set free\ntogether with the priest. O king! Fond of the priest as he was, he won\nall those blessings to which he had entitled himself by his meritorious\nacts and shared everything with the family priest. This is his hermitage\nwhich looketh lovely before our eyes. Any one would attain the blessed\nregions, if he should spend six nights here controlling his passions. O\nking of kings! O leader of the tribe of Kurus! Here, free from\nexcitement and self-controlled, we must spend six nights. Be thou ready\ntherefor.'\"\n\n\nSECTION CXXIX\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'Here, O king! The lord of born beings himself performed a\nsacrifice in former times,--the ceremony called _Ishtikrita_, which\noccupied one thousand years. And Amvarisha, son of Nabhaga, sacrificed\nnear the Yamuna river. And having sacrificed there, he gave away ten\n_Padmas_ (of gold coins) to the attendant priests, and he obtained the\nhighest success by his sacrifices and austerities. And, O Kunti's son!\nThis is the spot where that sovereign of the entire earth, Nahusha's\nson, Yayati, of unmeasured force, and who led a holy life, performed his\nsacrificial rites. He competed with Indra and performed his sacrifice\nhere. Behold how the ground is studded with places for the sacrificial\nfires of various forms, and how the earth seems to be subsiding here\nunder the pressure of Yayati's pious works. This is the Sami tree, which\nhath got but a single leaf, and this is a most excellent lake. Behold\nthese lakes of Parasurama, and the hermitage of Narayana. O protector of\nearth! This is the path which was followed by Richika's son, of\nunmeasured energy, who roamed over the earth, practising the Yoga rites\nin the river Raupya. And, O delight of the tribe of Kurus! Hear what a\n_Pisacha_ woman (she-goblin), who was decked with pestles for her\nornaments, said (to a Brahmana woman), as I was reciting here the table\nof genealogy. (She said), \"Having eaten curd in Yugandhara, and lived in\nAchutasthala, and also bathed in Bhutilaya, thou shouldst live with thy\nsons.\" Having passed a single night here, if thou wilt spend the second,\nthe events of the night will be different from those that have happened\nto thee in the day-time, O most righteous of Bharata's race! Today we\nshall spend the night at this very spot. O scion of Bharata's race! this\nis the threshold of the field of the Kurus. O king! At this very spot,\nthe monarch Yayati, son of Nahusha, performed sacrificial rites, and\nmade gifts of an abundance of gems. And Indra was pleased with those\nsacred rites. This is an excellent holy bathing-place on the river\nYamuna, known as Plakshavatarana (descent of the banian tree). Men of\ncultured minds call it the entrance to the region of heaven. O respected\nsir! here, after having performed sacrificial rites of the Saraswata\nking, and making use of the sacrificial stake for their pestle, the\nhighest order of saints performed the holy plunge prescribed at the end\nof a sacred ceremony. O monarch! King Bharata here performed sacrificial\nrites. To celebrate the horse-sacrifice, he here set free the horse who\nwas the intended victim. That monarch had won the sovereignty of the\nearth by righteousness. The horse he let go more than once were of a\ncolour checkered with black. O tiger among men! it was here that Marutta\nsheltered by Samvartta, leader of saints, succeeded in performing\nexcellent sacrifices. O sovereign of kings! Having taken his bath at\nthis spot, one can behold all the worlds, and is purified from his evil\ndeeds. Do thou, therefore, bathe at this spot.'\"\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Then that most praiseworthy of Pandu's sons, there\nbathed with his brothers, while the mighty saints were uttering\nlaudatory words to him. And he addressed the following words to Lomasa,\n'O thou whose strength lieth in truthfulness! By virtue of this pious\nact, I behold all the worlds. And from this place, I behold that most\npraiseworthy of Pandu's sons Arjuna, the rider of white steed.'\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'It is even so, O thou of powerful arms! The saints of the\nhighest order thus behold all the regions. Behold this holy Saraswati\nhere, thronged by persons who look upon her as their sole refuge. O most\npraiseworthy of men! having bathed here, thou wilt be free from all thy\nsins. O Kunti's son! here the celestial saints performed sacrificial\nrites of Saraswata king: and so did the saints and the royal saints.\nThis is the altar of the lord of beings, five _yojanas_ in extent on all\nsides round. And this is the field of the magnanimous Kurus, whose habit\nit was to perform sacrifices.'\"\n\n\nSECTION CXXX\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'O son of Bharata's race! If mortals breathe their last at\nthis spot, they go to heaven. O king! Thousands upon thousands of men\ncome to this place to die. A blessing was pronounced on this spot by\nDaksha, when he was engaged in sacrifice here, (in these words), \"Those\nmen that shall die at this spot shall win a place in heaven.\" Here is\nthe beautiful and sacred river, Saraswati, full of water: and here, O\nlord of men, is the spot known as _Vinasana_, or the place where the\nSaraswati disappeared. Here is the gate of the kingdom of the Nishadas\nand it is from hatred for them that the Saraswati entered into the earth\nin order that the Nishadas might not see her. Here too is the sacred\nregion of Chamashodbheda where the Saraswati once more became visible to\nthem. And here she is joined by other sacred rivers running seawards. O\nconqueror of foes, here is that sacred spot known by the name of\nSindhu--where Lopamudra accepted the great sage Agastya as her lord and,\nO thou whose effulgence is like unto that of the sun, here is the sacred\n_tirtha_ called Prabhasa, the favoured spot of Indra and which removeth\nall sins. Yonder is visible the region of Vishnupada. And here is the\ndelightful and sacred river, Vipasa. From grief for the death of his\nsons the great sage Vasistha had thrown himself into this stream, after\nbinding his limbs. And when he rose from the water, lo! he was\nunfettered. Look, O king with thy brothers at the sacred region of\nKasmeera, frequented by holy sages. Here, O scion of Bharata's race, is\nthe spot, where a conference took place between Agni and the sage\nKasyapa, and also between Nahusha's son and the sages of the north. And,\nO great prince, yonder is the gate of the Manasasarovara. In the midst\nof this mountain, a gap hath been opened by Rama. And here, O prince of\nprowess incapable of being baffled, is the well-known region of\nVatikhanda, which, although adjacent to the gate of Videha, lieth on the\nnorth of it. And O bull among men, there is another very remarkable\nthing connected with this place,--namely, that on the waning of every\n_yuga_, the god Siva, having the power to assume any shape at will, may\nbe seen with Uma and his followers. In yonder lake also people desirous\nof securing welfare to the family, propitiate with sacrifices the holder\nof the great bow Pinaka, in the month of Chaitra. And persons of\ndevotion having passions under control, performing their ablutions in\nthis lake, become free from sins and, without doubt, attain to the holy\nregions. Here is the sacred _tirtha_ called Vijanaka, where the holy\nsage Vasistha with his wife Arundhati and also the sage Yavakri obtained\ntranquillity. Yonder is the lake Kausava, where grown the lotuses called\nKausesaya, and here also is the sacred hermitage of Rukmini, where she\nattained peace, after conquering that evil passion, anger. I think, O\nprince, that thou hast heard something about that man of meditations,\nBhrigutunga. There, O king, before thee is that lofty peak. And, O\nforemost of kings, yonder is Vitasta, the sacred stream that absolveth\nmen from all sins. The water of this stream is extremely cool and\nlimpid, and it is largely used by the great sages. O prince, behold the\nholy rivers Jala and Upajala, on either side of the Yamuna. By\nperforming a sacrifice here, king Usinara surpassed in greatness Indra\nhimself. And, O descendant of Bharata, desirous of testing Usinara's\nmerit and also of bestowing boons on him, Indra and Agni presented\nthemselves at his sacrificial ground. And Indra assuming the shape of a\nhawk, and Agni that of a pigeon, came up to that king. And the pigeon in\nfear of the hawk, fell upon the king's thigh, seeking his protection.'\"\n\n\nSECTION CXXXI\n\n\"'The hawk said, \"All the kings of the earth represent thee as a pious\nruler. Wherefore, O prince, has thou then stopped to perpetrate a deed\nnot sanctioned by the ordinance? I have been sore afflicted with hunger.\nDo thou not withhold from me that which hath been appointed by the Diety\nfor my food,--under the impression that thereby thou servest the\ninterests of virtue, whereas in reality, thou wilt forsake it, (by\ncommitting thyself to this act).\" Thereupon, the king said, \"O best of\nthe feathered race, afflicted with fear of thee, and desirous of\nescaping from thy hands, this bird, all in a hurry, hath come up to me\nasking for life. When this pigeon hath in such a manner sought my\nprotection, why dost thou not see that the highest merit is even in my\nnot surrendering it unto thee? And it is trembling with fear, and is\nagitated, and is seeking its life from me. It is therefore certainly\nblameworthy to forsake it. He that slayeth a Brahmana, he that\nslaughtered a cow--the common mother of all the worlds--and he that\nforsaketh one seeking for protection are equally sinful.\" Thereat the\nhawk replied, \"O lord of earth, it is from food that all beings derive\ntheir life, and it is food also that nourisheth and sustaineth them. A\nman can live long even after forsaking what is dearest to him, but he\ncannot do so, after abstaining from food. Being deprived of food, my\nlife, O ruler of men, will surely leave this body, and will attain to\nregions unknown to such troubles. But at my death, O pious king, my wife\nand children will surely perish, and by protecting this single pigeon, O\nprince, thou dost not protect many lives. The virtue that standeth in\nthe way of another virtue, is certainly no virtue at all, but in reality\nis unrighteousness. But O king, whose prowess consisteth in truth, that\nvirtue is worthy of the name, which is not conflicting. After\ninstituting a comparison between opposing virtues, and weighing their\ncomparative merits, one, O great prince, ought to espouse that which is\nnot opposing. Do thou, therefore, O king, striking a balance between\nvirtues, adopt that which preponderates.\" At this the king said, \"O best\nof birds, as thou speakest words fraught with much good, I suspect thee\nto be _Suparna_, the monarch of birds. I have not the least hesitation\nto declare that thou art fully conversant with the ways of virtue. As\nthou speakest wonders about virtue, I think that there is nothing\nconnected with it, that is unknown to thee. How canst thou then consider\nthe forsaking of one, seeking for help, as virtuous? Thy efforts in this\nmatter, O ranger of the skies, have been in quest of food. Thou canst,\nhowever, appease thy hunger with some other sort of food, even more\ncopious. I am perfectly willing to procure for thee any sort of food\nthat to thee may seem most tasteful, even if it be an ox, or a boar, or\na deer, or a buffalo.\" Thereupon the hawk said, \"O great king, I am not\ndesirous of eating (the flesh of) a boar or an ox or the various species\nof beasts. What have I to do with any other sort of food? Therefore, O\nbull among the Kshatriyas, leave to me this pigeon, whom Heaven hath\ntoday ordained for my food. O ruler of earth, that hawks eat pigeons is\nthe eternal provision. O prince, do not for support embrace a plantain\ntree, not knowing its want of strength.\" The king said, \"Ranger of the\nskies, I am willing to bestow on thee this rich province of my race, or\nany other thing that to thee may seem desirable. With the sole exception\nof this pigeon, which hath approached me craving my protection, I shall\nbe glad to give unto thee anything that thou mayst like. Let me know\nwhat I shall have to do for the deliverance of this bird. But this I\nshall not return to thee on any condition whatever.\"\n\n\"'The hawk said, \"O great ruler of men, if thou hast conceived an\naffection for this pigeon, then cut off a portion of thine own flesh,\nand weigh it in a balance, against this pigeon. And when thou hast found\nit equal (in weight) to the pigeon, then do thou give it unto me, and\nthat will be to my satisfaction.\" Then the king replied, \"This request\nof thine, O hawk, I consider as a favour unto me, and, therefore, I will\ngive unto thee even my own flesh, after weighing it in a balance.\"'\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'Saying this, O mighty son of Kunti, the highly virtuous\nking cut off a portion of his own flesh, and placed it in a balance,\nagainst the pigeon. But when he found that pigeon exceeded his flesh in\nweight, he once more cut off another portion of his flesh, and added it\nto the former. When portion after portion had been repeatedly added to\nweigh against the pigeon, and no more flesh was left on his body, he\nmounted the scale himself, utterly devoid of flesh.\n\n\"'The hawk then said, \"I am Indra, O virtuous king, and this pigeon is\nAgni, the carrier of the sacrificial clarified butter. We had come unto\nthy sacrificial ground, desirous of testing thy merit. Since thou hast\ncut off thy own flesh from thy body, thy glory shall be resplendent, and\nshall surpass that of all others in the world. As long as men, O king,\nshall speak of thee, so long shall thy glory endure, and thou shalt\ninhabit the holy regions.\" Saying this to the king, Indra ascended to\nheaven. And the virtuous king Usinara, after having filled heaven and\nearth with the merit of his pious deeds, ascended to heaven in a radiant\nshape. Behold, O king, the residence of that noble-hearted monarch.\nHere, O king, are seen holy sages and gods, together with virtuous and\nhighsouled Brahmanas.'\"\n\n\nSECTION CXXXII\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'See here, O lord of men, the sacred hermitage of\nSwetaketu, son of Uddalaka, whose fame as an expert in the sacred\n_mantras_ is so widely spread on earth. This hermitage is graced with\ncocoanut trees. Here Swetaketu beheld the goddess Saraswati in her human\nshape, and spake unto her, saying, \"May I be endowed with the gift of\nspeech!\" In that _yuga_, Swetaketu, the son of Uddalaka, and Ashtavakra,\nthe son of Kahoda, who stood to each other in the relation of uncle and\nnephew, were the best of those conversant with the sacred lore. Those\ntwo Brahmanas, of matchless energy, who bore unto each other the\nrelationship of uncle and nephew, went into the sacrificial ground of\nking Janaka and there defeated Vandin in a controversy. Worship, O son\nof Kunti, with thy brothers, the sacred hermitage of him who had for his\ngrandson Ashtavakra, who, even when a mere child, had caused Vandin to\nbe drowned in a river, after having defeated him in a (literary)\ncontest.\"'\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'Tell me, O Lomasa, all about the power of this man,\nwho had in that way defeated Vandin. Why was he born as _Ashtavakra_\n(crooked in eight parts in his body)?'\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'The sage Uddalaka had a disciple named Kahoda of subdued\npassions, and entirely devoted to the service of his preceptor and who\nhad continued his studies long. The Brahmana had served his tutor long,\nand his preceptor, recognising his service, gave him his own daughter,\nSujata, in marriage, as well as a mastery over the Shastras. And she\nbecame with child, radiant as fire. And the embryo addressed his father\nwhile employed in reading, \"O father, thou hast been reading the whole\nnight, but (of all that) thy reading doth not seem to me correct. Even\nin my fetal state I have, by thy favour, become versed in the Shastras\nand the Vedas with their several branches. I say, O father, that what\nproceeds from thy mouth, is not correct.\" Thus insulted in the presence\nof his disciples, the great sage in anger cursed his child in the womb,\nsaying, \"Because thou speakest thus even while in the womb, therefore\nthou shalt be crooked in eight parts of the body.\" The child was\naccordingly born crooked, and the great sage was ever after known by the\nname of Ashtavakra. Now, he had an uncle named Swetaketu who was the\nsame age with himself. Afflicted by the growth of the child in the womb,\nSujata, desirous of riches, conciliating her husband who had no wealth\ntold him in private: \"How shall I manage, O great sage, the tenth month\nof my pregnancy having come? Thou hast no substance whereby I may\nextricate myself from the exigencies, after I have been delivered.\" Thus\naddressed by his wife, Kahoda went unto king Janaka for riches. He was\nthere defeated in a controversy by Vandin, well versed in the science of\narguments, and (in consequence) was immersed into water. And hearing\nthat his son-in-law had been defeated in a controversy by Vandin and\ncaused to be drowned by him, Uddalaka spake unto his daughter Sujata,\nsaying, \"Thou shall keep it a secret from Ashtavakra.\" She accordingly\nkept her counsel--so that Ashtavakra, when born, had heard nothing about\nthe matter. And he regarded Uddalaka as his father and Swetaketu as his\nbrother. And when Ashtavakra was in his twelfth year, Swetaketu one day\nsaw the former seated on his father's lap. And thereat he pulled him by\nthe hand, and on Ashtavakra's beginning to cry, he told him, \"It is not\nthe lap of thy father.\" This cruel communication went direct into\nAshtavakra's heart and it pained him sorely. And he went home and asked\nhis mother saying, \"Where is my father?\" Thereupon Sujata who was\ngreatly afflicted (by his question), and apprehending a curse told him\nall that had happened. And having heard all, the Brahmana at night said\nunto his uncle Swetaketu, \"Let us go unto the sacrifice of king Janaka,\nwherein many wonderful things are to be seen. There we shall listen to\nthe controversy between the Brahmanas and shall partake of excellent\nfood. Our knowledge also will increase. The recitation of the sacred\nVedas is sweet to hear and is fraught with blessings.\" Then they\nboth--uncle and nephew--went unto the splendid sacrifice of king Janaka.\nAnd on being driven from the entrance, Ashtavakra met the king and\naddressed him in the following words.'\"\n\n\nSECTION CXXXIII\n\n\"'Ashtavakra said, \"When no Brahmana is met with on the way, the way\nbelongeth to the blind, the deaf, the women, carriers of burden, and the\nking respectively. But when a Brahmana is met with on the way, it\nbelongeth to him alone.\" Thereupon the king said, \"I give the privilege\nto enter. Do thou, therefore, go in by whatever way thou likest. No fire\never so small is to be slighted. Even Indra himself boweth unto the\nBrahmanas.\" At this Ashtavakra said, \"We have come, O ruler of men, to\nwitness thy sacrificial ceremony and our curiosity, O king, is very\ngreat. And we have come here as guests. We want the permission of thy\norder (to enter). And, O son of Indradyumna, we have come, desirous of\nseeing the sacrifice, and to meet king Janaka and speak to him. But thy\nwarder obstructs us and for this our anger burneth us like fever.\" The\nwarder said, \"We carry out the orders of Vandin. Listen to what I have\nto say. Lads are not permitted to enter here and it is only the learned\nold Brahmanas that are allowed to enter.\" Ashtavakra said. \"If this be\nthe condition, O warder, that the door is open to those only that are\nold, then we have a right to enter. We are old and we have observed\nsacred vows and are in possession of energy proceeding from the Vedic\nlore. And we have served our superiors and subdued our passions--and\nhave also won proficiency in knowledge. It is said that even boys are\nnot to be slighted,--for a fire, small though it be, burneth on being\ntouched.\" The warder replied, \"O young Brahmana, I consider you a boy,\nand therefore recite, if you know, the verse demonstrating the existence\nof the Supreme Being, and adored by the divine sages, and which,\nalthough composed of one letter, is yet multifarious. Make no vain\nboast. Learned men are really very rare.\" Ashtavakra said, \"True growth\ncannot be inferred from the mere development of the body, as the growth\nof the knots of the Salmali tree cannot signify its age. That tree is\ncalled full-grown which although slender and short, beareth fruits. But\nthat which doth not bear fruits, is not considered as grown.\" The warder\nsaid, \"Boys receive instruction from the old and they also in time grow\nold. Knowledge certainly is not attainable in a short time. Wherefore\nthen being a child, dost thou talk like an old man?\" Then Ashtavakra\nsaid, \"One is not old because his head is gray. But the gods regard him\nas old who, although a child in years, is yet possessed of knowledge.\nThe sages have not laid down that a man's merit consists in years, or\ngray hair, or wealth, or friends. To us he is great who is versed in the\nVedas. I have come here, O porter, desirous of seeing Vandin in the\ncourt. Go and inform king Janaka, who hath a garland of lotuses on his\nneck, that I am here. Thou shalt to-day see me enter into a dispute with\nthe learned men, and defeat Vandin in a controversy. And when others\nhave been silenced, the Brahmanas of matured learning and the king also\nwith his principal priests, bear witness to the superior or the inferior\nquality of his attainments.\" The warder said, \"How canst thou, who art but\nin thy tenth year, hope to enter into this sacrifice, into which learned\nand educated men only are admitted? I shall, however, try some means for\nthy admittance. Do thou also try thyself.\" Ashtavakra then addressing\nthe king said, \"O king, O foremost of Janaka's race, thou art the\nparamount sovereign and all power reposeth in thee. In times of old,\nking Yayati was the celebrator of sacrifices. And in the present age,\nthou it is that art performer thereof. We have heard that the learned\nVandin, after defeating (in controversy) men expert in discussion,\ncauseth them to be drowned by faithful servants employed by thee.\nHearing this, I have come before these Brahmanas, to expound the\ndoctrine of the unity of the Supreme Being. Where is now Vandin? Tell me\nso that I may approach him, and destroy him, even as the sun destroyeth\nthe stars.\" Thereupon the king said, \"Thou hopest, O Brahmana, to defeat\nVandin, not knowing his power of speech. Can those who are familiar with\nhis power, speak as thou dost? He hath been sounded by Brahmanas versed\nin the Vedas. Thou hopest to defeat Vandin, only because thou knowest\nnot his powers (of speech). Many a Brahmana hath waned before him, even\nas the stars before the sun. Desirous of defeating him, people proud of\ntheir learning, have lost their glory on appearing before him, and have\nretired from his presence, without even venturing to speak with the\nmembers of the assembly.\" Ashtavakra said, \"Vandin hath never entered\ninto disputation with a man like myself, and it is for this only that he\nlooketh upon himself as a lion, and goeth about roaring like one. But\nto-day meeting me he will lie down dead, even like a cart on the\nhighway, of which the wheels have been deranged.\" The king said, \"He\nalone is a truly learned man who understandeth the significance of the\nthing that hath thirty divisions, twelve parts twenty-four joints, and\nthree hundred and sixty spokes.\" Ashtavakra said, \"May that ever-moving\nwheel that hath twenty-four joints, six naves, twelve peripheries, and\nsixty spokes protect thee!\"[19] The king said, \"Who amongst the gods\nbeareth those two which go together like two mares (yoked to a car), and\nsweep like a hawk, and to what also do they give birth?\" Ashtavakra\nsaid, \"May God, O king, forfend the presence of these two[20] in thy\nhouse; aye, even in the house of thine enemies. He who appeareth, having\nfor his charioteer the wind,[21] begetteth them, and they also produce\nhim.\" Thereupon the king said, \"What is that doth not close its eyes\neven while sleeping; what is it that doth not move, even when born; what\nis it that hath no heart; and what doth increase even in its own speed?\"\nAshtavakra said, \"It is a fish[22] that doth not close its eye-lids,\nwhile sleeping; and it is an a egg[23] that doth not move when\nproduced; it is stone[24] that hath no heart; and it is a river[25]\nthat increase in its own speed.\"\n\n    [19] This wheel is the wheel of Time--i.e., measured according\n    to the solar, lunar and astral revolutions. The importance of\n    Ashtavakra's reply is this: May the meritorious deeds performed\n    at proper times, during the revolution of this wheel of Time\n    protect thee.\n\n    [20] Thunder and lightning or misery and death.\n\n    [21] Cloud or the mind.\n\n    [22] The male being that is ever conscious.\n\n    [23] The mundane egg.\n\n    [24] The soul that has renounced connection with the body.\n\n    [25] The heart of a _Yogi_.\n\n\"'The king said, \"It seemeth, O possessor of divine energy, that thou\nart no human being. I consider thee not a boy, but a matured man; there\nis no other man who can compare with thee in the art of speech. I\ntherefore give thee admittance. There is Vandin.\"'\"\n\n\nSECTION CXXXIV\n\n\"'Ashtavakra said, \"O king, O leader of fierce legions, in this assembly\nof monarchs of unrivalled power who have met together, I am unable to\nfind out Vandin, chief of the controversialists. But I am searching for\nhim, even as one doth for a swan on a vast expanse of water. O Vandin,\nthou regardest thyself as the foremost of controversialists. When though\nwilt engage with me in staking, thou wilt not be able to flow like the\ncurrent of a river. I am like a full-flaming fire. Be silent before me,\nO Vandin! Do not awaken a sleeping tiger. Know that thou shalt not\nescape unstung, after trampling on the head of a venomous snake, licking\nthe corners of its mouth with its tongue, and who hath been hurt by thy\nfoot. That weak man who, in pride of strength, attempts to strike a blow\nat a mountain, only gets his hands and nails hurt, but no wound is left\non the mountain itself. As the other mountains are inferior to the\nMainaka, and as calves are inferior to the ox, so are all other kings of\nthe earth inferior to the lord of Mithila. And as Indra is the foremost\nof celestials, and as the Ganga is the best of rivers, so thou alone\nart, O king, the greatest of monarchs. O king, cause Vandin to be\nbrought to my presence.\"'\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'Saying this, O Yudhishthira, wroth with Vandin,\nAshtavakra thus thundered in the assembly, and addressed him in these\nwords, \"Do thou answer my questions, and I shall answer thine.\" Thereat\nVandin said, \"One only fire blazeth forth in various shapes; one only\nsun illumineth this whole world; one only hero, Indra, the lord of\ncelestials, destroyeth enemies; and one only Yama is the sole lord of\nthe Pitris.\"[26] Ashtavakra said, \"The two friends, Indra and Agni, ever\nmove together; the two celestial sages are Narada and Parvata; twins are\nthe Aswinikumaras; two is the number of the wheels of a car; and it is\nas a couple that husband and wife live together, as ordained by the\ndeity.\"[27] Vandin said, \"Three kinds of born beings are produced by\nacts; the three Vedas together perform the sacrifice, Vajapeya; at three\ndifferent times, the Adhwaryus commence sacrificial rites; three is the\nnumber of words: and three also are the divine lights.\"[28] Ashtavakra\nsaid, \"Four are the Asramas of the Brahmanas; the four orders perform\nsacrifices; four are the cardinal points; four is the number of letters;\nand four also, as is ever known, are the legs of a cow.\"[29] Vandin\nsaid, \"Five is the number of fires; five are the feet of the metre\ncalled _Punki_; five are the sacrifices; five locks, it is said in the\nVedas, are on the heads of the Apsaras; and five sacred rivers are known\nin the world.\"[30] Ashtavakra said, \"Six cows, it is asserted by some,\nare paid as a gratuity on the occasion of establishing the sacred fire;\nsix are the seasons belonging to the wheel of time; six is the number of\nthe senses; six stars constitute the constellation _Kirtika_; and six,\nit is found in all the Vedas, is the number of the Sadyaska\nsacrifice.\"[31] Vandin said, \"Seven is the number of the domesticated\nanimals; seven are the wild animals; seven metres are used in completing\na sacrifice; seven are the _Rishis_, seven forms of paying homage are\nextant (in the world); and seven, it is known, are the strings of the\nVina.\"[32] Ashtavakra said, \"Eight are the bags containing a hundred\nfold; eight is the number of the legs of the Sarabha, which preyeth upon\nlions; eight Vasus, as we hear, are amongst the celestials; and eight\nare the angles of _yupa_ (stake), in all sacrificial rites.\"[33] Vandin\nsaid, \"Nine is the number of the mantras used in kindling the fire in\nsacrifices to the _Pitris_; nine are the appointed functions in the\nprocesses of creation; nine letters compose the foot of the metre,\nVrihati; and nine also is ever the number of the figures (in\ncalculation).\"[34] Ashtavakra said, \"Ten is said to be the number of\ncardinal points, entering into the cognition of men in this world; ten\ntimes hundred make up a thousand; ten is the number of months, during\nwhich women bear; and ten are the teachers of true knowledge, and ten,\nthe haters thereof, and ten again are those capable of learning it.\"[35]\nVandin said, \"Eleven are the objects enjoyable by beings; eleven is the\nnumber of the _yupas_; eleven are the changes of the natural state\npertaining to those having life; and eleven are the Rudras among the\ngods in heaven.\"[36] Ashtavakra said, \"Twelve months compose the year;\ntwelve letters go to the composition of a foot of the metre called\n_Jagati_; twelve are the minor sacrifices; and twelve, according to the\nlearned, is the number of the Adityas.\"[37] Vandin said, \"The\nthirteenth lunar day is considered the most auspicious; thirteen islands\nexist on earth.\"'[38]\n\n    [26] Ashtavakra comes to Janaka's sacrifice with the object of\n    proving the unity of the Supreme Being. Vandin avails himself of\n    various system of Philosophy to combat his opponent. He begins\n    with the Buddhistic system. The form of the dialogue is unique\n    in literature being that of enigmas and the latent meaning is in\n    a queer way hid under the appearance of puerile and\n    heterogeneous combinations of things.\n\n    Vandin opens the controversy by saying that as the number of\n    each of these is one, so one only intellect is the lord, leader\n    and guide of the senses.\n\n    [27] There is a Vedic revelation that two birds live together on\n    a tree as friends--one of these eats the fruits and the other\n    looks at the former. From this it is manifest that _two_ are the\n    lords, leaders, and guides of the senses. That there is a second\n    faculty besides the intellect is also proved by the fact that in\n    sleep when the intellect is inactive that faculty continues in\n    action, for if it were not so we could not remember having\n    slept, nor connect the state after awaking with that preceding\n    sleep. Accordingly by citing the number _two_ Ashtavakra asserts\n    that besides intellect there is another faculty--consciousness\n    that these _two_ are jointly the lords, leaders and guides of\n    the senses and that they act together as Indra and Agni, etc.\n\n    [28] By citing the number _three_ Vandin means to say that as it\n    is Acts that produce the _three_ kinds of born beings, etc., so\n    Acts are supreme and that everything else be it intellect alone,\n    or intellect and consciousness together is subservient to Acts.\n\n    [29] Ashtavakra here advances the thesis that even if Acts be\n    supreme still when the (_fourth_) or Supreme Being becomes\n    manifest to the soul, it stands in no further needs to Acts.\n\n    [30] By bringing in the _quinquennial_ series, Vandin wishes to\n    assert that the _five_ senses are competent to cognise there\n    respective objects and that besides these senses and their\n    objects there is neither any other sense to perceive nor any\n    other object of perception. He also cites the authority of the\n    Veda according to which the _Apsaras_ (or consciousness) have\n    _five_ \"locks\" on their hands--i.e., _five_ objects of\n    perception.\n\n    [31] Besides the five senses Ashtavakra contends for an\n    additional sense namely the Mind and accordingly cites the\n    number _six_.\n\n    [32] Vandin admits the existence of the six senses but says that\n    the soul experiences happiness and misery through those as well\n    as through the _intellect_.\n\n    [33] Ashtavakra advances an eighth element, namely, the\n    _knowledge of the ego_.\n\n    [34] Each of the three qualities (existence, foulness and\n    ignorance) of _prakriti_ (the passive or material cause of the\n    world) mixing with each of the three corresponding qualities of\n    _pradhana_ (the active or spiritual cause of the world) in\n    various proportions produces the mundane order of things. Thus\n    is proved the eternity of _prakriti_ or nature and is also\n    established the doctrine of duality.\n\n    [35] Prakriti does not really create. It is the Supreme Being\n    who through the medium of illusion in contract with the _ten_\n    organs (viz., the five locomotive organs and the five organs of\n    sense) makes manifest the system of things. Prakriti therefore\n    has no real existence--her existence is only apparent in the\n    real existence of the soul.\n\n    [36] Yupas (stakes) mean here, _feelings_, etc, which keep men\n    bound to the world. _Rudras_ are those who makes others cry.\n\n    Vandin means to say that the soul is not essentially free from\n    the fetters of happiness and misery arising from the eleven\n    objects of perception. In this world all men are subject to\n    happiness and misery. We also hear that there are Rudras in\n    heaven.\n\n    [37] The supreme soul unaffected by happiness and misery really\n    exists--but His existence is not susceptible of being\n    proved--nor can the ignorant ever perceive Him. Men attain that\n    condition through these _twelve_, viz., virtue, truth,\n    self-restraint, penances, good-will, modesty, forgiveness,\n    exemption from envy, sacrifice, charity, concentration and\n    control over the senses.\n\n    [38] According to some, endeavours to attain emancipation can be\n    successful not in this world but in the world of Brahma. Others\n    say that to that end a special _yoga_ is necessary. By bringing\n    forward the objects numbering _thirteen_, Vandin advances the\n    opinion that, virtue, etc., are not sufficient for purposes of\n    emancipation but that suitable time and place are also\n    essential.\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'Having proceeded thus far, Vandin stopped. Thereupon\nAshtavakra supplied the latter half of the _sloka_. Ashtavakra said,\n\"Thirteen sacrifices are presided over by Kesi; and thirteen are\ndevoured by _Atichhandas_, (the longer metres) of the Veda.\"[39] And\nseeing Ashtavakra speaking and the Suta's son silent, and pensive, and\nwith head downcast, the assembly broke into a long uproar. And when the\ntumult thus arose in the splendid sacrifice performed by king Janaka,\nthe Brahmanas well pleased, and with joined hands, approached\nAshtavakra, and began to pay him homage.\n\n    [39] Ashtavakra concludes by citing the same number _thirteen_.\n    The soul which is essentially unaffected, becomes subject to\n    happiness and misery through the _thirteen_, viz., the ten\n    organs of locomotion and sense, and intellect mind and egoism.\n    But Atichhanadas, i.e., those that have surmounted ignorance,\n    namely, the twelve, virtue, etc. destroy those thirteen and that\n    is emancipation.\n\n\"'Thereupon Ashtavakra said, \"Before this, this man, defeating the\nBrahmanas in controversy, used to cast them into water. Let Vandin today\nmeet with the same fate. Seize him and drown him in water.\" Vandin said,\n\"O Janaka, I am the son of king Varuna. Simultaneously with thy\nsacrifice, there also hath commenced a sacrifice extending over twelve\nyears. It is for this that I have despatched the principal Brahmanas\nthither. They have gone to witness Varuna's sacrifice. Lo! there they\nare returning. I pay homage to the worshipful Ashtavakra, by whose grace\nto-day I shall join him who hath begot me.\"\n\n\"'Ashtavakra said, \"Defeating the Brahmanas either by words or subtlety,\nVandin had cast them into the waters of the sea. (That Vedic truth which\nhe had suppressed by false arguments), have I to-day rescued by dint of\nmy intellect. Now let candid men judge. As Agni, who knoweth the\ncharacter of both the good and the bad, leaveth unscorched by his heat\nthe bodies of those whose designs are honest, and is thus partial to\nthem, so good men judge the assertions of boys, although lacking the\npower of speech, and are favourably disposed towards them. O Janaka,\nthou hearest my words as if thou hast been stupefied in consequence of\nhaving eaten the fruit of the Sleshmataki tree. Or flattery hath robbed\nthee of thy sense, and for this it is that although pierced by my words\nas an elephant (by the hook), thou hearest them not.\"\n\n\"'Janaka said, \"Listening to thy words, I take them to be excellent and\nsuperhuman. Thy form also standeth manifest as superhuman. As thou hast\nto-day defeated Vandin in discussion, I place even him at thy disposal.\"\nAshtavakra said, \"O king, Vandin remaining alive, will not serve any\npurpose of mine. If his father be really Varuna, let him be drowned in\nthe sea.\" Vandin said, \"I am King Varuna's son. I have no fear\n(therefore) in being drowned. Even at this moment, Ashtavakra shall see\nhis long-lost sire, Kahoda.\"'\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'Then rose before Janaka all the Brahmanas, after having\nbeen duly worshipped by the magnanimous Varuna. Kahoda said, \"It is for\nthis, O Janaka, that men pray for sons, by performing meritorious acts.\nThat in which I had failed hath been achieved by my son. Weak persons\nmay have sons endued with strength; dunces may have intelligent sons;\nand the illiterate may have sons possessed of learning.\" Vandin said,\n\"It is with thy sharpened axe, O monarch, that even Yama severeth the\nheads of foes. May prosperity attend thee! In this sacrifice of king\nJanaka, the principal hymns relating to the _Uktha_ rites are being\nchanted, and the Soma juice also is being adequately quaffed. And the\ngods themselves, in person, and with cheerful hearts, are accepting\ntheir sacred shares.\"'\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'When in enhanced splendour, the Brahmanas had risen up,\nVandin, taking king Janaka's permission, entered into the waters of the\nsea. And then Ashtavakra worshipped his father, and he himself also was\nworshipped by the Brahmanas. And having thus defeated the Suta's\nson,[40] Ashtavakra returned to his own excellent hermitage, in company\nwith his uncle. Then in the presence of his mother, his father addressed\nhim, saying, \"(O son), thou speedily enter into this river, Samanga.\"\nAnd accordingly, he entered (into the water). (And as he plunged beneath\nthe water), all his (crooked) limbs were immediately made straight. And\nfrom that day that river came to be called Samanga and she became\ninvested with the virtues of purifying (sins). He that shall bathe in\nher, will be freed from his sins. Therefore, O Yudhishthira, do thou\nwith thy brothers and wife descend to the river, and perform thy\nablutions. O Kunti's son, O scion of the Ajamidha race, living happily\nand cheerfully at this place together with thy brothers and the\nBrahmanas, thou wilt perform with me other acts of merit, being intent\nupon good deeds.'\"\n\n    [40] _Su_ means _excellent_, and _uta_, _sacrifice_. The\n    compound accordingly means,--_performer of excellent sacrifice_.\n\n\nSECTION CXXXV\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'Here, O king, is visible the river Samanga, whose former\nname was Madhuvila, and yonder is the spot named Kardamila, the bathing\nplace of Bharata. The lord of Sachi, when fallen into misery in\nconsequence of having slain Vritra, became freed from his sin, by\nperforming his ablutions in this Samanga. Here, O bull among men, is the\nspot where the Mainaka mountain hath sunk into the interior of the\nearth; and it is hence called Vinasana. For obtaining sons, here Aditi\nin days of yore had cooked that celebrated food, (presided over by the\nSupreme Being). O ye bulls among men, ascend this lofty mountain and put\nan end to your inglorious misery unworthy to be uttered. Here, O king,\nbefore thee is the Kanakhala range, the favourite resort of sages. And\nyonder is the mighty river Ganga. Here, in ancient times, the holy sage\nSanatkumara attained ascetic success. O scion of the Ajamidha race, by\nperforming thy ablutions here in this river, thou wilt be freed from all\nthy sins. O son of Kunti, do thou together with thy ministers, touch\n(the waters) of this lake called Punya, and this mountain Bhrigutunga\nand also (the water of) these two rivers, called Tushniganga. Here, O\nKunti's son, appeareth the hermitage of the sage Sthulasiras. Resign\nhere thy anger and sense of self-importance. There, O son of Pandu, is\nseen the beautiful hermitage of Raivya, where perished Bharadwaja's son,\nYavakri, profound in Vedic lore.'\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'How did the mighty sage, Yavakri, son of the\nascetic Bharadwaja, acquire profoundity in the Vedas? And how also did\nhe perish? I am anxious to hear all this, just as it happened. I take\ndelight in listening to the narration of the deeds of god-like men.'\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'Bharadwaja and Raivya were two friends. And they dwelt\nhere, ever taking the greatest pleasure in each other's company. Now,\nRaivya had two sons, named Arvavasu and Paravasu. And, Bharadwaja, O\nBharata's son, had an only son, named Yavakri. Raivya and his two sons\nwere versed in the Vedas, while Bharadwaja practised asceticism. But, O\nson of Bharata, from their boyhood, the friendship subsisting between\nthose two was unequalled. O sinless one, the highspirited Yavakri\nfinding that his father, who practised asceticism, was slighted by the\nBrahmanas, while Raivya with his sons was greatly respected by them, was\noverwhelmed with sorrow, and became sore aggrieved. Thereupon, O son of\nPandu, he entered upon severe austerities, for (obtaining) a knowledge\nof the Vedas. And he exposed his body to a flaming fire. By thus\npractising the most rigid austerities, he caused anxiety in the mind of\nIndra. Then Indra, O Yudhishthira, went to him and addressed him saying,\n\"Wherefore, O sage, hast thou become engaged in practising such rigid\nausterities?\" Yavakri said, \"O thou adored of celestial hosts, I am\npractising severe penances, because I wish that such a knowledge of the\nVedas as hath never been acquired by any Brahmana whatever, may be\nmanifest unto me. O conqueror of Paka, these endeavours of mine have\nbeen for Vedic lore. O Kausika, by the force of my asceticism, I purpose\nto obtain all sorts of knowledge. O lord, a knowledge of the Vedas as\nlearnt through teachers, is acquired in a long time. Therefore, (with\nthe view of attaining in short time a proficiency in the Vedas), I have\nput forth these high endeavours.\" Indra said, \"O Brahmana sage, the way\nthat thou hast adopted is not the proper way. What for, O Brahmana,\nwilt thou destroy thyself? Go and learn from the lips of a preceptor.\"'\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'O son of Bharata, having said this, Sakra went away, and\nYavakri of immeasurable energy, once more directed his attention to\nasceticism. O king, we have heard that carrying on severe austerities he\nagain greatly agitated Indra. And the god Indra, slayer of Vala, again\ncame unto that great sage, who was engaged in austere penances; and\nforbade him, saying, \"Thou art striving with the object that Vedic lore\nmay be manifest unto thee as well as unto thy father; but thy exertions\ncan never be successful, nor is this act of thine well-advised.\" Yavakri\nsaid, \"O lord of the celestials, if thou wilt not do for me what I want,\nI shall, observing stricter vows, practise still severer penances. O\nlord of celestials! know that if thou do not fulfil all my desires, I\nshall then cut off my limbs and offer them as a sacrifice into a blazing\nfire.\"'\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'Knowing the determination of that high-souled sage, the\nsagacious Indra reflected and hit upon some expedient to dissuade him.\nThen Indra assumed the guise of an ascetic Brahmana, hundreds of years\nold, and infirm, and suffering from consumption. And he fell to throwing\nup a dam with sands, at that spot of the Bhagirathi to which Yavakri\nused to descend for performing ablutions. Because Yavakri, chief of the\nBrahmanas, paid no heed to Indra's words, the latter began to fill the\nGanga with sands. And without cessation, he threw handfuls of sand into\nthe Bhagirathi, and began to construct the dam attracting the notice of\nthe sage. And when that bull among the sages, Yavakri, saw Indra thus\nearnestly engaged in constructing the dam, he broke into laughter, and\nsaid the following words, \"What art thou engaged in, O Brahmana, and\nwhat is thy object? Why dost thou, for nothing, make this mighty\nendeavour?\" Indra said, \"I am trying, O my son, to dam the Ganga so that\nthere may be a commodious passage. People experience considerable\ndifficulty in crossing and recrossing (the river) by boat.\" Yavakri\nsaid, \"O thou of ascetic wealth, thou canst not dam up this mighty\ncurrent. O Brahmana, desist from, what is impracticable, and take up\nsomething that is practicable.\" Indra said, \"O sage, I have imposed on\nmyself this heavy task, even as, for obtaining a knowledge of the Vedas,\nthou hast begun these penances, which can never be fruitful.\" Yavakri\nsaid, \"If, O chief of the celestials, those efforts of mine be\nfruitless, even as those of thy own, then, O lord of heavenly hosts, be\nthou pleased to do for me what is practicable. Vouchsafe unto me boons\nwhereby I may excel other men.\"'\n\n\"Lomasa said 'Then Indra granted boons, as was prayed for by the mighty\nascetic. Indra said, \"As thou desirest, the Vedas will be manifest unto\nthee, yea--even unto thy father. And all thy other desires will also be\nfulfilled. Return home, O Yavakri.\"\n\n\"'Having thus obtained the object of his desire, Yavakri came unto his\nfather and said, \"The Vedas, O father, will be manifest unto thee as\nwell as unto myself and I have obtained boons whereby we shall excel all\nmen.\" Thereat Bharadwaja said, \"O my son, as thou hast obtained the\nobjects of thy desire, thou wilt be proud. And when thou art puffed up\nwith pride and hast also become uncharitable, destruction will soon\novertake thee. O my son, there is a current anecdote narrated by the\ngods. In ancient times, O son, there lived a sage named Valadhi,\npossessed of great energy. And in grief for the death of a child, he\npractised the severest penances to have a child that should be immortal.\nAnd he obtained a son even as he desired. But the gods, though very\nfavourably disposed (towards him), did not yet make his son immortal\nlike unto the gods. They said, \"On condition can a mortal being be made\nimmortal. Thy son's life, however, shall depend on some instrumental\ncause.\" Thereupon, Valadhi said, \"O chiefs of the celestials, these\nmountains have been existing eternally, and indestructible, let them be\nthe instrumental cause of my son's life.\" Afterwards a son was born to\nthe sage, named Medhavi. And he was of a very irritable temper. And\nhearing of (the incident of his birth), he grew haughty, and began to\ninsult the sages. And he ranged over the earth, doing mischief to the\n_munis_. And one day, meeting with the learned sage Dhannushaksha endued\nwith energy, Medhavi maltreated him. Thereupon, the former cursed him,\nsaying, \"Be thou reduced to ashes.\" Medhavi, however, was not reduced to\nashes. Then Dhannushaksha caused the mountain which was the instrumental\ncause of Medhavi's life, to be shattered by buffaloes. And the boy\nperished, with the destruction of the instrumental cause of his life.\nAnd embracing his dead son, Medhavi's father began to bewail his fate.\nNow hear from me, O my son, what was chanted by the sages conversant\nwith the Vedas, when they found the sage mourning. _A mortal on no\ncondition whatever can overcome what hath been ordained by Fate. Lo!\nDhannushaksha succeeded in shattering even the mountain by buffaloes._\nThus young ascetics, puffed up with pride for having obtained boons,\nperish in a short time. Be thou not one of them. This Raivya, O my son,\nis possessed of great energy, and his two sons are like him. Therefore,\nbe thou vigilant--so as never to approach him. O my son, Raivya is a\ngreat ascetic of an irritable temper. When angry, he can do thee harm.\"\nYavakri said, \"I shall do as thou biddest me. Oh father, do thou not by\nany means entertain anxiety for that. Raivya deserveth my regard even as\nthou, my father.\" Having replied unto his father in these sweet words,\nYavakri, fearing nothing and nobody, began to delight in wantonly\noffending other _munis_.'\"\n\n\nSECTION CXXXVI\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'One day in the month of Chaitra, while fearlessly\nwandering at large, Yavakri approached the hermitage of Raivya. And O\nson of Bharata, in that beautiful hermitage, adorned with trees bearing\nblossoms, he happened to behold the daughter-in-law of Raivya,\nsauntering about like a Kinnara woman. And having lost his senses\nthrough passion, Yavakri shamelessly spake unto the bashful maiden,\nsaying, \"Be thou attached unto me.\" Thereupon, knowing his nature, and\nafraid of a curse, as well as thinking of Raivya's power, she went unto\nhim saying, \"I agree.\" Then, O son of Bharata, taking him in private,\nshe kept him chained. O conqueror of foes, returning to his hermitage,\nRaivya found his daughter-in-law, Paravasu's wife, in tears. O\nYudhishthira, thereat consoling her with soft words, he enquired of her\nas to the cause of her grief. Thereupon, the beautiful damsel told him\nall that Yavakri had said unto her, and what she also had cleverly said\nunto him. Hearing of this gross misbehaviour of Yavakri, the mind of the\nsage flamed up, and he waxed exceedingly wroth. And being thus seized\nwith passion, the great sage of a highly irascible temper, tore off a\nmatted lock of his hair, and with holy _mantras_, offered it as a\nsacrifice on the sacred fire. At this, there sprang out of it a female\nexactly resembling his daughter-in-law. And then he plucked another\nmatted lock of his hair, and again offered it as a sacrifice into the\nfire. Thereupon sprang out of it a demon, terrible to behold, and having\nfierce eyes. Then those two spake unto Raivya, saying, \"What shall we\ndo?\" Thereat, the angry sage said unto them, \"Go and kill Yavakri.\" Then\nsaying, \"We shall do (as thou biddest)\"--they two went away with the\nintention of slaying Yavakri. And with her charms, the female whom the\nlarge-hearted sage had created, robbed Yavakri of his sacred water-pot.\nThen with his uplifted spear the demon flew at Yavakri, when he had been\ndeprived of his water-pot and rendered unclean. And seeing the demon\napproach with uplifted spear for the purpose of slaying him, Yavakri\nrose up all on a sudden and fled towards a tank. But finding it devoid\nof water, he hurried towards all the rivers. But they too were all dried\nup. And being obstructed again and again by the fierce demon, holding\nthe spear, Yavakri in fright attempted to enter into the _Agnihotra_\nroom of his father. But there, O king, he was repulsed by a blind Sudra\nwarder, and he remained at the door, grasped by the man. And, finding\nYavakri thus grasped by the Sudra, the demon hurled his spear at him,\nand thereupon he fell down dead, pierced in the heart. After slaying\nYavakri, the demon went back to Raivya, and with the permission of that\nsage, began to live with the female.'\"\n\n\nSECTION CXXXVII\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'O son of Kunti, Bharadwaja returned to his hermitage\nafter performing the ritual duties of the day, and having collected the\nsacrificial fuel. And because his son had been slain, the sacrificial\nfires which used to welcome him everyday, did not on that day come\nforward to welcome him. And marking this change in the Agnihotra, the\ngreat sage asked the blind Sudra warder seated there, saying, \"Why is\nit, O Sudra, that the fires rejoice not at sight of me? Thou too dost\nnot rejoice as is thy wont. Is it all well with my hermitage? I hope\nthat my son of little sense had not gone to the sage Raivya. Answer\nspeedily, O Sudra, all these questions of mine. My mind misgiveth me.\"\nThe Sudra said, \"Thy son of little sense had gone to the sage Raivya,\nand therefore it is that he lieth prostrate (on the ground), having been\nslain by a powerful demon. Being attacked by the Rakshasa, holding a\nspear, he attempted to force his way into this room, and I therefore\nbarred his way with my arms. Then desirous of having water in an unclean\nstate, as he stood hopeless, he was slain by the vehement Rakshasa,\ncarrying a spear in his hand.\" On hearing from the Sudra of this great\ncalamity, Bharadwaja, sorely afflicted with grief, began to lament,\nembracing his dead son. And he said, \"O my son, it is for the good of\nthe Brahmanas that thou didst practise penances, with the intention that\nthe Vedas unstudied by any Brahmana whatever might be manifest unto\nthee. Thy behaviour towards the Brahmanas had always been for their\ngood, and thou hadst also been innocent in regard to all creatures. But,\nalas! (at last) thou didst lapse into rudeness. I had prohibited thee, O\nmy son, from visiting the residence of Raivya; but alas! to that very\nhermitage, (destructive to thee) as the god of death himself, Yama,\ndidst thou repair. Evil-minded is that man, who, (knowing that) I am an\nold man, and also that (Yavakri) was my only son, had given way to\nwrath. It is through the agency of Raivya that I have sustained the loss\nof my child. Without thee, O my son, I shall give up my life, the most\nprecious thing in the world. In grief for the death of my son, I\nrenounce my life; but this I say that Raivya's eldest son shall in a\nshort time kill him although he be innocent. Blessed are those to whom\nchildren have never been born, for they lead a happy life, without\nhaving to experience the grief (incident to the death of a child). Who\nin this world can be more wicked than those who from affliction, and\ndeprived of their sense by sorrow consequent upon the death of a child,\ncurse even their dearest friend! I found my son dead, and, therefore,\nhave cursed my dearest friend. Ah! what second man can there be in this\nworld, destined to suffer so grievous a misfortune!\" Having lamented\nlong Bharadwaja cremated his son and then himself entered into a\nfull-blazing fire.'\"\n\n\nSECTION CXXXVIII\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'At that very time, the mighty king, Vrihadyumna, of high\nfortune, who was the _Yajamana_ of Raivya, commenced a sacrifice. And\nthe two sons of Raivya, Arvavasu and Paravasu, were engaged by that\nintelligent monarch, to assist him in the performance of the ceremony.\nAnd, O son of Kunti, taking the permission of their father, they two\nwent to the sacrifice, while Raivya with Paravasu's wife remained in the\nhermitage. And it came to pass that one day, desirous of seeing his\nwife, Paravasu returned home alone. And he met his father in the wood,\nwrapped in the skin of a black antelope. And the night was far advanced\nand dark; and Paravasu, blinded by drowsiness in that deep wood, mistook\nhis father for a straggling deer. And mistaking him for a deer,\nParavasu, for the sake of personal safety, unintentionally killed his\nfather. Then, O son of Bharata, after performing the funeral rites (of\nhis father), he returned to the sacrifice and there addressed his\nbrother saying, \"Thou wilt never be able to perform this task\nunassisted. I again, have killed our father, mistaking him for a deer. O\nbrother, for me do thou observe a vow, prescribed in the case of killing\na Brahmana. O Muni, I shall be able to perform this work (sacrifice),\nwithout any assistant.\" Arvavasu said, \"Do thou then thyself officiate\nat this sacrifice of the gifted Vrihadyumna; and for thee will I,\nbringing my senses under perfect control, observe the vow prescribed in\nthe case of slaying a Brahmana.\"'\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'Having observed the vow relative to the killing of a\nBrahmana, the sage Arvavasu came back to the sacrifice. Seeing his\nbrother arrive, Paravasa, in accents choked with malice, addressed\nVrihadyumna, saying, \"O king, see that this slayer of a Brahmana enter\nnot into thy sacrifice, nor look at it. Even by a glance, the killer of\na Brahmana can, without doubt, do thee harm.\" O lord of men, immediately\non hearing this, the king ordered his attendants (to turn out Arvavasu).\nO king, on being driven out by the king's attendants, and repeatedly\naddressed by them--\"_O slayer of a Brahmana_\"--Arvavasu more than once\ncried, \"It is not I that have killed a Brahmana.\" Nor did he own that he\nhad observed the vow for his own sake. He said that his brother had\ncommitted the sin, and that he had freed him therefrom. Having said this\nin anger, and being reprimanded by the attendants, the Brahmana sage of\naustere penances, retired in silence into the woods. There betaking\nhimself to the severest penances, the great Brahmana sought the\nprotection of the Sun. Thereupon, the revelation teaching the _mantra_\nrelative to the worship of the Sun, became manifest unto him and that\neternal deity who obtaineth his share (of the sacrificial butter) first,\nappeared before him in an embodied form.'\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'The celestials, O king, were well pleased with Arvavasu\nfor his acts. And they made him engaged as the chief priest in the\nsacrifice (of Vrihadyumna), and Paravasu to be dismissed from it. Then\nAgni and the other celestials (of their own accord) bestowed boons on\nArvavasu. And they also prayed that his father might be restored to\nlife. He further prayed that his brother might be absolved from his sin;\nthat his father might have no recollection of his having been slain;\nthat Bharadwaja and Yavakri might both be restored to life; and that the\nsolar revelation might attain celebrity (on earth). Then the god said,\n\"So be it,\" and conferred on him other boons also. Thereat, O\nYudhishthira, all of these persons regained their life. Yavakri now\naddressed Agni and the other deities, saying, \"I had obtained a\nknowledge of all the Vedas, and also practised penances. How came it\nthen, O chiefs of the immortals, that Raivya succeeded in killing me in\nthat way?\" Thereupon the gods said, \"O Yavakri, never act again as those\nhave done. What thou askest about is quite possible, for thou hast\nlearnt the Vedas without exertion, and without the help of a preceptor.\nBut this man (Raivya) bearing various troubles, had satisfied his\npreceptor by his conduct, and obtained (from the latter) the excellent\nVedas through great exertions and in a long time.\"'\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'Having said this to Yavakri, and restored all those to\nlife, the celestials with Indra at their head, ascended to heaven. Here,\nO Yudhishthira, is the sacred hermitage of that sage embellished with\ntrees bearing blossoms and fruits at all seasons. O tiger among kings,\ndwelling at this spot, thou wilt be delivered from all thy sins.'\"\n\n\nSECTION CXXXIX\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'O descendant of Bharata, O king, now hast thou left\nbehind the mountains Usiravija, Mainaka and Sweta, as well as the Kala\nhills. O son of Kunti, O bull among the descendants of Bharata, here\nflow before thee the seven Gangas. This spot is pure and holy. Here Agni\nblazeth forth without intermission. No son of Manu is able to obtain a\nsight of this wonder. Therefore, O son of Pandu, concentrate your mind\nin order that he may intently behold these _tirthas_. Now wilt thou see\nthe play-ground of the gods, marked with their footprints, as we have\npassed the mountain Kala. We shall now ascend that white rock--the\nmountain Mandara, inhabited by the Yakshas, Manibhadra and Kuvera, king\nof the Yakshas. O king, at this place eighty thousand fleet Gandharvas,\nand four times as many Kimpurushas and Yakshas of various shapes and\nforms, holding various weapons, attend upon Manibhadra, king of the\nYakshas. In these regions their power is very great. And in speed they\nare even as the wind. They can, without doubt, displace even the lord of\nthe celestials from his seat. Protected by them, and also watched over\nby the Rakshasas, these mountains have been rendered inaccessible.\nTherefore, O son of Pritha, do thou concentrate thy thoughts. Besides\nthese, O son of Kunti, here are fierce ministers of Kuvera and his\nRakshasa kindred. We shall have to meet them, and, therefore, O Kunti's\nson, gather up thy energies. O king the mountain Kailasa is six\n_yojanas_ in height. It contains a gigantic jujube tree. And, O son of\nKunti, numberless gods and Yakshas and Rakshasas and Kinnaras and Nagas\nand Suparnas and Gandharvas pass this way, in going towards Kuvera's\npalace. O king, protected by me, as well as by the might of Bhimasena,\nand also in virtue of thy own asceticism and self-command, do thou\nto-day mix with them. May king Varuna and Yama, conqueror of battles,\nand Ganga, and Yamuna, and this mountain, and the Maruts and the twin\nAswins, and all rivers and lakes, vouchsafe thy safety. And, O effulgent\none, mayst thou have safety from all the celestials and the Asuras, and\nthe Vasus. O Goddess Ganga, I hear thy roar from this golden mountain,\nsacred to Indra. O Goddess of high fortune, in these mountainous\nregions, protect the king, worshipped by all of the Ajamidha race. O\ndaughter of the mountain (Himalaya), this king is about to enter into\nthese mountainous regions. Do thou, therefore, confer protection upon\nhim.'\n\n\"Having thus addressed the river, Lomasa bade Yudhishthira, saying, 'Be\nthou careful.'\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'This confusion of Lomasa is unprecedented.\nTherefore, protect ye Krishna, and be not careless. Lomasa knows this\nplace to be certainly difficult of access. Therefore, do ye practise\nhere the utmost cleanliness.'\"\n\nVaisampayana said, \"He next addressed his brother Bhima of vast prowess,\nsaying, 'O Bhimasena, do thou protect Krishna carefully. Whether Arjuna\nbe near or away, Krishna in times of danger ever seeketh protection from\nthee alone.'\n\n\"Then the high-souled monarch approached the twins, Nakula and Sahadeva,\nand after smelling their heads, and rubbing their persons, with tears\nsaid unto them, 'Do not fear. Proceed, however, with caution.'\"\n\n\nSECTION CXL\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'O Vrikodara, there are mighty and powerful\ninvisible spirits at this place. We shall, however, pass it, through the\nmerit of our asceticism and _Agnihotra_ sacrifices. O son of Kunti, do\nthou therefore, restrain thy hunger and thirst by collecting thy\nenergies, and also, O Vrikodara have recourse to thy strength and\ncleverness. O Kunti's son, thou hast heard what the sage (Lomasa) had\nsaid regarding mount Kailasa. Ascertain, therefore, after deliberation,\nhow Krishna will pass the spot. Or, O mighty Bhima of large eyes, do\nreturn from hence, taking with thee Sahadeva, and all our charioteers,\ncooks, servants, cars, horses, and Brahmanas worn out with travel, while\nI together with Nakula and the sage Lomasa of severe austerities\nproceed, subsisting on the lightest fare and observing vows. Do thou in\nexpectation of my return, cautiously wait at the source of the Ganga,\nprotecting Draupadi till I come back.'\n\n\"Bhima replied, 'O descendant of Bharata, although this blessed princess\nhath been sore afflicted by toil and distress, yet she easily\nproceedeth, in the hope of beholding him of the white steeds (Arjuna).\nThy dejection also is already very great at not seeing the high-souled\nArjuna, who never retreateth from fight. O Bharata, it is superfluous\nthen to say that if thou seest neither myself nor Sahadeva nor Krishna,\nthy dejection will certainly increase. The Brahmanas had better return\nwith our servants, charioteers, cooks and whomsoever else thou mayst\ncommand. I never shall leave thee in these rugged and inaccessible\nmountainous regions, infested by Rakshasas. And, O tiger among men, also\nthis princess of high fortune, ever devoted to her lords, desireth not\nto return without thee. Sahadeva is always devoted to thee; he too will\nnever retrace his steps. His disposition is known to me. O king, O\nmighty monarch, we are all eager to behold Savyasachin, and therefore,\nwill we all go together. If we are unable to go over this mountain in\nour cars, abounding as it doth in defiles, well, we would go on foot.\nTrouble thyself not, O king, I shall carry Panchala's daughter wherever\nshe will be incapable of walking. O king, I have decided upon this.\nTherefore let not thy mind be distracted. I shall also carry over\ninaccessible tracts those tender-bodied heroes, the twins, the delight\nof their mother, wherever they will be incapable of proceeding.'\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'May thy strength increase, O Bhima, as thou speakest\nthus, and as thou boldly undertakest to carry the illustrious Panchali\nand these twins. Blessed be thou! Such courage dwelleth not in any other\nindividual. May thy strength, fame, merit, and reputation increase! O\nlong-armed one, as thou offerest to carry Krishna and our brothers the\ntwins, exhaustion and defeat never be thine!'\"\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Then the charming Krishna said with a smile, 'O\ndescendant of Bharata, I shall be able to go, and, therefore, be thou\nnot anxious on my account.'\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'Access to the mountain, Gandhamadana, is only to be\nobtained by dint of asceticism. Therefore, O son of Kunti, shall we all\npractise austerities, O king, Nakula, Sahadeva, Bhimasena, thou and\nmyself shall then see him of the white steeds, O Kunti's son.'\"\n\nVaisampayana said, \"O king, thus conversing together, they saw with\ndelight the extensive domains of Suvahu, situated on the Himalayas\nabounding in horses and elephants, densely inhabited by the Kiratas and\nthe Tanganas, crowded by hundreds of Pulindas, frequented by the\ncelestials, and rife with wonders. King Suvahu, the lord of the\nPulindas, cheerfully received them at the frontiers of his dominions,\npaying them proper respect. Having been thus received with honour, and\nhaving dwelt comfortably at this place, they started for the mountain\nHimalaya, when the sun shone brightly in the firmament. And, O king,\nhaving entrusted to the care of the lord of the Pulindas, all their\nservants--Indrasena and the others,--and the cooks and the stewards, and\nDraupadi's accoutrements, and every thing else, those mighty\ncharioteers, the son of the Kurus, endued with great prowess, set out\nfrom that country, and began to proceed cautiously with Krishna,--all of\nthem cheerful in the expectation of beholding Arjuna.\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'O Bhimasena, O Panchali, and ye twins, hearken unto\nmy words. The acts done (by a person) in a former birth do not perish,\n(without producing their effects). Behold! Even we have become rangers\nof the wilderness. Even to see Dhananjaya, exhausted and distressed as\nwe are, we have to bear each other, and pass through impassable places.\nThis burneth me even as fire doth a heap of cotton. O hero, I do not see\nDhananjaya at my side. I reside in the wood with my younger brothers,\nanxious for beholding him. This thought, as also the memory of that\ngrave insult offered to Yajanaseni, consumes me. O Vrikodara, I do not\nsee the invincible Partha of strong bow and incomparable energy, and who\nis the immediate elder to Nakula. For this, O Vrikodara, I am miserable.\nIn order to see that hero, Dhananjaya, firm in promise, for these five\nyears have I been wandering in various _tirthas_, and beautiful forests\nand lakes and yet I do not meet with him. For this, O Vrikodara, I am\nmiserable. I do not see the long-armed Gudakesa, of dark blue hue, and\nleonine gait. For this, O Vrikodara, I am miserable. I do not see that\nforemost of Kurus, accomplished in arms, skilful in fight, and matchless\namong bowmen. For this, O Vrikodara, I am miserable. Distressed for I am\nI do not see that son of Pritha, Dhananjaya, born under the influence of\nthe star Phalguni; ranging amidst foes even like Yama at the time of the\nuniversal dissolution; possessed of the prowess of an elephant with the\ntemporal juice trickling down; endued with leonine shoulders; not\ninferior to Sakra himself in prowess and energy; elder in years to the\ntwins; of white steeds; unrivalled in heroism; invincible; and wielding\na strong bow. For this, O Vrikodara, I am miserable. And he is always of\na forgiving temper,--even when insulted by the meanest individual. And\nhe conferreth benefit and protection to the righteous; but to that\ntortuous person who by craft attempts to do him mischief, Dhananjaya is\nlike unto virulent poison, albeit that one were Sakra himself. And the\nmighty Vibhatsu of immeasurable soul and possessing great strength,\nshoweth mercy and extendeth protection even to a foe when fallen. And he\nis the refuge of us all and he crusheth his foes in fight. And he hath\nthe power to collect any treasure whatever, and he ministereth unto our\nhappiness. It was through his prowess that I had owned formerly\nmeasureless precious jewels of various kinds which at present Suyodhana\nhath usurped. It was by his might, O hero, that I had possessed before\nthat palatial amphitheatre embellished with all manner of jewels, and\ncelebrated throughout the three worlds. O Pandu's son, in prowess,\nPhalguni is like unto Vasudeva, and in fight he is invincible and\nunrivalled, even like unto Kartavirya. Alas! I see him not, O Bhima. In\nmight, that conqueror of foes goeth in the wake of the invincible and\nmost powerful Sankarshana (Valarama) and Vasudeva. In strength of arms,\nand spirit, he is like unto Purandara himself. And in swiftness, he is\neven as the wind, and in grace, as the moon, and in ire, he is the\neternal Death himself. O mighty-armed one, with the object of beholding\nthat war-like tiger among men, shall we repair to the Gandhamadana\nmountain, where lies the hermitage of Nara and Narayana at the site of\nthe celebrated jujube tree, and which is inhabited by the Yakshas. We\nshall see that best of mountains. And, practising severe austerities\nonly on foot we shall go to Kuvera's beautiful lake guarded by\nRakshasas. That place cannot be reached by vehicles, O Vrikodara.\nNeither can cruel or avaricious, or irascible people attain to that\nspot, O Bharata's son. O Bhima, in order to see Arjuna, thither shall we\nrepair, in company, with Brahmanas of strict vows, girding on our\nswords, and wielding our bows. Those only that are impure, meet with\nflies, gad-flies, mosquitoes, tigers, lions, and reptiles, but the pure\nnever come across them. Therefore, regulating our fare, and restraining\nour senses, we shall go to the Gandhamadana, desirous of seeing\nDhananjaya.'\"\n\n\nSECTION CXLI\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'O sons of Pandu, ye have seen many a mountain, and river\nand town and forest and beautiful _tirtha_; and have touched with your\nhands the sacred waters. Now this way leads to the celestial mountain\nMandara; therefore be ye attentive and composed. Ye will now repair to\nthe residence of the celestials and the divine sages of meritorious\ndeeds. Here, O king, flows the mighty and beautiful river (Alakananda)\nof holy water adored by hosts of celestials and sages, and tracing its\nsource to (the site of) the jujube tree. It is frequented and worshipped\nby high-souled Vaihayasas, Valakhilyas and Gandharvas of mighty souls.\nAccustomed to sing the Sama hymns, the sages, Marichi, Pulaha, Bhrigu\nand Angiras, chanted them at this spot. Here the lord of celestials\nperformeth with the Marats his daily prayers. And the Sadhyas and the\nAswins attend on him. The sun, the moon and all the luminaries with the\nplanets resort to this river, alternately by day and by night. O highly\nfortunate monarch, that protector of the world, Mahadeva, having a bull\nfor his mark, received on his head the fall of the waters of this river,\nat the source of the Ganga. O children, approach this goddess of the six\nattributes and bow down before her with concentrated minds.'\n\n\"Hearing the words of the high-souled Lomasa, the son of Pandu\nreverentially worshipped the river (Ganga), flowing through the\nfirmament. And after having adored her the pious sons of Pandu resumed\ntheir journey accompanied by the sages. And it came to pass that those\nbest of men beheld at a distance some white object of vast proportions,\neven like Meru and stretching on all sides. And knowing that Pandu's\nsons were intent upon asking (him), Lomasa versed in speech said, 'Hear,\nO sons of Pandu! O best of men, what ye see before you, of vast\nproportions like unto a mountain and beautiful as the Kailasa cliff, is\na collection of the bones of the mighty Daitya Naraka. Being placed on a\nmountain, it looketh like one. The Daitya was slain by that Supreme\nSoul, the eternal God Vishnu, for the good of the lord of celestials.\nAiming at the possession of Indra's place, by the force of austere and\nVedic lore, that mighty-minded (demon) had practised austere penances\nfor ten thousand years. And on account of his asceticism, as also of the\nforce and might of his arms he had grown invincible and always harassed\n(Indra). And O sinless one, knowing his strength and austerities and\nobservance of religious vows, Indra became agitated and was overwhelmed\nwith fear. And mentally he thought of the eternal deity, Vishnu. And\nthereat the graceful lord of the universe, who is present everywhere,\nappeared and stood before him manifest. And the sages and celestials\nbegan to propitiate Vishnu with prayers. And in his presence even Agni\nof the six attributes and of blazing beauty being overpowered by his\neffulgence, became shorn of radiance and seeing before him the God\nVishnu, the chief of the celestials who wields the thunder-bolt, bowing\nwith head down readily apprised Vishnu of the source of his fear.\nThereupon Vishnu said, \"I know, O Sakra, that thy fear proceedeth from\nNaraka, that lord of the Daityas. By the merit of his successful ascetic\nacts he aimeth at Indra's position. Therefore, for pleasing thee, I\nshall certainly sever his soul from his body, although he hath achieved\nsuccess in asceticism. Do thou, lord of celestials, wait for a moment.\"\nThen the exceedingly powerful Vishnu deprived (Naraka) of his senses (by\nstriking him) with his hand. And he fell down on the earth even like the\nmonarch of mountains struck by (thunder). He was thus slain by a miracle\nand his bones lie gathered at this spot. Here also is manifest another\ndeed of Vishnu's. Once the whole earth having been lost and sunk into\nthe nether regions she was lifted up by him in the shape of a boar\nhaving a single tusk.'\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'O worshipful one, relate in particular how Vishnu,\nthe lord of the celestials, raised up the earth sunk a hundred\n_yojanas_? In what manner also was that support of all created\nthings--the goddess Earth of high fortune-who dispenseth blessings and\nbringeth forth all sorts of corn rendered stable? Through whose power\nhad she sunk an hundred _yojanas_ below, and under what circumstances\nwas exhibited this greatest exploit of the Supreme Being? O chief of the\ntwice-born race, I wish to hear all about it in detail as it happened.\nCertainly, it is known to thee.'\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'O Yudhishthira, listen to all at length as I relate the\nstory, which thou hast asked me (to narrate). O child, in days of yore,\nthere was (once) a terrible time in the Krita Yuga when the eternal and\nprimeval Diety assumed the duties of Yama. And, O thou that never\nfallest off, when the God of gods began to perform the functions of\nYama, there died not a creature while the births were as usual. Then\nthere began to multiply birds and beasts and kine, and sheep, and deer\nand all kinds of carnivorous animals. O tiger among men and vanquisher\nof foes, then the human race also increased by thousands even like unto\na current of water. And, O my son, when the increase of population had\nbeen so frightful, the Earth oppressed with the excessive burden, sank\ndown for a hundred _yojanas_. And suffering pain in all her limbs, and\nbeing deprived of her senses by excessive pressure, the earth in\ndistress sought the protection of Narayana, the foremost of the gods.\nThe earth spake saying, \"It is by thy favour, O possessor of the six\nattributes, that I had been able to remain so long in my position. But I\nhave been overcome with burden and now I cannot hold myself any longer.\nIt behoveth thee, O adorable one, to relieve this load of mine. I have\nsought thy protection, O lord; and do thou, therefore, extend unto me\nthy favour.\" Hearing these words of hers, the eternal lord, possessor of\nthe six attributes, complaisantly said, in words uttered in distinct\nletters, Vishnu said, \"Thou need not fear, O afflicted Earth, the bearer\nof all treasures. I shall act so that thou mayst be made light.\"'\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'Having thus dismissed the Earth, who hath the mountains\nfor her ear-rings, he suddenly became turned into a boar with one tusk,\nand of exceeding effulgence. Causing terror with his glowing red eyes\nand emitting fumes from his blazing lustre, he began to swell in\nmagnitude in that region. O hero, then holding the earth with his single\nradiant tusk that being who pervadeth the Vedas, raised her up a hundred\n_yojanas_. And while she was being thus raised, there ensued a mighty\nagitation and all the celestials, together with the sages of ascetic\nwealth became agitated. And heaven, and the firmament, and also the\nEarth were filled with exclamations of _Oh!_ and _Alas!_ and neither the\ncelestials nor men could rest in peace. Then countless celestials\ntogether with the sages went to Brahma, who was seated burning as it\nwere in his (own) lustre. Then approaching Brahma, the lord of\ncelestials, and the witness of the acts of all beings, they with folded\nhands spake the following words, \"O lord of the celestials, all created\nbeings have become agitated and the mobile and immobile creatures are\nrestless. O lord of the celestials, even the oceans are found to be\nagitated and this whole earth hath gone down a hundred _yojanas_. What\nis the matter? And by whose influence is it that the whole universe is\nin ferment? May it please thee to explain it unto us without delay, for\nwe are all bewildered.\" Thereupon Brahma replied, \"Ye immortals! do ye\nnot entertain fear for the Asuras, in any matter or place. Hearken, ye\ncelestials, to the reason to which all this commotion is owing! This\nagitation in the heavens hath been produced by the influence of the\nillustrious Being who is omnipresent, eternal and the never-perishing\nSoul. That Supreme soul, Vishnu hath lifted up the Earth, who had\nentirely sunk down hundred _yojanas_. This commotion hath taken place in\nconsequence of the earth being raised up. Know ye this and dispel your\ndoubts.\" The celestials said, \"Where is that Being who with pleasure\nraiseth up the Earth? O possessor of the six attributes, mention unto us\nthe place. Thither shall we repair.\" Brahma said \"Go ye. May good happen\nto you! Ye will find him resting in the Nandana (gardens). Yonder is\nvisible the glorious worshipful Suparna (Garuda). After having raised\nthe Earth, the Supreme Being from whom the world become manifest,\nflameth even in the shape of a boar, like unto the all-consuming fire at\nthe universal dissolution. And on his beast is really to be seen the gem\nSrivatsa. (Go) and behold that Being knowing no deterioration.\"'\n\n\"Lomasa said, 'Then the celestials, placing the grandsire at their head,\ncame to that infinite Soul, and having listened to his praise, bade him\nadieu and went back to whence they had come.'\"\n\nVaisampayana said, \"O Janamejaya, having heard this story, all the\nPandavas without delay and with alacrity, began to proceed by the way\npointed out by Lomasa.\"\n\n\nSECTION CXLII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"O king, then those foremost of bowmen, of\nimmeasurable prowess, holding bows stringed at full stretch and equipped\nwith quivers and arrows and wearing finger-caps made of the guana-skin,\nand with their swords on, proceeded with Panchali towards the\nGandhamadana, taking with them the best of Brahmanas. And on their way\nthey saw various lakes, and rivers and mountains and forests, and trees\nof wide-spreading shade on mountain summits and places abounding in\ntrees bearing flowers and fruit in all seasons and frequented by\ncelestials and sages. And restraining their senses within their inner\nself and subsisting on fruits and roots, the heroes passed through\nrugged regions, craggy and difficult of passage, beholding many and\nvarious kinds of beasts. Thus those high-souled ones entered the\nmountain inhabited by the sages, the Siddhas and the celestials, and\nfrequented by the Kinnaras and the Apsaras. And, O lord of men, as those\nmighty heroes were entering the mountain Gandhamandana, there arose a\nviolent wind, attended with a heavy shower. And owing to this, mighty\nclouds of dust bearing lots of dry leaves, rose, and all on a sudden\ncovered earth, air and firmament. And when the heavens had been covered\nwith dust nothing could be perceived, neither could they (the Pandavas)\nspeak to one another. And with eyes enveloped with darkness and pushed\nby the wind carrying particles of rocks they could not see one another.\nAnd there began to arrive mighty sounds proceeding from the tree, and\nalso from those breaking down incessantly under the force of the wind,\nand falling to the ground. And distracted by gusts of the wind, they\nthought, 'Are the heavens falling down; or the earth and the mountains\nbeing rent?' And afraid of the wind, they felt about with their hands\nand took shelter under the way-side tree and ant-hills and in caverns.\nThen holding his bow and supporting Krishna the mighty Bhimasena stood\nunder a tree. And Yudhishthira the just with Dhaumya crept into the deep\nwood. And Sahadeva carrying the sacred fire with him took shelter in a\nrock. And Nakula together with Lomasa and other Brahmanas of great\nasceticism stood in fright, each under a tree. Then when the wind had\nabated and the dust subsided, there came down a shower in torrents.\nThere also arose a loud rattling noise, like unto the thunder hurled;\nand quick-flashing lightning began to play gracefully upon the clouds.\nAnd being helped on by the swift wind, showers of rain poured down\nwithout intermissions, filling all sides round. And, O lord of men, all\naround there began to flow many rivers covered with foam and turbid with\nmud; and these bearing volumes of water spread over the frothy rafts\nrushed down with tremendous roar uprooting trees. And afterwards when\nthat sound had ceased and the air had arisen they (each of them)\ncautiously came out of their coverts and met together, O descendant of\nBharata. And then the heroes started for the mountain Gandhamadana.\"\n\n\nSECTION CXLIII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"When the high-souled sons of Pandu had proceeded\nonly two miles, Draupadi unaccustomed to travel on foot, sank down.\nWeary and afflicted as she was, the poor daughter of Panchala became\nfaint, on account of the hailstorm and also of her extreme delicacy. And\ntrembling with faintness, the black-eyed one supported herself on her\nthighs with her plump arms, becoming (her graceful form). And thus\nresting for support on her thighs resembling the trunk of an elephant,\nand which were in contact with each other, she suddenly dropped upon the\nground, trembling like a plantain tree. And finding that the beautiful\none was falling down like a twisted creeper, Nakula ran forward and\nsupported her. And he said, 'O king, this black-eyed daughter of\nPanchala, being weary, hath fallen down upon the ground. Do thou,\ntherefore, tend her, O son of Bharata. Undeserving as she is of misery,\nthis lady of slow pace hath been subject to great hardships, and she is\nalso worn out with the fatigues of the journey. O mighty king, do thou\ntherefore, comfort her.'\"\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Having heard these words of Nakula, the king as also\nBhima and Sahadeva, became sorely afflicted, and hastily ran towards\nher. And finding her weak, and her countenance pale, the pious son of\nKunti began to lament in grief, taking her on his lap. Yudhishthira\nsaid, 'Accustomed to ease, and deserving to sleep in well protected\nrooms, on beds spread over with fine sheets, how doth this beautiful one\nsleep prostrate on the ground! Alas! On my account (alone), the delicate\nfeet and the lotus-like face of this one deserving of all excellent\nthings, have contracted a dark-blue hue. O what have I done! Fool that I\nam, having been addicted to dice, I have been wandering in the forest\nfull of wild beasts, taking Krishna in my company. This large-eyed one\nhad been bestowed by her father, the king of the Drupadas, in the hope\nthat the blessed girl would be happy, by obtaining the sons of Pandu for\nher lords. It is on account of my wretched self, that without obtaining\nanything hoped for, she sleepeth prostrate on the ground, tired with\nhardships, sorrow and travel!'\"\n\nVaisampayana said, \"While king Yudhishthira the just was lamenting thus,\nDhaumya with all the other principal Brahmanas came to the spot. And\nthey began to console him and to honour him with blessings. And they\nrecited _mantras_ capable of dispelling Rakshasas and (to that end) also\nperformed rites. And on the _mantras_ being recited by the great\nascetics, in order to the restoration of (Panchali's) health, Panchali\nfrequently touched by the Pandavas with their soothing palms and fanned\nby cool breezes surcharged with particles of water, felt ease, and\ngradually regained her senses. And finding that exhausted poor lady\nrestored to her senses, the sons of Pritha, placing her on deer-skin,\ncaused her to take rest. And taking her feet of red soles, bearing\nauspicious marks, the twins began to press them gently with their hands,\nscarred by the bow-string. And Yudhishthira the just, the foremost of\nthe Kurus, also comforted her and addressed Bhima in the following\nwords: 'O Bhima, there yet remain many mountains (before us), rugged,\nand inaccessible because of snow. How, long-armed one, will Krishna pass\nover them?' Thereupon Bhima said, 'O king, I myself shall carry thee,\ntogether with this princess and these bulls among men, the twins;\ntherefore, O king of kings, resign not thy mind unto despair. Or, at thy\nbidding, O sinless one, Hidimva's son, the mighty Ghatotkacha, who is\ncapable of ranging the skies and who is like unto me in strength, will\ncarry us all.'\"\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Then with Yudhishthira's permission, Bhima thought\nof his Rakshasa son. And no sooner was he thought of by his father, than\nthe pious Ghatotkacha made his appearance and, saluting the Pandavas and\nthe Brahmanas, stood with joined hands. And they also caressed him of\nmighty arms. He then addressed his father, Bhimasena of dreadful\nprowess, saying, 'Having been thought of by thee I have come here with\nspeed, in order to serve thee. Do thou, O longarmed one, command me. I\nshall certainly be able to perform whatever thou bidst.' Hearing this,\nBhimasena hugged the Rakshasa to his breast.\"\n\n\nSECTION CXLIV\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'O Bhima, let this mighty and heroic Rakshasa chief,\nthy legitimate son, devoted to us, and truthful, and conversant with\nvirtue carry (his) mother (Draupadi) without delay. And, O possessor of\ndreadful prowess, depending on the strength of thy arms, I shall reach\nthe Gandhamadana, unhurt, together with Panchala's daughter.'\"\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Hearing the words of his brother, that tiger among\nmen, Bhimasena, commanded his son, Ghatotkacha, represser of foes,\nsaying, 'O invincible son of Hidimva, this thy mother hath been sorely\ntired. Thou art, again, strong and capable of going wherever thou\nlikest. Do thou therefore, O ranger of the skies, carry her. May\nprosperity attend thee! Taking her on thy shoulders, thou shalt go in\nour company, adopting a course not far overhead,--so that thou mayst not\nrender her uneasy.' Thereat, Ghatotkacha said, 'Even single-handed, I am\nable to carry Yudhishthira the just, and Dhaumya, and Krishna, and the\ntwins--and what wonder then that I shall to-day carry them, when I have\nothers to assist me? And, O sinless one, hundreds of other heroic\n(Rakshasas), capable of moving through the sky, and of assuming any\nshape at will, will together carry you all with the Brahmanas.'\"\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Saying this, Ghatotkacha carried Krishna in the\nmidst of the Pandavas, and the other (Rakshasas) also began to carry the\nPandavas. And by virtue of his native energy, Lomasa of incomparable\neffulgence moved along the path of the Siddhas, like unto a second sun.\nAnd at the command of the lord of the Rakshasas, those Rakshasas of\nterrific prowess began to proceed, bearing all the other Brahmanas, and\nbeholding many a romantic wood. And they proceeded towards the gigantic\njujube tree. And carried by the Rakshasas of great speed, proceeding at\na rapid pace, the heroes passed over longextending ways quickly, as if\nover short ones. And on their way they saw various tracts crowded with\n_Mlechchha_ people, and containing mines of diverse gems. And they also\nsaw hillocks teeming with various minerals, thronged with Vidyadharas,\ninhabited on all sides by monkeys and Kinnaras and Kimpurushas, and\nGandharvas, and filled with peacocks, and _chamaras_, and apes, and\n_turus_, and bears, and gavayas, and buffaloes, intersected with a\nnetwork of rivulets, and inhabited by various birds and beasts, and\nbeautified by elephants, and abounding in trees and enraptured birds.\nAfter having thus passed many countries, and also the Uttarakurus, they\nsaw that foremost of mountains, the Kailasa, containing many wonders.\nAnd by the side of it, they beheld the hermitage of Nara and Narayana,\nwith celestial trees bearing flowers and fruits in all seasons. And they\nalso beheld that beautiful jujube of round trunk. And it was fresh; and\nof deep shade; and of excellent beauty; and of thick, soft and sleek\nfoliage; and healthful; and having gigantic boughs; and wide-spreading;\nand of incomparable lustre; and bearing full-grown, tasteful, and holy\nfruits dropping honey. And this celestial tree was frequented by hosts\nof mighty sages, and was always inhabited by various birds maddened with\nanimal spirits. And it grew at a spot devoid of mosquitoes and\ngad-flies, and abounding in fruits and roots and water, and covered with\ngreen grass, and inhabited by the celestials and the Gandharvas, and of\nsmooth surface, and naturally healthful, and beauteous and cool and of\ndelicate feel. Having reached that (tree) together with those bulls\namong Brahmanas, the high-souled ones gently alighted from the shoulders\nof the Rakshasas. Then in company with those bulls among the twice-born\nones, the Pandavas beheld that romantic asylum presided over by Nara and\nNarayana; devoid of gloom; and sacred; and untouched by the solar rays;\nand free from those rubs, viz. hunger, and thirst, heat and cold, and\nremoving (all) sorrow; and crowded with hosts of mighty sages; and\nadorned with the grace proceeding from the Vedas, Saman, Rich, and\nYajus; and, O king, inaccessible to men who have renounced religion; and\nbeautified with offerings, and _homas_; and sacred; and well-swept and\ndaubed; and shining all around with offerings of celestial blossoms; and\nspread over with altars of sacrificial fire, and sacred ladles and pots;\nand graced with large water-jars, and baskets and the refuge of all\nbeings; and echoing with the chanting of the Vedas; and heavenly; and\nworthy of being inhabited; and removing fatigue; and attended with\nsplendour and of incomprehensible merit; and majestic with divine\nqualities. And the hermitage was inhabited by hosts of great sages,\nsubsisting on fruits and roots; and having their senses under perfect\ncontrol; and clad in black deer-skins; and effulgent like unto the Sun\nand Agni; and of souls magnified by asceticism and intent on\nemancipation; and leading the Vanaprastha mode of life; and of subdued\nsenses; and identified with the Supreme Soul; and of high fortune; and\nreciting Vedic hymns. Then having purified himself and restrained his\nsenses, that son of Dharma, the intelligent Yudhishthira of exceeding\nenergy, accompanied by his brothers, approached those sages. And all the\ngreat sages endued with supernatural knowledge, knowing Yudhishthira\narrived, received him joyfully. And those sages engaged in the\nrecitation of the Vedas, and like unto fire itself, after having\nconferred blessings on Yudhishthira, cheerfully accorded him fitting\nreception. And they gave him clean water and flowers and roots. And\nYudhishthira the just received with regard the things gladly offered for\nhis reception by the great sages. And then, O sinless one, Pandu's son\ntogether with Krishna and his brothers, and thousands of Brahmanas\nversed in the Vedas and the Vendangas, entered into that holy hermitage,\nlike unto the abode of Sukra and pleasing the mind with heavenly odours\nand resembling heaven itself and attended with beauty. There the pious\n(Yudhishthira) beheld the hermitage of Nara and Narayana, beautified by\nthe Bhagirathi and worshipped by the gods and the celestial sages. And\nseeing that hermitage inhabited by the Brahmarshis and containing fruits\ndropping honey, the Pandavas were filled with delight. And having\nreached that place, the high-souled ones began to dwell with the\nBrahmanas. There beholding the holy lake Vinda, and the mountain\nMainaka, of golden summits and inhabited by various species of birds,\nthe magnanimous ones lived happily with joy. The son of Pandu together\nwith Krishna took pleasure in ranging excellent and captivating woods,\nshining with flowers of every season; beauteous on all sides with trees\nbearing blown blossoms; and bending down with the weight of fruits and\nattended by the numerous male _kokilas_ and of glossy foliage; and thick\nand having cool shade and lovely to behold. They took delight in\nbeholding diverse beautiful lakes of limpid water and shining all round\nwith lotuses and lilies. And there, O lord, the balmy breeze bearing\npure fragrance, blew gladdening all the Pandavas, together with Krishna.\nAnd hard by the gigantic jujube, the mighty son of Kunti saw the\nBhagirathi of easy descent and cool and furnished with fresh lotuses and\nhaving stairs made of rubies and corals and graced with trees and\nscattered over with celestial flowers, and gladsome to the mind. And at\nthat spot, frequented by celestials and sages, and extremely\ninaccessible, they, after having purified themselves offered oblations\nunto the _pitris_ and the gods and the _rishis_ in the sacred waters of\nthe Bhagirathi. Thus those bulls among men the heroic perpetuators of\nthe Kuru race, began to reside there with the Brahmanas offering\noblations and practising meditation. And those tigers among men, the\nPandavas of the god-like appearance, felt delight in witnessing the\nvarious amusements of Draupadi.\"\n\n\nSECTION CXLV\n\nVaisampayana said, \"There observing cleanliness, those tigers among men\ndwelt for six nights, in expectation of beholding Dhananjaya. And it\ncame to pass that all of a sudden there blew a wind from the north-east\nand brought a celestial lotus of a thousand petals and effulgent as the\nsun. And Panchali saw that pure and charming lotus of unearthly\nfragrance, brought by the wind and left on the ground. And having\nobtained that excellent and beautiful lotus, that blessed one became\nexceedingly delighted, O king, and addressed Bhimasena in the following\nwords, 'Behold, O Bhima, this most beautiful unearthly flower having\nwithin it the very source of fragrance. It gladdenth my heart, O\nrepresser of foes. This one shall be presented to Yudhishthira the just.\nDo thou, therefore, procure others for my satisfaction--in order that I\nmay carry them to our hermitage in the Kamyaka. If, O Pritha's son, I\nhave found grace with thee, do thou then procure others of this species\nin large numbers. I wish to carry them to our hermitage.' Having said\nthis, the blameless lady of beautiful glances approached Yudhishthira\nthe just, taking the flower. And knowing the desire of his beloved queen\nthat bull among men, Bhima of great strength, also set out, in order to\ngratify her. And intent upon fetching the flowers, he began to proceed\nat rapid space, facing the wind, in the direction from which the flower\nhad come. And taking the bow inlaid with gold on the back as also arrows\nlike unto venomous snakes, he proceeded as a lion in anger or an\nelephant in rut. And all beings gazed at him, holding a mighty bow and\narrows. And neither exhaustion, nor langour, neither fear nor confusion,\never possessed the son of Pritha and the offspring of Vayu (wind). And\ndesirous of pleasing Draupadi the mighty one, free from fear or\nconfusion, ascended the peak depending on the strength of his arms. And\nthat slayer of foes began to range that beautiful peak covered with\ntrees, creepers and of black rocky base; and frequented by Kinnaras; and\nvariegated with minerals, plants, beasts, and birds of various hues; and\nappearing like an upraised arm of the Earth adorned with an entire set\nof ornaments. And that one of matchless prowess proceeded, fixing his\nlook at the slopes of the Gandhamadana,--beautiful with flowers of every\nseason--and revolving various thoughts in his mind and with his ears,\neyes and mind rivetted to the spots resounding with the notes of male\n_kokilas_ and ringing with the hum of black bees. And like an elephant\nin rut ranging mad in a forest that one of mighty prowess smelt the rare\nodour proceeding from the flowers of every season. And he was fanned by\nthe fresh breeze of the Gandhamadana bearing the perfumes of various\nblossoms and cooling like unto a father's touch. On his fatigue being\nremoved the down on his body stood on end. And in this state that\nrepresser of foes for the flowers began to survey all the mountain,\ninhabited by Yakshas and Gandharvas and celestials and Brahmarshis. And\nbrushed by the leaves of _Saptachchada_ tree, besmeared with fresh red,\nblack and white minerals, he looked as if decorated with lines of holy\nunguents drawn by fingers. And with clouds stretching at its sides, the\nmountain seemed dancing with outspread wings. And on account of the\ntrickling waters of springs, it appeared to be decked with necklaces of\npearls. And it contained romantic caverns and groves and cascades and\ncaves. And there were excellent peacocks dancing to the jingling of the\nbangles of the Apsaras. And its rocky surface was worn away by the end\nof tusks of the elephants presiding over the cardinal points. And with\nthe waters of rivers falling down, the mountain looked as if its clothes\nwere getting loosened. And that graceful son of the wind-god playfully\nand cheerfully went on, pushing away by his force countless intertwisted\ncreepers. And stags in curiosity gazed at him, with grass in their\nmouths. And not having experienced fear (ever before), they were\nunalarmed, and did not flee away. And being engaged in fulfilling the\ndesire of his love, the youthful son of Pandu, stalwart and of splendour\nlike unto the hue of gold; and having a body strong as a lion; and\ntreading like a mad elephant; and possessing the force of a mad\nelephant; and having coppery eyes like unto those of a mad elephant; and\ncapable of checking a mad elephant began to range the romantic sides of\nthe Gandhamadana with his beautiful eyes uplifted; and displaying as it\nwere a novel type of beauty. And the wives of Yakshas and Gandharvas\nsitting invisible by the side of their husbands, stared at him, turning\ntheir faces with various motions. Intent upon gratifying Draupadi exiled\nunto the woods, as he was ranging the beautiful Gandhamadana, he\nremembered the many and various woes caused by Duryodhana. And he\nthought, 'Now that Arjuna sojourn in heaven and that I too have come\naway to procure the flowers, what will our brother Yudhishthira do at\npresent? Surely, from affection and doubting their prowess, that\nforemost of men, Yudhishthira, will not let Nakula and Sahadeva come in\nsearch of us. How, again, can I obtain the flowers soon?' Thinking thus,\nthat tiger among men proceeded in amain like unto the king of birds, his\nmind and sight fixed on the delightful side of the mountain. And having\nfor his provisions on the journey the words of Draupadi, the mighty son\nof Pandu, Vrikodara Bhima, endued with strength and the swiftness of the\nwind, with his mind and sight fixed on the blooming slopes of the\nmountain, proceeded speedily, making the earth tremble with his tread,\neven as doth a hurricane at the equinox; and frightening herds of\nelephants and grinding lions and tigers and deer and uprooting and\nsmashing large trees and tearing away by force plants and creepers, like\nunto an elephant ascending higher and higher the summit of a mountain;\nand roaring fiercely even as a cloud attended with thunder. And awakened\nby that mighty roaring of Bhima, tigers came out of their dens, while\nother rangers of the forest hid themselves. And the coursers of the\nskies sprang up (on their wing) in fright. And herds of deer hurriedly\nran away. And birds left the trees (and fled). And lions forsook their\ndens. And the mighty lions were roused from their slumber. And the\nbuffaloes stared. And the elephants in fright, leaving that wood, ran to\nmore extensive forests company with their mates. And the boars and the\ndeer and the lions and the buffaloes and the tigers and the jackals and\nthe _gavayas_ of the wood began to cry in herds.\n\n(Paragraph continued in next e-book.)","title":"The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Translated into English Prose: Vana Parva, Part 1","tradition":"myth-cosmogony","translated_text":null,"word_count":151800}